Ryan Reynolds and comic book fans can at last gather together for one very different superhero–or, rather, anti-superhero–movie. Deadpool is the action-packed, violent, raunchy, and undoubtedly hilarious story of former Special Forces agent-turned-mercenary, Wade Wilson (Reynolds). When the newly-engaged Wade is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, he is offered a second chance at life by scientist.
The man calls himself Ajax, but it is later discovered that his real name is Francis–something that Wade will not let him forget. Ajax offers to heal Wade’s disease, and give him some superhuman abilities along the way. Wilson eventually accepts the offer in the hopes that after he is healed he will be able to return to his fiancee, Vanessa. He is consequently subjected to torture by Ajax, who claims that he must undergo extreme stress for his cells to mutate.
After months of this, Wade finally mutates into “Deadpool,” leaving him horribly disfigured but able to heal any injury. He escapes from the laboratory to avoid being auctioned off as a “super-slave.” Certain that Vanessa will be frightened by his appearance, Wade stays away from her, and devotes himself to finding and killing Ajax (or “Francis”), the man who ruined his life.
I’ve been excited for Deadpool since I heard they were making a movie, and was honestly not disappointed. In my opinion, it was the perfect blend of classic Marvel action and Wade Wilson’s infamous sarcasm and humor. Some parts, like the opening scene of the film, had my eyes glued to the screen. Both the cinematography and overall confusion surrounding the scene was very engaging and got me hooked right away. Other parts made my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. Deadpool was actually director Tim Miller’s debut, much to my surprise.
On top of the genuinely good filming and special effects, Ryan Reynolds did an amazing job as Wade/Deadpool. The character in itself is a very complex one, and I think Reynolds conveyed it very well on screen. This makes sense, seeing as Reynolds has always been a huge Deadpool fan. (Fun fact: he actually stole his Deadpool suit from the set on the last day of filming.) Is it just a coincidence that their names both have alliteration? Wade Wilson and Ryan Reynolds… it’s probably a match made in Hollywood heaven.
Overall I really enjoyed Deadpool. It had me rolling laughing and wanting to cry within the same few minutes, and I think it was a very successful movie adaptation of the comic books. I’m hoping that the second film will live up to its predecessor and won’t be ruined, as movies in Hollywood often are. But I have high hopes for it, considering that this one was even better than I expected. I’m very excited to see what Miller has in store.
By Lydia Berg
