Yay me.
So, early 90s. That was probably my post-X-Men phase, when Mukey (then known as Gushie) introduced me to a world of non-superhero comics. Rob Liefeld had actually perked my interest for a while, with his gritty trenchcoat wearing heroes but somehow, I don't remember ever being introduced to Deadpool. In fact, my first real exposure to the character has been recent, as a Redditor's Boyfriend. For years, Marmy's been sitting to the left of me on the sofa, sharing all the best bits of Deadpool from the Internet. Damn, he is one popular character with the Reddit kids. For the longest time, I wasn't even sure if the whole Breaking the Fourth Wall bit, the comedy or the ultra-violence were his real schtick(s) or something attached to him by his Internet fanbase.
With all that exposure, and her fondness for him, I knew we would see it in cinema. In fact, I hoped we would break our Cineplex VIP virginity with it, seeing how we were horrified at how people were dragging kids to it. VIP -- adults only, costs more so they enforce good behaviour (they better) and there is beer. You had me at beer. Alas, plans didn't come through.
Boo me.
So, yes, with Kent on the movie being so.... much.... FUN. Seriously, I have not walked out a movie having so thoroughly enjoyed myself in a long long time. And not only did I enjoy it, I found it well done. It was not the slapdash, blood and guts movie I was expecting. OK, it was but it wasn't only. The connection of his history to his current predicament are well played out and, well, sweet. He really does it for love.
Deadpool starts with flashbacks to Wade Wilson, not the guy from the Wolverine movie, but pretty similar. They have fun with the fact they are not quite from the same universe as the X-Men movies, but share some sort of connection with all the Marvel movies, even if it's as minor as making fun of them. Really, the movie doesn't care a bit about continuity, and drawing upon his behaviour in the comics, breaking the fourth wall is expected. So, Wade is a mercenary, a crude but nice killer for hire who falls in love with a hooker who is as crazy as he is. They fuck, they laugh, they peg, they fall in love. They do weird things with candy pop rings. And then Wade gets cancer.
Morena Baccarin is already my kryptonite, but she completely dives into this role and melts me. She is not a heroine type, not before getting involved with Wade, nor after he disappears having been dragged into a superhero making outfit that makes mutants out of injectable goo and torture. It takes quite a while, but when it kicks in Wade is left horribly disfigured and nigh indestructible. He cannot go back to Morena so he has one thing left --- revenge!!
That's what the whole thing on the overpass is about, him catching up with and trying to kill the guy who made him look like the inside of an asshole's asshole. Wade was already a bit nutz to begin with but as Deadpool, he is bonkers. A stable bonkers, but one who is aware he is in a movie and we are watching him. By the time he is on the bridge, he has been tracking his bad guys for a while and the X-Men are aware of him. But they could only afford two, so we get a redesigned (and entirely CGI) Peter Rasputin and a gender bent Cannonball, renamed as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, seriously the best superhero name of all time. They want to contain Deadpool as a potential X-Men recruit. He's not having it.
The plot, well the plot is very small. Don't get me wrong, it's not a small movie as I often use the term, as the number of flashbacks and references expand beyond the 'Wade gets revenge on Francis' focus of the movie but that is it. That is the whole story --- Wade meets girl, Wade gets cancer, Wade becomes Deadpool, Wade hunts down and kills people who made him Deadpool. But who cares, its constant laughter along the way. But not just stupid comedy, but inventive, outrageous and guffaw inducing comedy. And pretty decent action bits considering their budget cuts. The entire battle at the helicarrier (yes, that is a crashed helicarrier from Winter Soldier) being gutted is reduced to a quick take-out-the-mooks scene and a superhero jump. Oh, and a blade battle with Francis.
Finally, I cannot be more amazed at Ryan Reynolds in this movie. He is always fun, but he really is stupendous in this role. This is what being invested in a character brings to the table. He not only provides a great portrayal but had his part in making sure the plot had him as a proper character and not just the fourth-wall-breaking gimmick. He was provided range and depth.
Yay Ryan!
Bonus Paragraph! *ahem* Director was actually Tim Miller, director of... well, nothing but known for being the visual effects guy on a few movies, video games and the opening titles on Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
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