In the culmination of a tease that began with Ryan Reynolds’ pointless and tonally inconsistent cameo in 2009’s disastrous X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes the psychotic, violent, traumatized, fourth-wall-breaking and utterly hilarious Deadpool.
Hilarious, that is, if you have more than a passing familiarity with the tropes of comic book films. The jokes in Deadpool tend to fall into two categories: exploiting the inherent mockability of superhero flicks, their formulas and even the behind-the-scenes gossip surrounding them or resting on the novelty of seeing a comic book character swear and murder people with glee. If you’ve ever picked apart the logic of a Marvel movie with your friends late at night, Deadpool does you the courtesy of pointing out its contrivances and obvious plot devices while simultaneously delighting in them.
Set within the world of Fox’s X-Men (rather than the Marvel Cinematic Universe), Reynolds stars as Mr. Pool, real name Wade Wilson, a former special ops soldier who is currently in the business of physical harm and intimidation for money. “I’m not a hero,” Wilson repeatedly claims, and indeed, antihero may be a better fit for a mentally unhinged, remorseless wisecracker whose main motivation is revenge.
His cause is not mutant rights, fighting crime or anything lofty. It’s personal from beginning to end, as he seeks out the scientist (Ed Skrein) who tortured and permanently scarred his body, causing Wilson to hide from the love of his life (Morena Baccarin) so as not to horrify her. Along for the ride are Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead from X-Men, both serving as straight-laced foils to Wilson, and as a reminder of a more altruistic way to use his mutant abilities.
Reynolds is perfectly cast, in the same way Keanu Reeves was perfect as Neo in The Matrix or Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark; just try imagining someone else in the role and you automatically have a worse movie. Reynolds’ natural charisma as a glassy-eyed wiseass lends itself perfectly to Wilson, a traumatized soldier using humor as a defense mechanism. In the original comics, Deadpool is actively aware of his medium, though it is implied this awareness is a symptom of his insanity. The film version has his head screwed on somewhat straight when it comes to real-world logic, yet is similarly aware that he is in a movie. Reynolds’ constant winking, which is one of his less-charming qualities, becomes an essential asset to the character and the film as a whole.
Despite its self-awareness, Deadpool can get surprisingly real, particularly in its depiction of Wilson’s torture and subsequent heartbreak. If one were to become emotionally invested in this sarcastic, unhinged killer, the perseverance of his sense of humor and genuine love for his girlfriend could be seen as touching. But, above all else, Deadpool is a piss-take on the genre, an acknowledgment that behind all of the sociopolitical allegory and supposed heroism, these are just goofballs in costumes standing in front of green screens. It is guaranteed to make you laugh, though it is tough to say if it’s a good superhero movie beyond the jokes. But that’s the thing with effective irony; in the end, if it entertains without taking itself too seriously, what else is there to expect?
Deadpool
R, 106 minutes
Violet Crown Cinema
See the trailer, here.
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