Look, I said twice so far that a Deadpool review was forthcoming. Well, now it comes forth.
SPOILER-FREE review after the cut.
OK, by now, most people reading this have already seen the movie, but we here at Gabbing Geek don’t exactly get press passes to movies…mostly. And even then, only for those guys in Texas. I don’t live in Texas. That does me no good.
So, chances are, if you are reading this, you’ve seen the movie. But some people haven’t. It was Valentine’s Day weekend, and some people have to do romantic stuff, and Deadpool at first blush isn’t romantic.
Except it totally is. Deadpool, the character, is in love for most of the movie, and as the trailers and ads say, when he needs to go and rescue his best girl, he does so.
The movie is really The Ryan Reynolds Show, and for good reason. There’s so much meta in the movie it hurts. They reference Reynolds’ other superhero movies, his time as People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive (and someone else known to the X-Universe), and even a brief spotting of Deadpool’s first, disastrous movie appearance. They reference the different actors to play Professor X. They reference the movie’s budget. The opening credits are a testament to all things meta since they’re made up of vague, often less-than-flattering descriptions of people rather than actual names (i.e. starring “A Hot Chick,” “A Gratuitous Cameo,” and directed by an “Overpaid Tool”). Deadpool repeatedly breaks the fourth wall, and all for the good. Reynolds turns on the snark and the pathos as needed and does a fantastic job.
I think Reynolds also deserves some props for how often he wears the Deadpool mask. Given how fast various Spider-Men seem to lose their masks in fights, seeing a guy wear it that much, preventing an actor from displaying his face, the one thing they all rely on to their jobs in many cases, was nice. Granted, Wade Wilson’s awful face probably had something to do with it.
And while I was initially confused as to why the movie would feature Colossus of all X-Men, it made perfect sense once the character became clear. Colossus is the anti-Deadpool, the good and moral guy that Deadpool clearly isn’t. Played as a naive man who happens to made entirely of organic steel, the big Russian is there for comedy as he keeps trying (and failing) to make Wade a real superhero.
Overall, I dug the hell out of this. Let’s say nine out of ten guest shots from Bob, and leave it at that.
And yes, there is stuff after the credits.
I really enjoyed it as well. The opening credits were hysterical. So fun.