The film wisely takes a cue from "Guardians of the Galaxy" with its soundtrack...

Rating: Null/10 (7 February 2016)

"Deadpool" is the story of two like-minded individuals who fall in love amidst calamitous hardships – and physiology-altering mutant abilities with disfiguring side effects. Former Special Forces soldier Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) works as a mercenary-for-hire out of Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Children. Running his mouth while running odious lowlifes out of business nets him a satisfying career that also inadvertently introduces him to Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), a prostitute who shares his penchant for dark humor and funereal banter. The two quickly fall in love and become engaged, only to discover shortly thereafter that Wade is afflicted with terminal cancer. Unwilling to subject Vanessa to further torment and misery, Wilson spontaneously leaves her. When a mysterious broker offers the desperate man a possible remedy, he agrees to undergo an experimental procedure that will change his life forever.
Posing itself as the ultimate anti-superhero movie (with a theatrical release timed for Valentine's Day), "Deadpool" goes to great lengths to distance itself from the pack of recent Marvel entities, which have become more or less interchangeable. The problem is that it accomplishes this mission with such unyielding purposefulness that it regularly ceases to be a about a character in a film; at times, the world of Deadpool exists somewhere in between the Marvel Cinematic Universe, self-aware satire, and an alternate reality, where superheroes are recognized as products of movie studios. Fortunately, the humor tends to make up for the noncanonical bits and the occasionally unwelcome attention towards the fictionality of cinema.
Crazy credits, pop culture references, animation mid-scene, nods to movie tropes ("It might further the plot," suggests T.J. Miller's Weasel, when motioning Wade to meet a black-clad man in a shadowy corner booth), and routine breaking of the fourth wall are all gimmicks to highlight the flaws of superhero pictures, as well as to mock them mercilessly. It's funny to see this skewering in action, but it becomes contrary as the film progresses, particularly as it begins to employ the very techniques and devices previously laid bare for roasting. Had "Deadpool" chosen to use only super-soldiers and human sidekicks, it would have been forgivable to see the star prancing about like an R-Rated version of "The Mask," filled with the dirty dialogue of Kevin Smith. But once Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) show up (and Angel Dust - played by Gina Carano - reveals her abilities), the cliché superhero customs turn exhausting rather than facetiously self-deprecating.
The film wisely takes a cue from "Guardians of the Galaxy" with its soundtrack, utilizing fitting or contrasting music at all the right times, which helps to enhance the action and romance or make fun of various activities. Like "Kick-Ass," the main amusement comes from the comedic insight on the fallible, potentially laughable construct of superheroes, though hyperactive violence and expletive-filled wordplay strive to overshadow the cleverer humor of exposé. Sex, nudity, strip clubs, and sadistic torture also aim to darken up the typical PG-13 vibe of Marvel's better known projects. Ironically, the element that stands out the most is the love story, accentuated by sarcastic, damaged-goods morbidity, which demonstrates a quirky compatibility for two modern, sexually progressive personas stuck in a superhero movie - a superhero movie disguised as one too quick-witted to fall into that category.

The Massie Twins