And, for the most part, this praise is warranted. Deadpool is a movie that stays very true to the source material on which it is based and serves the character very well. Ryan Reynolds absolutely nails it in his lead role as the fourth-wall breaking hero. Demonstrating great comedic timing and a unique charismatic goofy quality, Reynolds is the film's strongest asset. Even as Wade Wilson (Deadpool's less interesting civilian identity) the former "Green Lantern" star shows off great emotional range, making the film's slower moments more bearable than they otherwise would have been. Funny, charming and an overall badass, Reynold's performance is so good that it makes the rest of the cast seem uninteresting in comparison. However, let that not take away from the Canadian's stellar work in what could potentially become the defining role of his career, as he encapsulates the essence of the character perfectly and I take my hat of to him for proving any naysayers wrong.
In saying all this, there are other positives to take away from the film outside of the performance of its leading man. The action sequences feel fresh, innovative and, for the most part, strangely realistic, complimenting the comedic tone of the movie well while still being intense enough to keep the audience invested emotionally. The writing at times is truly fantastic, with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick having put together a script that is fast-paced, action packed and unbelievably quirky. But, more than any particular specific element, it is the chances and the risks that this film takes that truly makes it special. Over the course of the past decade, superhero movies have become trapped in a specific formula and pigeon-holed into becoming largely family-friendly flicks. Deadpool largely subverts this formula and instead opts for a more "rated-R" approach. The reason Deadpool has made as big a splash as it has at the box-office is because people are simply sick of the same old song and dance. Deadpool offers an alternative, and does not set itself limitations in terms of the violence it can incorporate or the type of humour it can apply. It is a mainstream superhero movie that takes chances and does something fresh and new. More than anything else, I found myself respecting this film for what it was and what it was trying to achieve.
Yet its flaws cannot be ignored. The love story and the character's origin tale are by far the film's weakest elements, and almost feel shoe-horned in. And yes, while I accept that both were necessary in terms of giving the plot emotional stakes and introducing mainstream audiences to a previously unknown character respectively, I can't hide from the fact that these were the parts of the film I most definitely would have chosen to take a bathroom break. Other issues include underdeveloped side characters (who else wanted to know more about Negasonic Teenage Warhead? And who came up with that awesome name?), a very vanilla antagonist and an underwhelming finale that didn't feel in-keeping with the tone of the rest of the movie. Deadpool did a good job of reintroducing us to Marvel Comics most outside-the-box character and is a good first solo outing, but there are times where the plot grew stagnant and some jokes didn't land and this did affect the quality of the movie for me as a larger whole.
Overall, Deadpool is a fine effort. Entertaining, humorous and very witty, it is a really good popcorn action film, and I would recommend seeing it. It is very "meta", it hilariously breaks the fourth wall and it is well worth the price of admission. It's attempts to transcend the superhero genre are admirable, even if it does at times revert back to the formulaic structure it is trying to mock. Personally, I do feel that the character would be better suited to being part of a stronger ensemble (perhaps the X-Men?) as for the most part the supporting cast were overshadowed by Ryan Reynold's truly outstanding portrayal as the regenerating degenerate. All this aside, the film's success will prove to the bigwigs of Hollywood that filmgoers are clamouring for something different from the superhero genre, which should have a very positive affect on future big-budget releases. Simply put, Deadpool is a good reintroduction to a character that deserved another chance, and despite its flaws, it is a very fun film that takes chances and offers something new and, in this day in age, that is something that has to be supported and commended.
Score: 7.6/10
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