Deadpool

By: John Delia

Straight from the pages of Marvel Comics comes Deadpool, one of the most devilish characters in the family. But it’s not the first time you were introduced to the character. Although a quick one, we first see the cool “cynical superhero” in the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but not like audiences will see this vengeance filled man in the film Deadpool. Here he wants to get even no matter who stands in his way. Filled with action from start to finish, this super “hero” gets so intense the film conjures up an R rating.

Smalltime cynical hood Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) earns a living taking down bad guys for fast cash. At a bar he meets bigtime hooker Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) who after some hot sex action falls madly in love with her. Happier than he’ll ever be, Wade hits a bad note when he gets diagnosed with cancer. Desperate to live a longer life with Vanessa, he agrees to a chance for a cure administered by Ajax (Ed Skrein) a member of the Weapon X Program. But it comes with side effects that are controlled by the evil Ajax that will change his life forever. Fast heeling yet hideous, Wade turns to a life of violence calling himself Deadpool.

The film plays out fast and furious much like most of the X-Men and Avengers films, but with Deadpool it’s a wisecracking feast of “wild and crazy” with a huge measure of death and destruction. Laced with a lot of rude and crude language, extreme viciousness and vengeance, it’s a different kind of superhero that still attacks the bad guys for a certain amount of righteousness. Fun to watch knowing its fantasy at its best for action adventure lovers, the film should garner a huge box office take in spite of the “hard” R rating.

Reynolds turns the dazing Deadpool into a cynical character that finds getting shot amusing due to his healing powers. He even takes bullets and other damage to save others (I guess that’s where the word hero comes in). Reynolds knows how to entertain an audience and in his very chaotic Deadpool role the comedy flows entrancingly as damage and killing happens all around him.

As the love of Deadpool’s life, Morena Baccarin shines on the screen in her sexy role. She’s the star of the local strip club, but when she gets “saved” by Wade Wilson she thinks her life may be changing for the better. When Wade gets the bad news of his incurable cancer she just wants her man to face reality. Memorable for her roles of Jessica Brody in TV’s “Homeland” and Dr. Leslie Tompkins in the blockbuster series “Gotham” she’s now becoming a screen goddess.

The film has some references to X-Men and rightly so as the character fits into the world of that comic book adventure. We even get to see some action from Colossus (voice of Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead played masterly by newcomer Brianna Hildebrand. Coming to the aid of Deadpool, the two mutants save the day or at least the moment.

Deadpool has been rated R by the MPAA for strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity. The rating is very clear, expect to be embarrassed if you tag along your young teen or preteen who will be subjected to a LOT of profanity, wanton sex scenes and viscous killings.

FINAL ANALYSIS: An excellent “anti-hero” movie with a comical twist for adults. (A)