A very fun film

Rating: 7/10 (26 November 2016)

Deadpool is a Marvel film that steps outside the box a tad; they go for an edgier film this time around, that breaks the fourth wall, has a good bit of gore (which many Marvel films lack), and is more humorous. Personally, I feel the formula worked well. Deadpool is an enjoyable films, with a ton of laughs and some good action.
The film follows Wade, a sarcastic mercenary with little to care for in the world. He falls for a prostitute, Vanessa, and the two fall head over heels for each other. Wade, however, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and in desperation, leaves Vanessa for an experimental medical facility that turns ordinary people into mutants, a la X-Men. The goons who run the facility, however, are sadistic, and wish to turn their patients into mindless drones for hire. Wade is scarred from the procedure, and seeks revenge on the Facility manager, Francis, and his goons for what they have done. He also looks to get back Vanessa, even though he looks a bit like a hamburger patty.
Deadpool's story is pretty bog-standard super-hero stuff, and has little to offer. It felt generic enough, as many Marvel films do, in my opinion. However, the romance between Wade and Vanessa was genuinely interesting. Both played rough but fair characters, with a lot in common, and the banter between the two was sweet and fun. Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool is also a great fit. He plays the part like he was born to do so. The films itself is quite funny, with tons of fourth wall breaking winks, small jabs at the entertainment industry, self-referential humour, and the like. Reynolds even makes jokes about himself. Their were a lot of funny pop-culture references as well, although these will surely be dated by the time next year hits.
The action in the film was quite good as well, as it is in Marvel's films. Lots of fancy explosions, good fights and so on abound. Two x-Men make appearances as well, and it was great to see Marvel taking on a few - hopefully they will retain control for a Marvel led X-Men film in the future! Small complaint about the CGI, however. Their were some parts with excellent CGI, but some very poor ones as well. The establishing shot of the aircraft carrier under construction in the final act is especially poor, and jarring enough to bring me out of the film. A few of these issues exist, but the CGI in much of the action scenes holds up well enough.
All in all, a really fun and enjoyable Marvel film. I do enjoy the more humorous Marvel films (this, Guardians etc.) as it adds an extra layer of entertainment beyond the bog-standard superhero film, played to death almost in modern times. Reynolds was great, as were most of the side actors, the action was cool and fun. Aside from a weaker story and some shaky CGI, this film really holds its own. I look forward to more of this from Marvel, and this film can be easily recommended for superhero fans, action film junkies, and those into dark comedies. 8/10