Film Review: Deadpool

First things first. It’s kind of obvious that if you’re really not fussed on Ryan Reynolds or his shtick then this isn’t going to be the film for you. It is very much Reynolds doing his thing here. Lucky for Deadpool, his thing is pretty much the same as Deadpool’s only times a hundred. So…. is it any good?

Deadpool’s aim, if nothing else, is for you to enjoy yourself. In my opinion it succeeds. The focus is on keeping things fun, even in the darker parts of the film. The humour is constant. Are they trying too hard in places? Yes. Does it matter? No. If one joke doesn’t get you there’s 10 more coming. At 1 hour 40 minutes, the run time is just right too. It’s not bloated. There’s no lag in the middle. It zips along nicely, telling it’s story and then gets out leaving you wanting more. Something a lot of other recent films should take note of (I’m especially looking at you Tarantino). The action scenes are excellent and don’t hold back at all. The fans wanted a properly violent and foul mouthed Deadpool movie and they certainly got one. It’s vulgar and bloody but never lingers on pain. Think of it more like cartoon violence for adults.

For a movie that you would assume as being all about Deadpool’s superhero hi-jinks, we get a surprising amount of Wade Wilson before he becomes the ‘Merc with a Mouth’. It’s handled so that it doesn’t get in the way of the mayhem though and actually helps make the film feel more grounded. Director Tim Miller has done a great job getting the balance right in what could have just been a throwaway action comedy. Naturally the film makers have been able to work in a few nods to the source material too as fans will enjoy the various jokes and jibes at the X-Men and possibly the best Stan Lee cameo so far.

There’s a lot more to say about Deadpool but all that’s really important is that it’s just as fun to watch as the marketing campaign would have you believe. Reynolds and Co have really nailed the character and created something more than a little different from other superhero fare. Without the constraints of having to tease characters and create plot threads for other movies, Deadpool is free to just be its own thing. Insane, violent, hilarious fun.