Hilarious, Smart, and Well-Paced

Rating: 8/10 (11 February 2016)

Fans of Deadpool have waited at least 7 years for the "Merc with a Mouth"to get his own film, and finally we have it, but even better is after the wait it delivers. Ryan Reynolds is perfectly cast as Deadpool, and his dedication to getting the character right forms a true portrayal of a character that is very hard to get right, as we learned 7 years ago. Deadpool is hilarious, bitingly smart, and paced like the foul mouthed energizer bunny from hell. In an interview Reynolds said this film has been in production for 11 years, it would seem that the long wait helped the film, because by the time they finally made it, everybody involved wanted to get it right.
Deadpool is genuinely hilarious film, by that I mean there are multiple times where everybody in the theater laugh hysterically. The film is even funnier for those that love, and know all about comic book films, because it makes snide comments about the studio and the genre all throughout. Fans of the character will appreciate the fact that Deadpool doesn't pull any punches, it's hilarious from the opening credits to the post credits scene. On top of that Reynolds comedic chops are perfectly complemented by the foul mouthed anti-hero.
It shouldn't come as any kind of a surprise that Deadpool is a meta film, as the character's trademarks are breaking the fourth wall, and poking fun at other comic book characters. The film manages to avoid being clichéd, because of it's meta film approach and while not dodging all clichés it winks when it uses one. For those that have seen or genuinely obsess over comic book films, the film is littered with snide pokes at the genre, and a warning for those interested these pokes come early and often. The film is witty to a fault, and honors the character perfectly.
From the hilarious opening of the film to the post credits scene the pacing of the film is frenetic. The film begins with a bang, and brilliantly tells it's story in a non-linear format that keeps the film from ever feeling slow. It would have been nice if the low budget hadn't been so noticeable, despite the fact that it gives Deadpool plenty of fodder. One thing that seemed poorly done was the Colossus character, because he's featured in the other X-Men films as a completely different character in look and personality.
In the end lovers of the deadpool character will love the film, because it's faithful to everything the character embodies. The film is smart, funny, well-paced, and builds off Reynolds performance to make a genuinely entertaining film. The film has a few small flaws that are few and far between, but overall succeeds in respectfully bringing "The Merc with a Mouth" to the big screen. Note that this film is very mature, but when looking for a great film for an adult's night out this film is perfect.