The superhero genre has been dominating the box office for the last decade or so and it's probably going to do so for a long while. What all of these comic-book films have in common is that they tend to be PG-13 in the hopes to reach maximum profit for all audiences. While there have been R-rated films based on comic books or graphic novels in the past, they don't tend to be box-office hits. They may either be modest successes that have a cult following or failures that fans would rather forget than revisit. Then, "Deadpool" came out and changed the landscape of superhero films. From the R-rating, to the modest budget, to a lead actor that's been becoming unpopular from poor movie choices, the merc with a mouth shattered records and became one of the highest grossing films with a R-rating during its initial release. Almost 5 years later, it's time to revisit and see if the film still holds up. The story follows Wade Wilson, a mercenary who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He seeks help from a mysterious organization that promises a cure for his cancer while awakening his mutant abilities via torture. While he gains the powers to heal at an extreme rate, Wade is physically disfigured and nearly unrecognizable. Escaping from the facility, he seeks revenge against the man who caused his disfigurement, Ajax, in the hopes that he can get back to normal before his girlfriend, Vanessa, sees him the way he is. That's basically the sum-up of the story and it seems like the generic origin story that the genre is known for. True, the origin story itself isn't the most interesting thing in the world, but it's the pacing and structure that makes it far more engaging than it needs to be. The film goes back and forth as we cut to the present where Wade is in pursuit of Ajax while he fills the viewer in on backstory from time to time. And that's only in the first half of the film. The second half picks up the pace in terms of the comedy and action, so it does manage to hold the attention for viewers. The tone is unapologetically "Deadpool". You got the inappropriate jokes (sexual or ethical), various swear words, fourth-wall breaks, and violent action while being really lighthearted as a result. It's a movie that really wants to have fun with itself, but it can also be a touch dramatic or heartwarming when it comes to Wade's alienation and his dilemma with reuniting with his girlfriend. It's a R-rated raunchy comedy at its core though.
Ryan Reynolds kills it as Wade/Deadpool. From the cocky nature and the ability to break the fourth wall and talk to the audience, to the obliviousness, goofy, somewhat immature mind, it's a miracle that such a douchebag can be so loveable at the same time. It's hard to believe that he was the same actor who played an inferior portrayal in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". While the portrayal of the character isn't as dark or layered as in the comics, the performance by Reynolds not only managed to resurrect his career, but launch the character into worldwide stardom. Morena Baccarin plays Vanessa, the girlfriend of Wade who is later a hostage for Ajax. A lot of people really love the relationship between Wade and Vanessa, and it's not hard to see why. Despite the short time we see them together, you get a sexually contrived yet somewhat cute romance the two have for each other. It also helps that Baccarin is a good actress to make the character anything but one-note. Ed Skerin plays Ajax/Francis, the villain who made Wade the way he is and has the power to not feel any pain at all. While I love Skerin as an actor and he does have his moments to be entertaining in the film, Ajax is just not a very engaging villain. Not only is he just a really vain guy who mainly hates Deadpool for being annoying, but his abilities really don't make him that formidable considering how overpowered Deadpool is with his healing ability. He works as an introductory villain and as an element for the origin story, but I just can't take him seriously as the main villain in terms of being considered a threat. Aside from the main cast, there is a plethora of side characters that all stand out for their unique personalities and playing off of Wade. There's TJ Miller's Weasel, the best friend of Wade who runs a bar for mercenaries, Stefan Kapicic's Colossus, the metal-coated member of the X-Men who is good-natured and attempts to get Deadpool into the famous group, Brianna Hildebrand's Negasonic Teenage Warhead, a teenage trainee for the X-Men who is mainly mean and silent, Gina Carano's Angel Dust, the inhumanly strong enforcer for Ajax, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, an elderly woman who lives with Deadpool and is bitter enough to tolerate the hero's personality, and Karan Soni as Dopinder, the taxi driver who gets Deadpool to a desired location as he explains his love troubles while getting crisp high-fives. Throw in the best Stan Lee cameo and you got a fantastic cast that plays off one another with Reynolds making everyone laugh with his star-defining role.
Tim Miller makes his directorial debut after years of experience working for his co-founded company, Blur Studios. Although it's odd that a guy who's main work consists of small animated projects, title cards, and games has his first film be a live-action superhero film, Miller does a stand-up job in his first directing job. What's really impressive about the film is the production design and the limitations of the $58 million dollar budget, which is extremely low for the average superhero blockbuster. The look of the film is very muted and unpolished as a result when exterior scenes are on screen. While the heavy amounts of grey in these scenes seem like a problem, it actually helps in keeping part to the film's gritty and small-scale nature. The interior locales look good with thanks to some nice set design and offer some atmosphere to them, whether it's the mercenary bar, Wade and Vanessa's apartment, Blind Al's duplex, or the secret facility. The cinematography by Ken Seng is really good with lots of slow-motion, close-ups, wide shots, and a sense of enclosement during the scenes of Wade in the decompression tank or in Blind Al's apartment. The music by Junkie XL is decent, albeit lacking a sense of identity. The action music tends to use synthesizers, giving it an 80's-esque sound to the score, but the more it goes on, it becomes pretty generic. The soundtrack however is fantastic with songs such as "Calender Girl", "Angel of the Morning", "Shoop", "X Gon Give it to Ya", and of course, "Careless Whisper". The visual effects look nice for a modest budget with Colossus, Deadpool's facial movements, the scarred make-up Reynolds wears, and the climax being visually impressive, all thanks to Miller's experience and connections to animation houses. Not all of the effects look convincing per se, but it's done well that it doesn't bother me, especially considering the budget they were working with. The action is kinetic to say the least. Deadpool's use of pistols and katanas along with his healing factor makes for a fresh sense of energy. The violence is also done in a way where it's not super flashy or grotesque. Katana slices and headshots feel satisfying rather than exploitative and there's just so much style and flair involved. The set-pieces are also cool giving off a sense of scale in an otherwise small-scale movie. You got the SUV fight, highway shootout, the fights between Wade and Ajax, and the climatic battle with Deadpool fighting the goons with Colossus and NGT fighting Angel Dust. Overall, Miller did a great job and I hope that his third film will be on the same level as this and "Terminator: Dark Fate".
"Deadpool" deserves the acclaim that it got and still gets today. While the villain of Ajax isn't that compelling or threatening and the original score by Junkie XL is a bit on the generic side, that's basically the only issues that the film has. From a simple yet engaging narrative, unapologetic tone and humour that is faithful to the source material, Reynold's redemption performance as Deadpool, the entire cast as a whole being so entertaining and great working off one another, Seng's well-done cinematography, an amazing soundtrack, good CGI and make-up, fun action scenes that feel large in scale despite being small in concept while being gory in the right amounts, and Miller's directing being a great first impression with his skills and look of the film with a muted aesthetic and distinct set and colour designs. It's a film that's not only fantastic in its own right, but it paved the way so that mainstream, R-rated comic-book films can occur more often , such as "Logan" and "Joker" being some of the most acclaimed films of the genre, joining the ranks that this film manage to start.
Verdict: 9/10. Almost perfect, despite a weak villain and original score. One of the most unique comic-book films to come out during that time and one of the funniest to boot!
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