POOL, Dead. (SPOILER WARNING)

Just as I was beginning to think that the contemporary action films being released in the recent past were becoming repetitive and unoriginal, the release of Deadpool restored my faith in the ability to produce an unconventional and innovative film. With an incredibly refreshing anti-hero, fascinating non-linear structure explored through said anti-hero’s direct narration and an exceedingly witty screenplay laden with pop-culture references, Deadpool is nothing less than an energetic and entertaining film which exceeded many an expectation.

From the previews, I had anticipated nothing less than a snarky, quick-witted and hilariously crude Wade Wilson but, what I did not expect, was the sheer amount of genuine laughter that would emanate from the audience due to the often unexpected dialogue and consistent poignant references. For this, credit is undoubtedly due to the writers for a cohesive script and the creation of a rogue character who continuously kept the audience guessing.  

From the moment the opening titles began to run, crediting lead actor, Ryan Reynolds as “God’s perfect idiot”, and director Tim Miller as “an overpaid tool”, the audience was drawn into the comedic aura that underlies the entire film.

A far cry from Marvel’s previous films, Deadpool follows the story of the mercenary, Wade Wilson who was initially introduced in X-Men Origins: Wolverine with his mouth sewn shut. He initiates a plot for revenge against the cunning and deceptive Ajax played by Ed Skrein and his formidable muscle, Angel Dust, played by Gina Carano. 

Reynolds does a magnificent job in bringing to life the rowdy Wade who, when diagnosed with terminal cancer, seeks the assistance of a private organisation to save his life. Heading the procedure is Ajax, who utilises an abundance of torture techniques in an attempt to trigger Wade's dormant mutant genes, inevitably providing him with his superhuman abilities. During the process, Wade is horrifically and permanently disfigured, initiating his search for vengeance and desire to find Ajax in order to rectify the damage so that he might resume his life with his girlfriend, Vanessa, played by the stunning Morena Baccarin.

Despite the counter-culture notion of a film with an anti-hero as the protagonist, Wade himself claims that the film is yet another “love story”. Nevertheless, I was glad to see that the plot was not wholly overridden by the novelty of a stereotypical romance between a hero and a damsel.

I also immensely enjoyed the way in which producers attempted to include the audience through Wade’s narration and found that it was executed in such a way that was incredibly skilful and effective in eliciting the audience’s active engagement.

The only X-Men depicted in the film are Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, portrayed by Stefan Kapicic and Brianna Hildebrand respectively. Despite Wade's claims that the "studio couldn't afford" more X-Men, the two held their own and provided both humour and characteristics which were a pleasant balance to Wade’s overly crude and eccentric demeanour.

While I was initially apprehensive about the film’s intended departure from Deadpool’s story as it was introduced in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, ultimately I was immensely satisfied with the film which I inevitably saw no less than three times since its Australian release. I cannot wait to see what is to come in the sequel, although I hope the studio will not be so stringent this time round (Wade’s words not mine!) and include more X-Men.

In the meantime, leave a comment about what you thought of the film or what you would love to see in the next Deadpool one.

~ Kiki ~