Deadpool Review: Time to Make the Chimichangas! 

Director: Tim Miller

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin

The Overview
A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool. (Source: IMDB) 

The Good
Most superhero movies are named after their central characters (Captain America, Spider-Man etc.), but few command their movies as well as Deadpool does. The movie is Deadpool and Deadpool is the movie. Physically controlling and interacting with the camera at points, frequently breaking the fourth wall, and with a huge amount of screen time, Deadpool keeps the audience firmly in the palm of his glove for the entirety of this film. Without Reynolds giving the performance that he does, this film would fall very flat indeed. 

The supporting cast are distinctly average, but I think that’s the point! Ed Skrein and Morena Baccarin are pretty generic, but then when they’re credited as the British villain and a hot chick, what else did we expect?! Deadpool is fully aware of what it is at all moments, and makes no attempt to hide behind this; and this is what makes it so great. 
It is near impossible for critics to pick this film apart because Deadpool himself ridicules and belittles his way through the origin by numbers plot, and to hilarious extent. Making any attempt to analyse the intricacies of the film seems silly, I can almost sense Deadpool himself saying “it’s just a movie dumbass!” And that’s it. It is just a movie. A movie that you have to accept for what it is and deal with it, because it never pretends to be something it’s not. 

The humour ranges from raucous and crude, to daft, to genuinely hilarious one liners, and I was laughing the whole way through. This character might not be for everyone and as he himself points out, he’s not your normal hero. However if you can get on board with this hilarious anti-hero from the start, you’re going to have an absolute blast. 

The fight scenes are also great, with blood splatters aplenty and great visuals. The opening scene is ingenious; so well done and when paired with the brilliant opening credits, completely sets the tone before a word is even uttered. 

The Bad

My main criticism is the the plot is wafer thin, but when it’s as entertaining as this, it really didn’t matter too much. I understand the origin story was completely necessary, but the most fun bits were when Deadpool was kicking butt, and parts of the origin story just didn’t work for me. If it wasn’t as entertaining as it is, the storyline would be mind-numbingly dull, but thankfully we have an awesome character making the mundane magnificent! 

I love when this is a negative, but it was way too short! I was not ready for this movie to be over and could’ve easily had another 20 minutes. That extra time could’ve fleshed out the characters a bit more and given the opportunity to add a bit more oomph into some weaker parts of the story. Just make sure you stay for the end credits for a couple more minutes of Deadpool fun. 

The Verdict

I saw this movie and you should too. I always try to put aside my Marvel bias, but this is a super fun movie that’s absolutely worth seeing. If you love quips, action, fourth wall breaks, and plenty of violence then you’ll lap this up. For people who aren’t fans of the superhero genre, you’re in luck because this is in many ways, not a superhero movie, and there’s tons of things to enjoy here. It’s time to make the chimichangas, Deadpool has arrived, and he’s made quite the entrance. 

Agree with everything I’ve said, or am I a terribly misguided idiot who has got it all wrong? Please let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to share as well.