Superhero movies have successfully cemented themselves as a cinema staple over the last few years, and now with three major studios pumping 2 each out per year, are we ever going to reach saturation stage? This was my thoughts as the previews for Deadpool started, finally after all of the marketing and previews, memes and special messages from Ryan Reynolds in lycra, the movie is finally here! Now I’m not here to compare the movie to the comic book (I will leave that to our crew over at Marvellous!) I am here to look at it from a movie perspective and let you know if it works as a movie.
The film is a wild romp through Deadpool’s origin story, essentially told through a series of flashbacks through a car chase and attack from a large group of enemies. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) aka Wade Wilson receives heartbreaking news that he has terminal cancer in this major organs, his girlfriend Vanessa (Monica Bacarrin) tries to send him to alternative therapies and medicines but nothing works. When feeling like he has nothing left he is approached by an Agent Smith. who offers him an experimental drug (Weapon X!) to cure him of the cancer and when things don’t go to plan, Wade turns into Deadpool and seeks revenge on Agent Smith and his boss Ajax (Ed Skrein).
It is clear from the first few scenes that the budget for this is significantly lower than that of Xmen DOFP or Ant Man, and while some of the CGI is questionable 
(especially the final battle scene!) the film fits in with the grit and filth that is Deadpool’s world and his mouth to match it. The film boasts a soundtrack straight out of the 90’s with Salt N Pepa and DMX blasting out their hits as the red lycra flies through the air. It’s this mix of gritty atmosphere, that music and the hardcore violence that this film perpetuates that helps you forgive the small budget and realise that this is not a superhero movie for children or families. (I will say to you, if you are taking your children to this film, I would strongly advise due to the language, sex scenes, sexual references and hardcore violence, please please PLEASE leave them at home! This is NO place for them!)
Of course Fox would LOVE this to be a world building movie so a few of the X Men are in this, but don’t expect Wolverine or Storm to be teaming up anytime soon. This film boasts the silver giant Colossus (Stefan Kapacic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) who are in it just enough to be a hilarious compare to Deadpool’s apparent lack of moral compass and pack enough punch to keep things interesting in the finale. TJ Miller is a comedic heavyweight as Deadpool/Wade Wilson’s best friend Weasel and the two share a great chemistry.
What will keep you interested in this is the non “end of the world” superhero plot, it is a simple revenge story with superhero origins that blends big laughs, bone crunching violence and a killer soundtrack that celebrates Ryan Reynold’s return to the superhero genre in a successful fashion. If you are questioning this film, just don’t! Everything works here and it features one of the best Stan Lee cameo’s in a Marvel movie to date!
Deadpool is playing in cinemas now and is rated MA 15 +, keep an eye out for the Marvellous discussion on Deadpool in relation to the comics!
Review by Alaisdair Leith
