Reynolds Wraps It Up Nicely

Rating: 7/10 (15 February 2016)

(RATING: ☆☆☆½ out of 5)
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: Ryan Reynolds makes us care about this violent superhero and that's the better half of the fun.
GRADE: B-
PLOT SUMMARY: After a scientific experiment renders him disfigured but endowed with superhuman strength and powers, Wade Wilson becomes Deadpool, an anti-hero who wants revenge.
JIM'S REVIEW: The Marvel Superhero Factory unleashes another action figure from its assembly line of comic book personalities, a hip but crazed vigilante who goes by the name Deadpool. Coming from the second tier of players, instead of its popular A-Team of Avengers, this brand of superhero has some interesting traits unlike his predecessors. Besides loving to kick ass and destroy his foes, this character lobs double entendres and curses to anyone in his vicinity, beats everyone to the bloodiest of pulp (hence, the film's adult rating), and breaks down any walls in his way, especially the fourth one with his pithy and snide asides to our movie-going audience.
￼The plot is a typical revenge / action movie. Wade Wilson (a wonderfully charming Ryan Reynolds, who uses his sex appeal most appealingly) takes the form of our favorite mercenary, Deadpool, ready to do battle with his maker, Francis Freeman a.k.a. Ajax (a menacing Ed Skrein), a sadistic scientist and his lovely Igor named Angel Dust (Gina Carano).
Of course, Deadpool has help from a supporting group of friends that include his girlfriend, Vanessa (a winning Morcena Baccarin), loyal sidekick, Weasel (a wise-cracking T.J. Miller), and some other X-Men crusaders, Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). The action is non-stop and so are the jokes, which land most of the time. Deadpool's foul mouth works overtime to entertain his adult followers between the blood spatter and it all surprisingly works, excluding the over indulgence of too much slow-mo and CGI effects, frenetic editing, and shaky hand-held camera-work.
￼But the filmmakers never take the character or his plight so seriously as in other films of this ilk and are more obsessed with the dark humor aspects in their story. Credit goes to the screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick with their zingy one-liners and director Tim Miller, who gives the film the needed jolt of energy which allows this hero some distinctive qualities that other superheroes in the Marvel universe lack, primarily a underlying sadness that define the human character inside the superhuman.
But it is Mr. Reynolds who contributes the most to the film's success. The role fits him like a suit. His anti-charm is the real thing and the actor uses his physical presence to the nth degree, frontal nude scene notwithstanding.
Deadpool is far from dead. This avenger has legs (and muscle) with just the right amount of appeal. The movie will make a killing at the box office with a sequel on its way as we speak. So, fans of this comic book genre (and many new devotees) can enjoy the start of a beautiful friendship with a new adult action hero and all of his profanity and insights.
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