There’s never been an unconventional anti-hero quite like Deadpool, who wears a silly red bodysuit and full face mask. If you thought Robert Downey Jr. was his own man in Iron Man, you ain’t seen nothing yet. An inveterate chatterer with attitude, Deadpool’s trademark irreverence will make him much loved among those who clamour to see this latest live action adventure from Marvel Studios, which has an impressive history of successful titles.
Deadpool, known as the “Merc with the Mouth” is played by Ryan Reynolds. He used to be a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary who went by the name Wade Wilson. Wilson was a fun loving kind of guy, who enjoyed a drink with the best of them and stuck up for women who were wronged by men. With an unhealthy reliance upon pop culture references, Wilson fell hard for Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin – TV’s Homeland), who had a rough childhood and was living a life full of regret. She was a prostitute when Wade met her, but together they were dynamite and then something bad happened, which saw Wade turn away from Vanessa. After being subjected to a rogue experiment that left him severely and grotesquely scarred, but with accelerated healing powers, Wilson adopted the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities, including great strength, and maintaining a dark, twisted sense of humour, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life, Ajax (Ed Skrein – The Transporter Refueled). At the same time, he carries deep misgivings about his parting with Vanessa.
Reynolds has clearly embraced his character’s many and often twisted facets. It is another star turn for him and a real crowd pleaser. Put simply, some of his lines are very funny and he delivers them with aplomb. There were peals of laughter from the audience and it is not hard to see why. They, in fact, start from the opening credits, which are mocking and set the scene for what is to follow.
I also loved Morena Baccarin’s turn as Wilson’s perfectly matched girlfriend. Not only is she smokin’ hot, but she also has a strong voice and character of her own which compliments his. Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, who fills a cameo role, also serves as an executive producer.
Reynolds had long championed a movie version of the iconic comic character. His deep involvement in the film’s development (he is a producer as well as the star) continued throughout production, in brainstorming sessions with first time director Tim Miller and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland).
Deadpool is a unique figure in the Marvel universe. Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld created Deadpool as possessing an often non-superheroic attitude. A sardonic foil to the holier-than-thou heroes and villains that populate Marvel’s other comics, Deadpool constantly cracks edgy jokes. You’ve also got a couple of characters from the X-Men franchise, including Colossus, who can change his skin into steel and enjoys a fun and idiosyncratic dynamic with Deadpool.
Wade Wilson also trades wisecracks with barkeeper pal Weasel, played by actor-comedian T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley). In spite of his motto of always “looking out for number one”, Weasel is a trusted friend. He owns Sister Margaret’s Home for Wayward Girls, a clandestine establishment where mercenaries drink away their conscience. He’s also a savvy weapons dealer who loves money and guns. Deadpool lives with a sightless, sassy and tough senior citizen known as Blind Al (played by singer/actress Leslie Uggams) whom he found on American classified ads web site Craigslist.
So, as you can see, nothing about the movie is conventional, other than the ending, which was a slight letdown after the brilliance of the first 90 per cent. For those who haven’t read the Deadpool comics it takes a while to understand the full back-story, but that you do as the screenplay weaves back and forth in time. It is oh-so-clever and has more than a touch of Kick-Ass about it.
Reynolds and Baccarin are sensational together and Marvel has undoubtedly crafted yet another winner. Rated MA, Deadpool scores an 8 to 8½ out of 10.
Director: Tim Miller
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, Gina Carano
Release Date: 11 February 2016
Rating: MA15+
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television