Movie Review | Deadpool (Lights, Camera, Action!)

Deadpool (UK Rating: 15)

Currently in cinemas and, by all accounts, heading for the number one slot at the British Box Office, the film sees mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) finding the love of his life, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), when he's diagnosed with a terminal disease. He takes a rogue cure and it works - but it also leaves him horribly disfigured, so he sets out to track down the man responsible, hiding his hideous appearance under the Spandex costume and persona of Deadpool.

It might be an extension of the original Wade, but it's still one heck of a persona, and he takes the proverbial out of everything. It all starts with the opening credits, which are less than polite about the director and producer. Elderly Blind Al (Leslie Uggams), with whom he shares his house, and a female teen hero rejoicing in the name of Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), are both on the receiving end of his non-stop flippancy. He takes great joy in talking directly to the audience about breaking down the convention of the fourth wall, and, perhaps most sacrilegious of all, he takes great pleasure at poking fun at the X-Men, particularly Wolverine/Hugh Jackman, yet they still want this lone wolf to join their cause.

It is, though, undoubtedly a crowd-pleaser for adults - it's a 15 certificate and needs to be. Some of the humour is great; for instance, there's one about Reynolds himself, and some aimed directly at Brits, specifically, including one about assembling Ikea furniture. The writers must have had a ball putting the script together - images of them sat around the table, falling off their chairs with laughter are never far away - yet as good as some of the fast 'n' flippant humour is, the film isn't quite as funny as it likes to think it is.

6/10

Good

Deadpool has enough in the laughs department to keep the audience going until the final sequence and, of course, the mandatory post-credits scene. A sequel has already been confirmed and, given the success of this first outing, that should pull in the crowds, as well. However, as an antidote to the usual superhero fare, Deadpool would work better as a one-off. He's a joke that could end up wearing a touch thin.