Deadpool (2016) - Review

2016 brought us the most irreverent, unique superhero film to date. With DP2 dropping this week, it seemed fitting to flashback to when Wade Wilson first broke the fourth wall.

In Deadpool, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a mercenary who falls in love with a similarly disturbed girl, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). When he is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Wade signs up to be experiment on by the shady Francis (Ed Skrien), in the hopes of being cured and re-uniting with his fiancée. When the experiments turn out to be torturous, evil machinations, Deadpool vows revenge as only the comedic murderer can.

This film turns the superhero genre on its ear. To begin, the film was stuck in development hell after the ill-received treatment of the character in 2010's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. When test footage "leaked" (rumoured to have been released by Reynolds himself, who also served as producer on the flick), fan outcries were answered when Fox green-lit the project. This unique production was not only different in how it began, it was also very different in content.

Wise cracking superheroes are nothing new, but Deadpool take it one step further. Interacting with the audience and looking directly at the camera breaks comic book film tradition in that it takes itself lightly. The balance of juvenile potty humour and meta sarcasm is full tilt, with the film garnering an R-rating. The massive success, both critically and commercially, proved that superhero films can integrate facets of all genres. Without Deadpool, it is doubtful we would have received such a film as 2017's Logan.

The mile-a-minute jokes largely would fall flat if it wasn't for the charisma of lead Ryan Reynolds. The role was practically made for Reynolds, who embodies the essence of a comic book character. The comedy is certainly the highlight of the performance, but there is also a touching sadness laying underneath the tough exterior, showcased in the pre-Deadpool flashbacks.

The ensemble of supporting characters is also well put together. Vanessa is sexy and likeable, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) is a fun debut, and Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) is a great straight-man who helps link the film to the larger X-Men film universe. Leslie Uggams as Blind Al is my personal favourite side character. A blind woman building a piece of IKEA furniture somehow brought me to tears laughing. Finally, TJ Miller's Weasel is a hilarious sidekick who gets many of the films biggest laugh lines.

The one weak point of the film for me is the villains. Ed Skrein's Ajax is one-note. While very much unlikeable, he's not dastardly enough to be memorable, and is merely a target for Wade's jokes. Angel Dust (Gina Carano) is not given nearly enough to do, perhaps limited by the actress portraying her. Her main piece of screen time is her action scenes vs Colossus, which are sadly low and forgettable.

While not as timeless a comedy as say Ghostbusters, Deadpool is a land-mark movie that disrupts the superhero genre for the better. While my second watch for this review was not as enjoyable as my in-theater first go, I highly recommend rounding up a group of friends and checking out Deadpool at FULL PRICE! Laughter will ensue.