Friday, February 12, 2016

Deadpool (2016)

Is there a point to reviewing DEADPOOL? I mean will what I say really make a difference?

Probably not. But I'm going to do it anyway.

DEADPOOL is the origin story of the super killer and supreme bad ass known as Deadpool. The alter ego of Wade Wilson, Deadpool was created when Wade went looking for a cure for his cancer and found a whole world of hurt instead. The plan was to let a group of people cure his cancer in order to become a hero, but the supposed good guys had bad intentions and Wilson and the head of the program, Francis, locked horns. Wilson was given super healing powers and a hate on for Francis.

Foul mouth, bloody,violent and extremely self referential, there is no fourth wall, nor much good taste. Its just balls to the wall action and jokes as Deadpool does what Deadpool does which is crackwise and kill people.

I loved it and roared with each pop culture reference and each riff on superhero nonsense. I loved the steady stream of jokes. Its a big screen version of the comic at it's most basic. I started laughing with the opening credits which say what we all feel about the people in the credits and I laughed all the way to the post credits sequence where- well an interesting casting choice is suggested.

Is it perfect?

Oh hell no. The film kind of begins to glide about half way in as the plot really kicks in and the sense that anything can happen fades. The film doesn't crash, it just begins to coast a bit as the requirements of the plot take over and move us to the end instead of the unrestrained whimsy of the first half.
Negasonic Teenage Warhead 

A couple people I know have not liked the film. Part of it was for the violence, part for the vulgarity and a number of the people have not liked the steady stream of self referential and cultural comments.

I know that part of the problem with the cultural/comic references went over the head of some people in the audience. I got a couple of looks from people in the audience who were wondering what the hell I was laughing at.  I didn't mind the references because I frequently do something similar, but I also recognize that the references mean little if you don't know what they are. I often find that my cultural references and those of other people don't mesh and there is going to be a whole boatload of people who are not going to get a number of the jokes.

As for the violence and language, Deadpool the comic was always a bit edgy when compared to other comics. A series that was closer to reality than most other comics, the film, for me is a fanciful reflection of that same closeness to reality where people really do curse and violence results in broken bones, blood and death. As comic films go it's completely over the top and almost unprecedented  in live action superhero comic adaptions, at least as far as American comics are concerned (Asian comic adaptions on the other hand have frequently been bloody).

Its a base mix that I loved and can't wait to experience again.

If you know what you're getting into and don't mind a bit of ultra-violence I highly recommend DEADPOOL. On the other hand if you don't like blood and body parts flying stay as far away as you can.

DEADPOOL is currently in theaters and playing to packed houses.

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