In this internet-based era that we live in, it’s tougher than ever for a piece of art to fool its spectators. For any new art form to spellbindingly draw viewers it has to either approach perfection, or indulge the viewers in its own self-awareness. A look back at recent projects shows that the latter approach seems to be gaining traction, hence the rapid popularity achieved by movies and TV shows such as The Big Short and House of Cards. Put simply, in a time where most audiences look deeply into any release to try to find its flaws, there arose a not so insignificant value in having an art form that talks directly to its audience. Doing so acknowledges the inevitable flaws in most ventures, thus making it impossible for anyone to argue that these misgivings devalue the work. It also makes the work more relatable to audiences in the instant internet era. Nevertheless, there is a very thin line between good and bad usages of this communicative avenue, a path that was taken to the extreme by the newest addition to the Marvel cinematic universe, Deadpool.
Set in present day New York City, Deadpool follows the story of Wade Wilson, a special forces mercenary played by the never snarkier Ryan Reynolds. After meeting the girl of his dreams and having his life on a seemingly unending upward trajectory, Wilson is stunningly diagnosed with terminal cancer. He quickly begins to seek a way to either minimize the damage inflicted on his loving fiancé, or improbably find survival methods. The latter path surprisingly comes to fruition as Wilson is recruited by a secret organization that offers him a way to survive, in exchange for allowing them to do a secret operation that turns him into one of their mysterious hitmen. Through this process, an ordinary man is turned into something more, someone who’s really undefinable as the movie continues to remind us, Deadpool.
Reynolds & Morena Baccarin
Directed by Tim Miller, the Academy Award nominated director best known for designing the opening scene in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Deadpool often had us considering the merits of a main character interacting with its audience. Through the narrations of Wade Wilson or Deadpool, the movie’s plot is unveiled through an anecdotal structure that is heavy on pop culture jokes, most of which were admittedly hilarious, yet lacking in narrative clout.
Throughout the movie, as is the case with most superhero movies these days, we couldn’t help but get the sense that this is an installment done primarily to serve as an introductory harbinger for future Marvel projects. Even by superhero standards, this is a picture that lacks substance; there are very few fight scenes, the superhero’s main motivation is extremely shallow to say the least, and its concluding segment not only seems rushed, but also features several incomprehensible aspects. In that sense, Deadpool seems more akin to a hilarious, elongated Saturday Night Live skit, rather than a movie.
Notwithstanding, Deadpool somehow works. Throughout all of its kinks and sheer ridiculousness, the movie’s light approach and its continued admittance of its own flaws makes it more entertaining than we’d care to admit. A big part of that has to do with Reynolds’ acting. After his previous flailing incarnation of another superhero, Green Lantern, he displays a deftly conscious comedic touch that quickly becomes the movie’s epicenter. Hand in hand with Miller’s enthusiasm for the outlandish, Reynolds delivered arguably his most convincing and confident performance since 2006’s Definitely, Maybe. His winning performance is so confident, in fact, that he continuously reminds us of his previous Green Lantern failure throughout this movie.
With all of its excess snark, Deadpool is edgy, funny, and more importantly, current. It is not a movie that is going to age well. It is a movie set for right now, yet with future projects in mind. If, however, Deadpool is not a superhero as he continuously affirms throughout this picture, then Deadpool, the movie, is not one at all. Deadpool is a skit that masquerades as a film through crystallizing the industry’s present, while giving us a solid indication of its future. It is certainly fair to wonder if the only heroic efforts are the ones that deny being so.
Movie Score: 70%
In one sentence: A delightful bundle of madness with a signature performance from Ryan Reynolds.
