MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (2/12/16): DEADPOOL
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| "Oooh – this movie blogger thinks he can come up with a better snarky caption for my own photo as I break the fourth wall?! Good luck with that there, butter – I hope you and your four readers enjoy this!" The titular character (Ryan Reynolds, center) prepares to break the fourth wall before heading into battle with Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and the aptly-named Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) in a scene from director Tim Miller's debut feature DEADPOOL. ™ & © 2015 Marvel & Subs. ™ & © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. |
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano, Karan Soni, Leslie Uggams, Jed Rees, Brianna Hildebrand and the voice of Stefan Kapicic
WRITER(S): Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza (character); Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (screenplay)
DIRECTOR: Tim Miller
DIRECTOR: Tim Miller
WEB SITE: http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/deadpool
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): A most unconventional movie that was a LONG time in the making, Deadpool stars Hal Jor-, er, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson. Who is Wade Wilson? He's just your average former special forces mercenary turned man for hire. The notorious "merc with a mouth" is living a pretty low-key life, hanging out a bar run by a guy simply known as Weasel (T.J. Miller) that is unlike any other in town.
Then he meets Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), a woman just as seemingly sick and twisted as he is with whom he of course falls madly in love with.
However, as Wade is telling all this to his cab driver Dopinder (Karan Soni), he's actually preparing for something more than just a leisurely ride: Getting revenge on Francis a.k.a. Ajax (Ed Skrein), the "doctor" the recruiter (Jed Rees) told him he would cure him of the cancer that was bound to kill him. And while it did cure of him of his cancer, the treatment had some serious side effects that no 30-second commercial could fit into that tiny disclaimer text at the bottom of the screen. Getting to Ajax won't be easy, though, since his female enforcer Angel Dust (Gina Carano) is strong enough that she would make what Holly Holm did to Ronda Rousey look like a proverbial day in the park ... And if that wasn't bad enough, Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and the girl with what Wade admits is the coolest name ever, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianne Hildebrand) – two devotees of a certain bald professor you may have seen before – are determined to keep Wade and is rebellious ways in check.
Yeah, you might wanna get ready for what follows as you've definitely never seen a superhero – make that anti-hero – movie like this before.
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): A most unconventional movie that was a LONG time in the making, Deadpool stars Hal Jor-, er, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson. Who is Wade Wilson? He's just your average former special forces mercenary turned man for hire. The notorious "merc with a mouth" is living a pretty low-key life, hanging out a bar run by a guy simply known as Weasel (T.J. Miller) that is unlike any other in town.
Then he meets Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), a woman just as seemingly sick and twisted as he is with whom he of course falls madly in love with.
However, as Wade is telling all this to his cab driver Dopinder (Karan Soni), he's actually preparing for something more than just a leisurely ride: Getting revenge on Francis a.k.a. Ajax (Ed Skrein), the "doctor" the recruiter (Jed Rees) told him he would cure him of the cancer that was bound to kill him. And while it did cure of him of his cancer, the treatment had some serious side effects that no 30-second commercial could fit into that tiny disclaimer text at the bottom of the screen. Getting to Ajax won't be easy, though, since his female enforcer Angel Dust (Gina Carano) is strong enough that she would make what Holly Holm did to Ronda Rousey look like a proverbial day in the park ... And if that wasn't bad enough, Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and the girl with what Wade admits is the coolest name ever, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianne Hildebrand) – two devotees of a certain bald professor you may have seen before – are determined to keep Wade and is rebellious ways in check.
Yeah, you might wanna get ready for what follows as you've definitely never seen a superhero – make that anti-hero – movie like this before.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Ryan Reynolds fans; T.J. Miller fans; Pretty much anyone who likes the Deadpool comic books, the 2013 video game or saw the test footage short (that ended up in the movie) on YouTube and went "WHAT WAS THAT?"
WHO WON'T (OR SHOULDN'T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Parents who want to drag their underage kids along and then are upset at how much they have to block their child's eyes and/or ears during the hour and 40 minutes-plus run time; people who hate foul-language and/or extreme violence; those who want Deadpool's origin story to stick 100% to the comic book's canon; anyone who finds Ryan Reynolds annoying
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? Arguably the most anticipated Marvel movie debut* (yes, any dedicated Marvel movie fan knows that Wade Wilson has appeared in other X-Men movies but we mean solo movie centered around him) since Iron Man, Deadpool delivers the most insane, ridiculous super – or anti-hero, rather – movie you could possibly imagine.
Fortunately, that is a very, very good thing: Because Deadpool is a can't miss love story that is perfect for anyone looking for a Valentine's Day treat ... Provided they don't mind the profanity, gun violence and sexual innuendo to make Amy Schumer blush.
Deadpool, much like Reynolds breakout eponymous character in Van Wilder, is the superhero equivalent of the 1980s high school cool kid who cracks wise and has no one who can tell him what to do yet underneath it all is actually a good dude. In this case, however, he's just an extremely foul-mouthed, prone to fits of violence, heckler-who's-funnier-and-much-more-self-aware-than-the-comic-on-stage-and-knows-it good dude who is going to get the last word by hook or crook. Reynolds plays the character with pretty much all the wiseass yet sensitive exuberance needed to bring him to life, nailing each bit of the action along the way. When Deadpool breaks the fourth wall, Reynolds makes sure to do it in the way that the character shows he knows you know what the joke is. Likewise, when he cracks wise or curses, Reynolds is sure to do so in a way that either goes right for the burn to whoever the target of his verbal slice is and in similar fashion when the film enters its serious territory he adeptly conveys why what's going down is serious business.
Of course, the movie wouldn't work without the expert level performances of the surrounding cast as Skrein's banter with Reynolds' character comes off in a spirited, almost seemingly serendipitous fashion. Likewise, whereas Soni does a phenomenal job in becoming caught up in Deadpool's world and worldview, Miller does what he does best – being a calmer, thinner and more intellectual version of Seth Rogen in Judd Apatow movies – as Deadpool's confidant who before and after his transformation. The same can be said for Kapicic as the voice of the CGI-created Colossus, who's attempts to make a true hero out of Deadpool fail in vain in nature as much as they are fodder for comedic enjoyment, which is often.
Thankfully, the ladies are not left out in the Deadpool world as they are critical – and entertaining – parts of the story as well. Whereas Baccarin delivers on providing the former Wade Wilson a strong – and more importantly, 100 percent believable – love interest (these two characters are made for each other), Carano and Hildebrand provide two interesting characters who prove you can make a big impact on screen without having to say that much. Throw in screen veteran Leslie Uggams as Wade's elderly blind roommate and the ladies of Deadpool add enough testosterone-friendly estrogen to the mix to make it appealing to men and women alike.
For a man making his directorial debut, Tim Miller really shines in keeping all of the chaos of Deadpool to a high level of enjoyment. The action sequences snap with a dynamic mix of adrenaline and inappropriateness fitting of its subject, the visual effects never feel out of place and the actors deliver dedicated, inspired performances at every turn. The bullets, swords, fists and ... Well, Negasonic Teenage Warheads fly with purposeful intent, the dialogue is full of "Wait, he/she said WHAT?!" moments and the story is told with a skill to make all of the insanity make as much sense as possible to have you develop both interest and empathy for its protagonist. Throw in a tight interweaving of the past and present to show the viewer how Deadpool went from a simple (alright, NOTHING about him is "simple") mercenary to an enhanced superhuman and Miller's debut piece is one future superhero movie directors would be wise to emulate.
Make no mistake: Deadpool is not a movie for everyone. There is a ton of profanity, sexual situations (that means nudity!) and some liberties taken with a few of the characters, Deadpool included. (Spoiler alert: his signature vehicle is not seen in the movie unless it's in a post-credit scene, I guess you'll have to settle for this in the meantime.) Those minor issues notwithstanding, Deadpool is a movie that was largely made in part by the fans and in turn pays them back by giving them pretty much exactly what they want: A cool guy in a suit with superpowers who makes them laugh while kicking a lot of ass in the process, but still has a good heart underneath it all.
Don't believe me? Watch the movie – he'll likely tell you that himself.
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? Arguably the most anticipated Marvel movie debut* (yes, any dedicated Marvel movie fan knows that Wade Wilson has appeared in other X-Men movies but we mean solo movie centered around him) since Iron Man, Deadpool delivers the most insane, ridiculous super – or anti-hero, rather – movie you could possibly imagine.
Fortunately, that is a very, very good thing: Because Deadpool is a can't miss love story that is perfect for anyone looking for a Valentine's Day treat ... Provided they don't mind the profanity, gun violence and sexual innuendo to make Amy Schumer blush.
Deadpool, much like Reynolds breakout eponymous character in Van Wilder, is the superhero equivalent of the 1980s high school cool kid who cracks wise and has no one who can tell him what to do yet underneath it all is actually a good dude. In this case, however, he's just an extremely foul-mouthed, prone to fits of violence, heckler-who's-funnier-and-much-more-self-aware-than-the-comic-on-stage-and-knows-it good dude who is going to get the last word by hook or crook. Reynolds plays the character with pretty much all the wiseass yet sensitive exuberance needed to bring him to life, nailing each bit of the action along the way. When Deadpool breaks the fourth wall, Reynolds makes sure to do it in the way that the character shows he knows you know what the joke is. Likewise, when he cracks wise or curses, Reynolds is sure to do so in a way that either goes right for the burn to whoever the target of his verbal slice is and in similar fashion when the film enters its serious territory he adeptly conveys why what's going down is serious business.
Of course, the movie wouldn't work without the expert level performances of the surrounding cast as Skrein's banter with Reynolds' character comes off in a spirited, almost seemingly serendipitous fashion. Likewise, whereas Soni does a phenomenal job in becoming caught up in Deadpool's world and worldview, Miller does what he does best – being a calmer, thinner and more intellectual version of Seth Rogen in Judd Apatow movies – as Deadpool's confidant who before and after his transformation. The same can be said for Kapicic as the voice of the CGI-created Colossus, who's attempts to make a true hero out of Deadpool fail in vain in nature as much as they are fodder for comedic enjoyment, which is often.
Thankfully, the ladies are not left out in the Deadpool world as they are critical – and entertaining – parts of the story as well. Whereas Baccarin delivers on providing the former Wade Wilson a strong – and more importantly, 100 percent believable – love interest (these two characters are made for each other), Carano and Hildebrand provide two interesting characters who prove you can make a big impact on screen without having to say that much. Throw in screen veteran Leslie Uggams as Wade's elderly blind roommate and the ladies of Deadpool add enough testosterone-friendly estrogen to the mix to make it appealing to men and women alike.
For a man making his directorial debut, Tim Miller really shines in keeping all of the chaos of Deadpool to a high level of enjoyment. The action sequences snap with a dynamic mix of adrenaline and inappropriateness fitting of its subject, the visual effects never feel out of place and the actors deliver dedicated, inspired performances at every turn. The bullets, swords, fists and ... Well, Negasonic Teenage Warheads fly with purposeful intent, the dialogue is full of "Wait, he/she said WHAT?!" moments and the story is told with a skill to make all of the insanity make as much sense as possible to have you develop both interest and empathy for its protagonist. Throw in a tight interweaving of the past and present to show the viewer how Deadpool went from a simple (alright, NOTHING about him is "simple") mercenary to an enhanced superhuman and Miller's debut piece is one future superhero movie directors would be wise to emulate.
Make no mistake: Deadpool is not a movie for everyone. There is a ton of profanity, sexual situations (that means nudity!) and some liberties taken with a few of the characters, Deadpool included. (Spoiler alert: his signature vehicle is not seen in the movie unless it's in a post-credit scene, I guess you'll have to settle for this in the meantime.) Those minor issues notwithstanding, Deadpool is a movie that was largely made in part by the fans and in turn pays them back by giving them pretty much exactly what they want: A cool guy in a suit with superpowers who makes them laugh while kicking a lot of ass in the process, but still has a good heart underneath it all.
Don't believe me? Watch the movie – he'll likely tell you that himself.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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