In 2009, the enduringly popular Marvel anti-hero Deadpool, real name Wade Wilson, made his first appearance on the big screen in the critically lambasted X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This appearance, which largely ignored his defining characteristics in the comics, proved wildly unpopular, and fans have been clamouring for a better representation of the character ever since. Now, in 2015, we have Deadpool, which isn't quite the movie this character deserves, but should please fans enough until that movie does come.
In this film, Ryan Reynolds plays the titular character, gamely embodying a role which he quite clearly enjoys. Deadpool is best known for his humorous one-liners, and while those featured in the film aren't his best, Reynolds delivers them very well. Indeed, Reynolds fully embodies the character, giving an enthusiastic performance that compensates for the occasional gag that strains too desperately. Unfortnately, Deadpool's humour, while often moderately clever, is only intermittently impressive, and although there's several big laughs to be had, there's a higher quantity of small ones. At times, jokes go on too long, and there's noticeable stretches with few gags or witty quips at all. Even funny moments will often feel like they would benefit from a faster pace, giving the impression that the character hasn't translated perfectly to the medium.
More than the one-liners, however, Deadpool is known for toying with the medium and breaking the fourth wall, and the filmmakers have translated that fairly well to film, but unfortnately they don't do it nearly often enough. Deadpool will on occasion interact with the camera or comment on the film's structure, and one especially inventive scene shows him acknowledging scenes from earlier in the film from within a flashback. Much more often, however, Deadpool plays out like a relatively irreverent but strictly formulaic superhero film, only on a smaller, less satisfying scale. The main driving plot is serviceable but never truly engaging, partially due to the high quantity of detours but more so because the narrative is lacking in creativity. Obnoxiously, the film even resorts to the damsel-in-distress trope, and compensates for it in the laziest, most played-out way imaginable.
It's a shame that fourth wall breaking is so underutilized, because it's the film's most subversive element. Neither the gore nor the crude humour are really breaking any boundaries here, and while both are applied in quantities fitting to the character, the film's satirical elements are muted due to the low budget and formulaic plot. Superhero tropes are played straight more often than not, and there's surprisingly few attempts to poke fun at the conventional superhero film structure. This may be for the best, as such humour may become annoying when the film uses so many of these same tropes uncritically, but that only calls further attention to the negative effect these tropes have on the film.
Being released on the Valentine's Day weekend, it's unsurprising that Deadpool is partially built around a love story. His growing relationship with his girlfriend, Vanessa (played by Morena Baccarin), accounts for a significant part of the flashback scenes, and she largely provides Deadpool's motives throughout the film. This relationship is one of the film's strong points, particularly due to great chemistry between Baccarin and Reynolds. Alongside this relationship in Deadpool's backstory is a moderate sense of tragedy, as the events which led up to him gaining superpowers provide a solid base to make this violent character sympathetic. It's that level of humanization that makes both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the X-Men films so compelling, as it makes characters easier to be invested in.
Deadpool's small budget comes through in film's relatively small feel, which may be appropriate for such an irreverent character but which, combined with the formulaic plot, further lessens the narrative's impact. Where the small budget is most apparent, however, is the underwhelming fight scenes, which are choreographed well enough but which, especially later on, feel far too modest and lacking in dazzle. Of the two X-Men who appear in the film, only one has a particularly flashy power, and it's used sparingly, while the more mundane combat does occasionally pick up but still lacks the energy of, say, a Mission: Impossible film.
Having made $135 million in its opening weekend, Deadpool has proven to be a brand worth investing in, and perhaps its sequel will be the film that truly brings this character to life on the big screen. This first film, meanwhile, is entertaining but unremarkable. Perhaps it's a shame, but while the film's issues hold it back from the pantheon of great superhero flicks, it's a solid enough time at the cinema, and fans of the character and of superhero films should find plenty to like here. It's good enough.
66/100, or
7/10*
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