Deadpool offers the same superhero story, but with a twist– a new type of Hero! Or Anti-Hero, which gives us enough to stay interested. Deadpool stars Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson a former mercenary diagnosed with terminal cancer who becomes Deadpool after an experiment gives him healing powers. He then sets out on a revenge/rescue mission all the while becoming a hero.
We first meet our “hero” in medias res which sets the tone for the movie as a fast paced joy ride. There are no slow buildups to action, rather we are thrown into it and then given details through flashbacks to catch us up to speed. This approach by director Tim Miller works because there is never a dull moment in this comedy. Comedy! Yes! The movie pokes fun at the superhero genre and at itself, acknowledging its own somewhat clichéd plot–adding to its charm. Reynolds shines in his performance as the titular character he dominates the movie with his sharp mouthed dialogue and 4th wall breaking monologues carrying the movie.
Reynold’s engrossing performance unfortunately hinders the development of the minor characters, most notably the villains Ajax (Ed Skrein) and Angel Dust (Gina Carano). What are their motives? What is their endgame? And why include Colossus and the appropriately named Negasonic Teenage Warhead? In this reviewers opinion they offered little and just took up space. An important question arises from all this– Are we so drawn to the Deadpool character that when it comes to these flaws i.e. plot, character development do we care?
Deadpool is worth a watch. Rotten Tomatoes has certified it fresh with 84% of critics giving it a positive review. And IMDb gives it a score of 8.7 which should come down a little in due time. Benefits from its fast storytelling approach, well written comedic script, and a career- resurrecting performance from Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool is a must see…
