‘Deadpool’ Is Crazy Good – And Crazy
Deadpool is insane — both the character and the movie, and I mean that in the best possible way!
First appearing in Marvel’s New Mutants #98 back in 1991, Deadpool aka Wade Wilson, was just one of a handful of new characters introduced by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza at the tail end of the series. Characters like Domino and Gideon were supposed to be the bigger deals but the fans latched onto the fast talking Merc With a Mouth. Deadpool was one part Spider-Man, one part DC’s Deathstroke and one part Looney Tunes cartoon.
Over the years Deadpool built up a die-hard cult following and fans were excited to hear the character would be included in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Then the movie came out and everyone was appalled at the final result. No red suit, no breaking the fourth wall, no pop culture references and they sewed his mouth shut. Yes they sewed the Merc With a Mouth’s mouth shut. Epic fail. But the fans never gave up hope that one day good old Wade would make his way to the screen and luckily they had a champion in Ryan Reynolds!
Flash forward a few years and Ryan Reynolds is try to get a new Deadpool movie rolling but Fox balks at an R-rated superhero flick. Then the test footage is mysteriously leaked onto the Net and fans go crazy, forcing Fox to reconsider. I’m glad they did because the movie nails the character to a T. Much like Robert Downey Jr. became Tony Stark, Ryan Reynolds became Deadpool. From the opening credits to the final after credits scene, Reynolds brings the wacky world of Wade Wilson to life. The dialog is fun, with so many great one liners, and the supporting cast is great. I can only imagine all the outtakes between Reynolds and TJ Miller who is hilarious as the bartender Weasel.
The film also works Deadpool into the X-Men movie continuity by introducing the definitive version of Colossus, a character that was seen in the X-Men movies but never quite like his comic book counterpart. The movie is a hard R with lots of violence, sexual situations and language. Some parents were lobbying for a PG-13 cut but honestly it would completely ruin the movie. It’s definitely not a movie for the kids!
Work has reportedly begun on the second Deadpool movie with another Liefeld creation, Cable, being discussed as being the straight man to Reynolds. Reynolds has also expressed a desire to get an X-Force movie made (think X-Men but more extreme). Given the way how good this first movie worked out, I am looking forward to these movies and more in the Deadpool movie-verse!
Chris Proulx is one of the founders and owners of Double Midnight Comics, a comic book, collectibles and gaming store with locations in Manchester and Concord, NH.
