"Deadpool" Movie Review by Matt

A little over a year ago, comic fans everywhere were completely caught off guard by a short clip of leaked footage from a prospective Deadpool movie. It came seemingly out of nowhere, featured Ryan Reynolds reprising the role (in voice only) of Wade Wilson, and it was actually really incredible. This clip took the Internet by storm and eventually led to the release of the feature length Deadpool movie that fans have wanted.

Make no mistake about it, this is as close to a perfect representation of The Merc With a Mouth on screen as can be done. Many will remember that Ryan Reynolds first appeared as Wade Wilson in 2009's “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. Wade (pre-Deadpool) was written pretty close to his wise-cracking comic book counterpart, but the movie completely ruins the portrayal of Deadpool himself, deciding to sew his mouth shut (referenced in one of many meta-gags in the new movie) and turn him into something that looks closer to Baraka from Mortal Kombat instead. Since then, Ryan Reynolds has apologized for his role in one of the biggest fan upsets in comic book history and has championed doing a Deadpool movie that fans would love. And I'm happy to report that he finally pulled it off. Reynolds IS Deadpool, the same way Hugh Jackman IS Wolverine, or Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man. I hope Reynolds puts as much time and dedication to this role as those other actors, and based on how jazzed he is about being Deadpool, I think we have plenty more to look forward to.

“Deadpool” is exactly what you could hope for. Action-packed, laugh out loud hilarious, and starring a main character that is fully aware he is in a movie. Almost every joke, especially the ones that are the expense of the studio or filmmakers themselves, hit hard and had the entire theater laughing hysterically. One particularly rowdy Deadpool fan sitting behind me sounded like he actually couldn't breathe because he was laughing so hard.

There's a loose plot, mostly used as a framing device to keep a semblance of forward momentum in an otherwise hectic roller coaster of a movie. Wade Wilson is a mercenary with a heart-of-gold, though he'd never admit it. One day, at a strip club, he meets and falls in love with a stripper named Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). The two bond over whose life is more miserable and start a whirlwind (and genuinely sweet) romance that leads all the way up to when Wade is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Approached by a shady dude that says he works for an organization that can heal him and turn him into a superhero, Wade leaves Vanessa to enter the program and get his life back. This program, run by Ajax (the film's villain played by Ed Skrein), of course has no intention of making Wade a superhero and instead subjects him to torture after torture, attempting to release any innate mutant genes in his DNA. This leads to the full-body disfigurement Deadpool sports in the comics and the healing powers that lead to some of the best gags in the entire film. Most of the movie features Deadpool on a revenge-fueled killing spree, until Ajax kidnaps Vanessa and the film becomes a rescue mission. Along the way, Deadpool meets up with the only two X-Men the film could afford to have on screen – Colossus (in full CGI, voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and newcomer Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). One of my favorite scenes, reminiscent of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” features Deadpool getting angry at Colossus and attempting to punch and kick him, with horrendous results.

Despite some script and pacing problems, this is a thoroughly enjoyable experience for any Deadpool fan. Almost every joke hits, minus the ones we've heard over and over again in the trailers. There's meta humor, jabs at other Marvel properties, and endless laughs at the expense of and near-masochistic use of Deadpool's healing factor. Parents be warned...THIS IS NOT A FILM FOR KIDS. It is all the best kinds of filthy, but the film certainly earns it's R rating. F-bombs galore, creative curses abound, and plenty of full frontal nudity. Far be it from me to tell any parent how to raise their kids, but I'm telling you right now...if you think it can't be “that bad” because it's a Marvel movie, you are sorely mistaken.

If you love Deadpool, you'll love this movie. I could pick it apart and probably find some more problems with it, but ultimately none of that matters. “Deadpool” was everything it needed to be, no more, no less. If you've been excited for this movie, you will not be disappointed.

4/5