 Tagline: Bad ass. Smart ass. Great ass. Hold onto your chimichangas, folks. From the studio that brought you all 3 Taken films comes Deadpool, the block-busting, fourth-wall-breaking masterpiece about Marvel Comics' sexiest anti-hero: me! Go deep inside (I love that) my origin story...typical stuff...rogue experiment, accelerated healing powers, horrible disfigurement, red spandex, imminent revenge. Directed by overpaid tool Tim Miller, and starring God's perfect idiot Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin, T. J. Miller and Gina Carano, Deadpool is a giddy slice of awesomeness packed with more twists than my enemies' intestines and more action than prom night. Amazeballs! Storyline: This is the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life. Written by 20th Century Fox Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman, May 7, 2016 Are we over the #OscarsSoWhite controversy? Well, even if we're not, I'd like to propose a whole new brouhaha that can be hashtagged as #WhyNoAwardforCredits. While the Academy Awards are certainly not as hilariously "dense" in terms of awards categories in the same way the Emmy Awards and even the Golden Globes Awards are, it might be time to consider adding a trophy for most creative credits sequence (maybe an honorary Saul Bass Award to go along with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award could be an option). As a first prospective nominee in this yet to be created category, I hereby offer Deadpool, whose opening riff on the typical summer blockbuster superhero film credits sequence is one of the funniest things in a film filled to the brim with great little comedic bits. The conceit of the credits sequence won't be spoiled here for those who haven't yet seen the film, but suffice it to say the jokes on tap don't just set up the tone of this Marvel entry pretty near perfectly, they also let the audience know from the get go that this is going to be a "meta" outing of near epic proportions, and one where the filmmakers and cast themselves are not taking themselves seriously. As such, it might be seen as the antithesis for the weighty, ponderously dramatic attempts of other superhero films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. When one Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds—do even actors require alliteration in the Marvel universe?) suffers a horrifying chain of events which leave him badly scarred if more or less immortal and able to magically heal (shades of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where Reynolds first essayed this character), he adopts the cheeky name Deadpool as his alter ego. "Sounds like a franchise," he and his buddy Weasel (T.J. Miller) quip, in just one of many "extracurricular" jokes that play on the audience's built in appreciation for the ever expanding world of interlinked Marvel characters, especially those who populate the X-Men series. While many X-Men outings have featured their fair share of humor, Deadpool takes things to a whole new level, with physical shtick and rapid fire verbal humor (often fairly bursting through the fourth wall) sparring for dominance at virtually every turn. The result is quite unlike any recent superhero flick, including any other X-Men entry. Deadpool virtually delights in skewing preconceived notions about how a superhero film is "supposed" to be, especially a so-called "origin story". In fact Wade's metamorphosis into Deadpool doesn't happen for quite a while in the film's disjointed (but never confusing) narrative, actually a good long time after Deadpool has already been seen in action. The film begins with one of the most blistering and blisteringly funny action sequences in recent memory, with Deadpool taking a taxi drive to catch up to some nefarious bad guy who is initially identified only as Francis. That turns out to be one Francis Freeman (Ed Skrein), who, in typical Marvel fashion, also goes by the sobriquet Ajax. As Deadpool details in a series of interlocked flashbacks, it was Francis who was responsible for turning Wade into the red spandex suited Deadpool, and Deadpool is none too happy about it (at least the horrible scarring part). There have evidently been some complaints that Deadpool ends up being too formulaic for its own good, but from my perspective, that's part and parcel of the whole "joke", as evidenced by the credits themselves. The credits are, after all, the first statement the filmmakers offer which clearly indicates, "Hey, we know you've seen all this before, we get it." You know going into one of these "franchise" films what you're going to get (more or less, anyway), and one of Deadpool's "wink-iest" aspects is that it knows it, too, and plays with that foreknowledge in some very appealing ways. That includes toying with the narrative structure so that things aren't strictly chronological, as well as introducing all sorts of "meta" material that should win the favor of more ironically disposed post-modern types. Some of these elements flit by in the blink of an eye (watch for a quick reference to Reynolds' "other" superhero, Green Lantern 3D), while others are made a pointed part of the dialogue (when Deadpool is being "escorted" back to supposedly be counseled by Charles Xavier, he asks "Stewart or McAvoy?"). And it's the humor which tends to keep Deadpool floating right past its genre conventions. There's nothing at all surprising about the overall plot arc of this film, something that may or may not disappoint some fans, but the tone of Deadpool is completely singular and (for certain types, anyway) inescapably hilarious. This is not a superhero flick for the younger kiddies by any stretch, and concerned parents are encouraged to check it out before letting any tots view it. But that very irreverence is what makes Deadpool such a bracing entertainment. Reynolds brings a perfect combination of snark and vulnerability to the role, and the large supporting cast provides ample color and spark to an admittedly somewhat rote storyline. Somewhat amazingly, Deadpool is director Tim Miller's first at bat helming a major feature film (he has a background in shorts, including an Oscar nomination, as well as video games and—wait for it—designing credits sequences). Miller manages the film's set pieces with goofy élan, and even coaxes a surprisingly effective performance out of Reynolds, who (as Deadpool) is forced to emote with a spandex mask covering his face. Those who prefer their superheroes movies on the portentous side may want to stick with the efforts of folks like Zach Snyder, but for those who have yearned for a Pirandello-esque smartass (and who amongst us hasn't?), there's probably no finer example in contemporary film than Deadpool. When analyzed purely on the nuts and bolts of its story arc, it's true that Deadpool doesn't do anything "new", but that's part of the joke, and one which the film delivers expertly both through its skewed narrative style as well as its frequently akimbo tone. A lot of superhero flicks pile on the SFX wonderment and mythologizing to impeccable degrees, but they frequently miss one salient element that Deadpool has, well, dead right—it's fun. Technical merits are first rate, and Deadpool comes Highly recommended. [CSW] -3.7 Do not take your children to see this; it is for adults and those that tolerate crude humor, not the whiney people who think we are all going to hell in a hand basket. This is less of a review and more a warning to people who seem to not understand what Rated R means. Still does not mean everyone will like it, but spare us the reviews of "Oh my goodness, the language, the horror, Satan lives and his name is Deadpool." First off, read some of the comics of Deadpool. Then you'll know that the film itself was somewhat tame in comparison to the comics, although it DID hit on many points. Ryan Reynolds did more than an adequate job with the character inserting his quick snarky comments (as Deadpool does...Merc with the Mouth) and his "breaking of the 4th wall" (being aware of us as viewers). Being a little older I did find most of the humor sophomoric and the not quite as funny as I would have when younger. What is so unusual about this film is that the heroes usually never kill the bad guys. Batman would have saved a lot of lives by killing the Joker and Superman would have saved thousands by ripping Lex Luthor's head from his body. Deadpool understands that and this filters through the whole film, so in that aspect, this movie, this character, is a breath of fresh air. So take a deep breath of filthy, funny, foul-mouthed air, if you get my drift, and enjoy. Cast Notes: Ryan Reynolds (Wade / Deadpool), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Ed Skrein (Ajax), Michael Benyaer (Warlord), Stefan Kapicic (Colossus [voice]), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Style Dayne (Jeremy [Pizza Guy]), Kyle Cassie (Gavin Merchant), Taylor Hickson (Meghan Orlovsky), Ayzee (Teen Girl #1), Naika Toussaint (Teen Girl #2), T.J. Miller (Weasel), Randal Reeder (Buck), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Isaac C. Singleton Jr. (Boothe). IMDb Rating (06/06/16): 8.2/10 from 413,940 users Top 250: #184
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