A man develops regenerative powers after seeking to eradicate his cancer and must use them to hunt down the villains holding his girlfriend hostage.
Most superhero films attempt to keep things pretty PG-13 for the sake of younger viewers. Comic books and superheroes are popular amongst the youngsters and they try to allow for their participation. Deadpool, on the other hand, turns around and shoves his bright red spandex covered cheeks in children’s faces and says “Kiss it.” And that’s why Deadpool is my favorite superhero. Never shying away from ultraviolence, cuss words out the literal wazoo, and adult humor that’ll make Grandma blush (well, not mine, but mine is insane), Deadpool came onto the scene to smack your ass and call you Daddy, and it’s never short on laughs to be had, even if the first film on the now 3 film-deep series had a little bit of an age problem. No, not because it’s under the age of consent, either.
Tim Miller does a great job directing this one, giving it a sleek and realistic feel that’s often lost on superhero movies. Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese join him on writing the script, and it’s a really fantastic base foundation for the film. However, there’s something about it that doesn’t quite work right, and I’ve never been able to put my finger on it. It’s fun and entertaining with big doses of action, but it’s like those action sequences never transcend the basics. And while the humor is smart and witty, it has aged a bit in the almost 10 years since it was released, with some jokes falling flat and others feeling out of place.
But if Deadpool works for any reason at all, though, it’s because of Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds is Deadpool. No one else can embody that character as well as he does, and his physical humor is only rivaled by his quick fire humor and endearing personality. You care about Wade Wilson, even if he is an asshole, because of Reynolds’ dedication to the character. And his chemistry with Morena Baccarin is absolutely on fire. You feel Wade’s pain as he searches for her, and their relationship would prove to be a big point of interest in the subsequent installments of the film series, too. Leslie Uggams is loveable and hilarious as Big Al, and Karan Soni is the cab driver we all wish we had. Because he’s not just a cab driver, he’s Deadpool’s therapist. The entire cast is just phenomenal, down to Brian’s Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Stefan Kapičić as Colossus. As long as we don’t talk about TJ Miller or Gina Carano.
A big deal of work went into the special effects and cinematography here, too. Not every film can pull off making Colossus look like he’s really that huge and made of steel, but they did it somehow with this one, not to mention how great all of the explosions and carnage sequences look. There’s also a great soundtrack of songs new and old, and the score is good, albeit unnoticeable.
While some aspects of Deadpool may have aged poorly over the years, it’s still a solid film that’s a lot of fun to watch, and built a foundation for the future installments to be even better. And as Scoutmaster Kevin used to say, “There’s a first time for everything, son.”