Deadpool (2016) Review

"It's funny that I only ever see two of you.  It's almost like the studio couldn't afford another X-Man."
-Deadpool



Mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has a mouth that won't quit and a heart of gold, along with some seriously violent tendencies.  After discovering he has cancer, Wade is approached by a mysterious organization that promises to cure him and give him superpowers.  Wade agrees to join them, but finds himself being brutally tortured everyday, by Ajax (Ed Skrein), in order to get his body to mutate.  Eventually, it works, but it leaves Wade hideously scarred and deformed.  Wade takes on the persona of Deadpool and sets out on a quest for revenge and to become hot again so he can get his girlfriend back, and he's going to leave many dismembered bodies in his wake.


What Works:

Deadpool is a great movie, but it is held together by Ryan Reynolds' performance.  The guy was born to play this role.  He's charming, funny, likable.  We can watch him brutally murder henchmen all day long and still root for this guy.  It's great that Reynolds finally got a chance to give this character the performance he deserves (I'm looking at you, X-Men Origins: Wolverine).  He really does an incredible job.

But Ryan Reynolds isn't the only great performer here.  Everyone does a great job.  Morena Baccarin is probably the most memorable love interest I have ever seen in a superhero film.  Ed Skrein is a fantastically evil villain, who you can't way to see Deadpool murder.  T.J. Miller is solid in his comic relief role.  Best of all is Stefan Kapičić who plays the metallic X-Man, Colossus.  He is such a kind and wholesome character, a true Eagle Scout, that he makes an excellent foil for the violent, foul-mouthed Deadpool.  

Finally, Deadpool is probably the funniest superhero movie I've ever seen.  Most of this comes from Ryan Reynolds, but all around, it's a funny cast with some really great writing.  I can't help but smiling for most of this movie.  It has a really great energy and you can tell that they had a lot of fun making it.


What Sucks:

I do think the pacing is a little wonky with all the cutting back and forth between the freeway fight and the flashbacks.  And not every joke lands, but it's all pretty minor critiques.


Verdict:

Deadpool is a refreshing film that was exactly what it needed to be.  It's funny, it has great performances all around, a fantastic lead, and all in all, is just a lot of fun and does justice to the character.  Deadpool has absolutely got it going on.

 9/10: Great 

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