Deadpool

Viewed – 23 May 2018 Cinema

I think most of us knew that the sequel to the unexpected hit that was Deadpool, would be bigger and better, A movie that was basically a one trick pony first time around, that of Ryan Reynolds’ wise-cracking, self-aware ‘merc with the mouth’ didn’t have a great deal more going for it as far as plot or an interesting villain. So coming into this I was hoping for more. Step up to the task Josh Brolin, fresh off his movie-stealing turn in the latest Avengers, he plays Terminator-like bad-guy ‘Cable’, sent from the future to kill some acting-out mutant kid who wants to blow up an orphanage and those that govern over him. Deadpool see’s some injustice in the kids plight and offers to help, along with his band of reluctant friends he awkwardly names ‘X-Force’.

Reynolds is on brilliant form and his wealth of one liners, observations and fourth-wall breaking piss-takes are often hilarious. Thankfully this time around he’s not the only pull this movie has, because Brolin is again brilliant and there’s also a few other colourful characters to keep things interesting (personal fave: Domino). Yet the child actor at the centre of the plot is somewhat lacking, has poor line-delivery and stands out compared to his more seasoned and entertaining co-stars. Yet we do get a wealth of at times very violent, bloody action that is utterly unrestrained but skilfully executed, showing director David Leitch is an assured replacement for the original’s Tim Miller.

Some rather cheap-looking CGI doesn’t look all that much better than the first movie (especially Colossus) and not all the gags hit home runs. However, this matters little when what’s presented is just so infectious. I haven’t had as much at the cinema in a long time as I had watching this funny, exciting and crazy ride … which may play to the juvenile kid in all of us, but sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed. Just go see it already.

Verdict: 4 /5

Viewed – 18 February 2016 Cinema

This is an easy movie to enjoy, if that is you enjoy very crude humour alongside genre satire and general piss takes. You see, Marvel’s Deadpool as a character is like the anti-comic book character, he’s at odds with what we know and love about the Marvel universe and for that matter any comic book universe. He’s self-aware, a killer, gun for hire and a joker … who just happens to have the same regenerative healing ability as Wolverine.

Ryan Reynolds plays the title character who is initially a low-key mercenary working at a bar for mercenaries (!) who meets the hot girl and falls in love, but then gets some bad news and resorts to a shady underground organization who promise to cure all his woes. Yet with such a promise comes side effects and so yes, he becomes a bad-ass super (hero) but with horrific scars all over his body forcing him to remain in hiding and away from the woman he loves. So revenge quickly becomes his only compulsion. Reynolds is perfect; motor mouth humour and line delivery on excellent form and making for 90% the appeal of this movie. Which is good as nearly everything else seems to be an after thought. The characterization of anyone other than ‘Pool is wafer thin to almost non-existent and the plot for what it is … is as basic as it gets; they fucked up my face so I can’t get it on with my gal…so I’m out to kick ass – the end.

Some stylish and hyper-violent action sequences help matters considerably however, and every time Reynolds is doing his thing, the movie’s a riot. Sad then that the in-between stuff, including a limp love story, a villain with surprisingly no agenda, and two of the most bland X-Men ever, fail to bring much of anything to a movie that let’s face it, lives or dies on it’s one gag concept. Yes the movie was shot on a (for this kind of movie) low budget but that doesn’t mean it can’t have substance. Fans of the character will lap this up, but despite enjoying this on a purely juvenile scale, the movie fan in me came away wishing there had been a bit … more.