Deadpool Review – A Film That Doesn’t Hold Back
By Steve Lam
Alright, Bam Smack Pow readers. I just got back from a screening of Deadpool, and this is what I have to say about it:
Deadpool is f–
The movie is the sh–
I walked out with a total …
Bam Smack Pow doesn’t condone the use of vulgar language on its site, and I need to respect that. Hey, we’re a family-oriented company. However, I can say that the movie itself is vulgar, offensive, completely politically incorrect, disgusting, and juvenile. It is everything it should be and wears it proudly. This is a comic book come to life. I’m still at an impasse though. How do you review such an awesome movie and let your emotions spill out onto the page, but also create something that all the kiddies can read? I know! You review it like how it was previewed …
We’re going to have a red band review and a green band review!
Spoiler-Free Red Band Review (Wade Wilson Approved)
Highlight everything below this line to see a review with inappropriate language
Glossary of Terms
(HA! You thought I was going to use naughty language huh? Well, I can’t, but I’ll replace them with a more appropriate lexicon and let you decipher their meaning.)
Flower – The one flexible word that can be used as a transitive and intransitive verb, noun, adjective, and adverb. You know what the equivalent of this word is. Don’t act coy.
Doodle – Usually referring to waste material, but can also be a term of affection and great admiration (Example: Man, that porterhouse steak I had last night was the doodle!).
Lollipop – Usually referring to the male anatomy. In slang terms, it refers to someone who is much derided by his peers.
Deadpool doesn’t apologize for anything. The movie is the doodle! I’m talking about fan-flowering-tastic action sequences that came straight out of the comics. Wade Wilson may act like a total lollipop, but he’s a flowering great hero. It’s always a joy watching him flower up the bad guys with some flowering great action.
Look, you’re going to have a bunch of doodle-head reviewers who whine about how this movie is just an excuse to use vulgar language and show gratuitous violence. Well, flower ’em! This movie was made by fans for the fans. I’m so happy that we didn’t get any lollipop studio executives flowering up the script and ruining a great character.
You’re also going to get other reviewers who point out logic problems with the movie and write about how this is the reason for the dumbing down of America. Again, flower ’em. The makers of Deadpool never said this was going to be Shakespeare or the next Coen Brothers movie. The reviewers giving it a bad grade are the same doodle-heads who go into every movie thinking that everything on the screen should be high art. Well, they can go sit on their pedestals and flower themselves.
If you want to have a flowering great time and lose your doodle at seeing a true live-action incarnation of the Merc with a Mouth, go see Deadpool!
Spoiler-Free Green Band Review
Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool. There is no question about it. It took him three tries to play a proper comic book character: as Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity (2004); Hal Jordan / Green Lantern in Green Lantern (2011); and now this. I’m making a prediction that Mr. Reynolds will become, if not already, synonymous with this character as Christopher Reeve was with Superman, Hugh Jackman with Wolverine, and Tony Stark Robert Downey, Jr. with Iron Man (yes, RDJ is that good). It’s hard to tell where Ryan Reynolds ends and Wade Wilson begins.
As for the overall film itself, it’s a comic fan’s dream of homages, fourth wall-breaking, and call-outs to other franchises, characters, and stars. The movie warrants a repeat viewing just because with all the laughing, you may not have caught everything the first time. This is a “Guardians of the Galaxy” film. What do I mean by that? Visit any forum now and you’ll see fans pointing out Easter eggs and references. Hell, just go back for Reynolds’s quick jokes that are hammered out faster than this character’s automatic weapons.
The supporting cast is also great. Though they don’t break new ground in terms of characterizations, they do give the film the feeling of a bigger world. And that’s exactly what a supporting cast is supposed to do. I was pleasantly surprised by Colossus, a heavily CGI-ed character played by Stefan Kapicic, who actually had quite a personality and acted much like he did in the comics. The Negasonic Teenage Warhead, played by Brianna Hildebrand, was a perfect comedic contrast to the oversized metal X-Man.
As for the villains, Ed Skrein did a fine job playing the villainous
Francis
Ajax (you’ll get that joke if and when you see the movie). Gina Carano is left as more of the silent, but deadly type. Again, these characters don’t break new ground, but they serve as a great soundboard for our hero … um … anti-hero?
Final Thoughts
Is this a movie for children? No, definitely not! Okay, I’m not a parent and I don’t know what is considered pushing the limits these days, but I think Deadpool is as edgy as you can get for a superhero film. I believe that of all the things kids are exposed to these days, they may even find Deadpool‘s humor and violence to be tame. With his gags about Wham! and plenty of pop culture references from a bygone era, you know that Deadpool was intended for people in their 30s and 40s. And that target audience makes sense since people in that age range, like me, were in midde school at the time of the character’s creation.
Coming in at 108 minutes, Deadpool storms in quickly and leaves with barely a denouement. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t post-credits scenes that will make every fanboy cheer and applaud. I would say that the scenes aren’t so much of a tease, but a confirmation of what we already know. Go see Deadpool. Your inner 14-year old self will thank you!
Deadpool was released in the United States on February 12, 2016.
Next: Deadpool Post-Credits Scenes Explained
The film is directed by Tim Miller, written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, and stars Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Ed Skrein as Francis Freeman / Ajax, T.J. Miller as Weasel, Gina Carano as Angel Dust, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Stefan Kapicic as Peter Rasputin / Colossus, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Jed Rees as The Recruiter, and Karan Soni as Dopinder.