For Ryan Reynolds, third time is the charm as he at last fulfills his superhero destiny with Deadpool, based on the anti-hero created in 1991 for Marvel Comics by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. After an abortive first attempt at bringing some sort of version of Wade Wilson to the screen in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, followed by his stoic portrayal of Hal Jordan in 2011’s Green Lantern, Reynolds has returned to Wilson – the character he was born to play – in a movie that he has spent several years with director Tim Miller and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick practically willing into existence.
Now here it is, in all its crude, ratty glory, and we can tell you that the movie has at least nailed both the tone of the comics and the ragged charm of the character himself. And the tone of the movie seems as if it were a Quentin Tarantino film, if that tells you anything. And also, ladies, be prepared to own this DVD, because you will definitely be pausing it, screenshotting it and putting it in the Skank Bank in order to break it out on dine-alone-Taco-Tuesdays. Ryan Reynolds... Nom Nom Nom. Am I right?
Wade Wilson (Deadpool) is quick with the quips and the meta references, he breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience (as he has done so famously with the readers of his comic books) and – as we find out when he meets the woman of his dreams, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin of Firefly and, more recently, Gotham) – he’s a romantic at heart.
Reynolds gives his all in the role, and it’s clear from the start that he has immersed himself in this character and worked to create the perfect screen version of Deadpool. He’s endlessly carrying on a running conversation with himself (“Did I leave the stove on?”), reacting like a petulant child when he gets shot or stabbed, and riotously commenting on the comic book movie world around him - including several jokes at the X-Men franchise's expense, previous Ryan Reynolds movies, and even Ryan Reynolds himself.
The movie basically is a one-man show and director Miller wisely derives almost all its entertainment value from Reynolds’ detailed and truly oddball performance. With the main character’s over-the-top-and-beyond behavior and constant self-awareness dominating the proceedings, it's likely Deadpool Movies will be around for a long while.
Deadpool is fun, highly entertaining and, for fans of the comics, does exactly what it promised. Oh, and make sure you stay until the very end -- the post-credits easter egg sequence isn't the one you might have expected, but it's the one you unknowingly want.
