Rating of
3/4
"Deadpool" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 11/07/17
A mercenary is diagnosed with terminal cancer and so undergoes a procedure performed by a shadowy organisation that not only cures but also gives him superpowers. Deadpool began as a minor character from the X-Men comics that went on to become extremely popular because of the self-effacing sense of humour and post-modernism that went on to define him and this movie version does a very good job of capturing exactly that. Essentially a superhero film that is a spoof of a superhero film, Here we have is a winning combination of tongue in cheek humour and gory yet slapstick action that reminded me somewhat of Kick Ass. Despite that, the decision to make the film an 18 certificate meant that it could stay true to the spirit of the source material and gives it a freshness that has been disappearing from the increasingly generic and overpopulated genre of the superhero movie. The origin story and constant stream of jokes leave little room for narrative plot and the supporting characters are rather underwritten, but Deadpool was always a bit of a one man show and Ryan Reynolds' brand of self-deprecating humour and charm carries it all off admirably. Revelling in its own absurdity, Deadpool is consistently funny and entertaining and feels like a breath of fresh air after a seemingly endless parade of po-faced men and women in tights.
