Time to do something with chimichangas?
It’s completely unsurprising in an era where superhero movies are endlessly spoiled, commented on, dissected, hyped, and trashed – sometimes before the first trailer is released – that the most popular new cinematic hero of the year breaks the fourth wall like it is a bodily function. The 1991 comic book creation of Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza comes to cinemas with his metafictional personality fully intact, actor Ryan Reynolds reprising the role by way of community service for X-Men Origins: Wolverine (and maybe even Green Lantern). This version of Wade Wilson is a mercenary who falls in love with escort Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) before finding out that his body is riddled with cancer. Taking an offer from a secret government agency, he undegoes a procedure that cures his illness, but leaves him horribly disfigured. He escapes, vowing vengenace on his tormentor Ajax (Ed Skrein).
On the one hand, DEADPOOL is non-stop montage of violence and self-referential profanity, clocking in a reported 42 on-screen kills, and at least 22 dick jokes. Which is just perfectly fine, because Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick’s script, orchestrated by director Tim Miller’s skill from a career as a visual effects artist, is the perfect antidote to the Sturm und Drang of its contemporaries. While Superman fights Batman, and the Marvel Studios heroes fight among themselves, Deadpool is content to point out the tropes we’ve all come to accept in the oh-so-serious epics. What might surprise many is that there’s a sweet love story at the heart of this film as well, never afraid to be wholeheartedly romantic and sexy at the same time. If DEADPOOL is the future of superhero cinema, it’s not because of it’s US R-rated status, as many followers will undoubtedly try to replicate. Instead, it’s because the film completely understands why comic book readers have followed these character for over 80 years, and why cinema audiences can now expect to do the same.
DEADPOOL is now in cinemas everywhere.
2016 | US | Dir: Tim Miller | Writers: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick | Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić | Distributor: Fox | Running time: 108 minutes | Rating:★★★★
