REVIEW: Deadpool

For the longest time, I didn't know whether or not I should bother getting excited for Deadpool. I've been a fan of the character for years, but his representation in the public eye has been less than stellar as of late; while Marvel's regeneratin' degenerate actually has a fair amount of tragic depth to his character, more mainstream interpretations in recent years have shown him as nothing more than a "hilarious" mouthpiece meant to spew internet memes and non-sequiturs at the Hot Topic crowd. With each trailer and advertisement I saw for this movie, the more I was torn. For each joke or moment that made me smile, there was one that would make me cringe. The immediately positive critical response only piqued my interest further; could this actually be the Deadpool movie I'd waited all these years for? I steeled myself for the worst and dove right in, only to find myself somewhat stunned at just how good this movie turned out to be.

When a mouthy mercenary by the name of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds, finally starring in his dream project) is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he undergoes a dodgy experiment in a desperate attempt at a cure. While the procedure grants him regenerative healing abilities that surpass those of Wolverine, it also leaves him horribly scarred and disfigured. Donning a snappy red suit and mask, Wilson adopts the name "Deadpool" and sets out on a quest for vengeance against the man who ruined his dashing good looks, a mutant scientist who calls himself Ajax (Ed Skrein).

Anyone who's read any quality Deadpool comics knows that, behind all the wacky humor and gratuitous bloodshed, Wade Wilson is a thoroughly tragic character. Everything in his life constantly goes wrong and, no matter how hard he tries to do right by the people around him, something always ends up ruining it in the end. He's an eternal misfit, only finding solace among those as messed-up as he is. Before I actually sat down and watched this film, one of my greatest fears was that it would be nothing but in-your-face comedy, completely ignoring the more serious dramatic beats that round out the character of Deadpool and help make him worth our emotional investment. Thankfully, this is a movie that knows how to get serious when it needs to. Story facets such as Wade's cancer diagnosis and his insecurities over his scarred, Kreuger-esque face are played totally straight. For as goofy as the humor gets, we're still able to actually feel for Deadpool as a character. We sympathize with his plight and honestly want to see things work out for him, considering all the horrible stuff he has to go through. A little bit of pathos goes a long way when it comes to selling a protagonist, especially one as ridiculous as Deadpool.

The humor is also leagues above anything I would have expected. The word "chimichanga" is uttered exactly once and I can count the number of jokes that fell flat on one hand. The comedic pacing matched with Reynolds' rapid-fire delivery really helps to sell the laughs in this film; even if it stumbles, you have no time to dwell on the fact that a joke didn't work because it's already back up and running before you have a chance to blink. This is one of those comedies where all the weakest jokes are in the trailer, and even then, there's nothing offensively unfunny about this movie. At worst, I'd roll my eyes. At best, I was letting out deep belly laughs and gasping for air. This is a film that takes the "comedy shotgun" approach; as long as it has more hits than misses, it works. And considering how hard I was smiling once the opening credits began, I have to say that Deadpool definitely, definitely works.

For such an oddball project (and an origin story, no less), Deadpool hosts a surprisingly large supporting cast. We have T.J. Miller as Weasel (Wade's best friend), Leslie Uggams as Blind Al (Wade's roommate), and Morena Baccarin as Vanessa (Wade's girlfriend). Each plays their part well (especially Miller) and does a fantastic job of playing off of Reynolds' manic energy. Considering this movie takes place in the same universe as Fox's X-Men franchise, some representatives from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters naturally make an appearance. Specifically, the moody Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and her mentor, Colossus (Stefan Kapicic/Greg LaSalle). These two were an absolute delight; Deadpool as a character really shines when he has a straight man to work off of, and the few X-Men in this movie fit the bill to a T. In terms of antagonists, we have Ed Skrein and Gina Carano as Ajax and Angel Dust. While Skrein was wonderfully sadistic, providing a strong, despicable presence for the audience to rally against, Carano felt moreso underused. She doesn't really do all that much aside from serving as Ajax's muscle; while her performance wasn't bad, I felt that her role was somewhat lacking.

Of course, the star of the show here is Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds. A huge fan of the source material, it's no secret that this is a movie Reynolds has been wanting to make for a very long time, and it shows in his performance. He's having the time of his life, effortlessly selling the jokes and lunacy that come with the characters. While the comedy and action are obviously at the forefront of his performance, I feel I also have to commend him for the way he handled the more legitimately dramatic moments in the story. He's able to play Wade as both bombastic and insecure, violent and tragic. This is an aspect of the film that I consider essential to its overall quality, so it's a good thing that he pulls it off as strongly as he does.

I also want to call attention to the unorthodox story structure for the first half of the movie. Rather than telling us Deadpool's origin in chronological order, the first two acts are blended together; it opens on an action sequence that feels like the beginning of the second act, flashing back at various intervals to give us more and more pieces of Wade's past until everything is caught up. While it's a little out of the ordinary, I feel as though it works to the story's benefit. It establishes the protagonist and primary goal right out of the gate with a high-energy fight scene, creating a stronger sense of contrast between what Wade's life was like before and after his diagnosis and transformation. It's a risky choice on the part of the filmmakers, but one that I feel pays off in the long run.

Despite my initial worries, Deadpool took me completely by surprise with just how much I enjoyed it. While it's at times crude, ridiculous, and immature, I feel as though it managed to be everything it needed to be to succeed. Underneath all the sex and viscera lies a surprising amount of heart; this is an adaptation clearly made by people with a strong reverence for the source material. Since the film's sense of humor is so deeply ingrained in everything that's going on onscreen, those who aren't sold by Deadpool's brand of vulgar silliness will find very little to enjoy here. That said, while not every joke stuck the landing, I still found myself laughing hard enough and often enough to give it a strong recommendation. Whether you're a longtime fan of the comics or just a casual moviegoer baffled at the trainwreck that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, know that this is the Deadpool adaptation you've been waiting for. And it's a load of fun to boot.