‘Deadpool’ Is Not Just Fun, But Maybe Prophetic
In case you don’t want to read more than the teaser, let me say Deadpool is the most enjoyable comic book movie I have ever seen.
That doesn’t mean it is the best, however. That still would be, for me, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Part of the reason why Deadpool doesn’t reach that level is that it is a much lighter story (yes, parts of it could be quite dark, but the humor lightens every dark corner in this film). I won’t go into the comic book background of Deadpool, since Chris Proulx did such a good job in his review. But I will spell out some spoiler-free reasons why the movie is supremely enjoyable.
This movie is, as jokingly advertised, a love story — that is, a love story like the Quentin Tarantino/Tony Scott movie True Romance is a love story, with seriously broken characters, lots of humor and major levels of ultra-violence. Deadpool made me fall even more deeply in love with Morena Baccarin, which I was convinced couldn’t happen, and more greatly admire Ryan Reynolds’ comic timing and quick mind (also something I thought impossible). Their romantic chemistry is obvious and so very different from the chemistry between her and Nathan Fillion in the series Firefly.
Ably directed by Tim Miller, Deadpool is as loaded with comic book and movie Easter Eggs as any Disney/Marvel film, is funnier than Guardians of the Galaxy (and that’s saying something) and is deeply connected to Fox’s X-Men universe. And it has the most hilarious and surprising Stan Lee cameo ever put on film.
Even more surprising, is the fact that Deadpool is also connected, both directly and indirectly to the Marvel Cinematic Universe via reference to things that only exist in the MCU. I was geeking out pretty hard at this appearance in the movie, and it wasn’t until after the film I thought “Wait, [REDACTED] shouldn’t be referenced in a Fox movie!”
And that is why I think Deadpool is a portent of things to come. Along with the news that Sony Pictures loosened it’s hold on Spider-Man enough to allow him to appear in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War (that trailer was wonderful in IMAX) the MCU reference in Fox’s Deadpool (which must have been approved by Disney/Marvel) is a sign that the long cold war between Marvel first then Disney/Marvel and all the other studios that hold rights to Marvel characters has reached a stage of at least detente.
One such easing of the deathgrip on rights holding of characters is notable, two is a sign of a trend.
Getting back to why Deadpool is so much fun, there is no question that superhero movies with extreme violence and crude language are a blast. And Deadpool is the mainstream comic book version of the indie comic-based Kick-Ass. There are plenty of moments in Deadpool that are just as funny, shocking and irreverent as when Big Daddy shoots his own daughter Hit Girl in the chest so she can get used to wearing a bulletproof vest.
Oh, and that fourth wall doesn’t get broken, it gets completely shredded — all of which were fun and funny, but my favorite might be the post-credits scene. Yes, it’s worth sticking around for.
How strongly do I recommend Deadpool? As strongly as the Merc With a Mouth himself loves chimichangas. Unlike chimichangas, however, Deadpool is, obviously, so not OK for children.
