Deadpool

Dir: Tim Miller

2016

****

Deadpool isn't the first superhero/comic adaptation to claim itself as being 'A very different kind of superhero movie' and in many respects it is and it isn't. Deadpool's story is very much like any X-Men's origin, which is unsurprising as he is part of the very same universe. He is a regenerating mutant who is highly skilled in martial arts and swordplay, he is good at kicking butt and also rather likes it. What really singles Deadpool (aka Wade Wilson) out, apart from his fast-paced and rather naughty sense of humour, is how he interacts with his audience. He breaks down the forth wall and talks to the viewer. This is nothing new in the world of comics but he is easily the best at it within the medium. It is thanks to this and his constant self-referencing that has gained quite the fan following. You can get away with so much in the comics, much of it makes no sense at all but it really doesn't matter, it is about that weekly episode of escapism. The Avengers, X-Men, Superman, Batman etc. are often taken a little too seriously and are criticized heavily when continuity issues arise. Continuity is probably every comic-book writer’s least favourite word, so it's no wonder superheroes are often killed off, resurrected and reinvented. Deadpool seems to have this free licence to come in and out of other superheroes stories and do whatever he likes, and more impressively, say whatever he wants. Wade Wilson did indeed appear in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine with Ryan Reynolds playing the part. Reynolds seemed to be a completely unsuitable choice for the character, he wasn't wearing the costume, he neither looked nor sounded like Deadpool and apart from the name, there was nothing about him that had been faithfully adapted from the comic. It didn't go down too well with the fans. How many times will film makers make this stupid mistake? Well, it didn't take very long, Reynolds was soon back in spandex just two years later in an even worse comic adaptation, in 2011's ill-fated Green Lantern. The fans and certain film making fans still wanted their adaptation though and Deadpool went through development hell for over a decade. So what do you do? The studio option is usually to re-write the character, forget previous incarnations including the actor who played him and to start fresh with a totally different origin story and no bad language (for a respectable family-friendly rating), forgetting why people wanted the screen adaptation of the character in the first place. There is also the rights issue with Marvel, Disney owning film rights The Avengers and Sony owning rights to the X-Men. While using and referencing the X-Men wasn't a problem, there is an understanding that all things Marvel are happening in the same universe and everyone should be mindful of this to a point, again, it is so much easier to avoid these compilations in the comics and it never really seems to matter so much. The other option, seen as the risky approach, is to let a couple of fans make a faithful adaptation, that the fans have been asking for nearly twenty years, and let Deadpool be Deadpool (and let Reynolds be the real Deadpool). Quite amazingly, the studio took the risky approach. The cinema I watch the film in was full - something I haven't seen for quite some time. It wasn't just full of people either, it was full of laughter and grinning faces. Deadpool is very funny and it is very clever, it also addresses the Marvel universe quite brilliantly. A couple of the X-Men; Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Yay, a Grant Morrison character) keep tabs on Deadpool and try to recruit him, bridging the gap between the franchises rather nicely. Interestingly, the last scene takes place on the wreck of a fallen Helicarrier last seen in Captain America: The Winter Solder, that is as far as the Avengers are referenced, Hulk once ripped Deadpool's head off (it grew back) in the comics, so it would be lovely if they met somewhere in the future. However, that isn't quite Deadpool's style, and in a moment of clarity, the studio allowed Tim Miller, Paul Wernick and Phett Reese to let the character be himself. So when Colossus grabs Deadpool and tells him he's taking him back to the school for gifted mutants to get a talking to from Professor Xavier, he asks "Which one, Stewart or McAvoy"? Deadpool also requests that his superhero suit not be green or animated, referencing Reynolds previous not-so-super superhero outing. The film comes with the Stan Lee cameo, so this is all 100% approved. Amazing. It shouldn't work but it does...brilliantly. The forth wall is well and truly broken, in fact as Deadpool points out himself, it is broken several times in one go, essentially breaking sixteen walls at once. It seems stupid to suggest a studio is 'brave' by giving people what they want but there is some truth to the notion. Comic adaptations often don't work, generally because the source material is changed, hopefully now studios will realize that this is a mistake. Deadpool might just be the first 100% faithful comic book adaptation, which is fantastic, given that it is also one of the most anarchic (2000AD please take note). Ryan Reynolds has vindicated himself tenfold, Tim Miller has made an amazing debut feature and I applaud Paul Wernick and Phett Reese's hard work on getting the character to the big screen, it really has paid off. Deadpool is a victorious film, non-comic book fans and those who simply don't like superhero films may not realize but this is a huge deal. Christopher Nolan's Batman may have been the first of the genre to get it right in quite a while and The Avengers have been well written to great effect since but Deadpool really has done all the things everyone said couldn't and shouldn't be attempted, and on a much smaller budget too ("Couldn't the studio afford more X-Men"?). In a time where superhero films are being released nearly every other month, Deadpool really is the welcome relief to the usual franchise-conscious action film. It is a well-conceived and brilliantly crafted film, however, you either like these types of film or you don't but either way, you can't say they haven't broken the mould.