Movie Review- Deadpool

Deadpool has its moments but is ultimately just another comic book movie that has been watered down, in this case with broad appeal humor, to bring in a larger audience. The movie probably would have been made if it wasn't watered down to the average moviegoers' taste first. If Deadpool stayed truer to comics, it would probably have bombed like Scott Pilgrim because it was too niche. Deadpool sacrifices the potential of a truly unique superhero film in favor of bland familiarity, because they gotta get those box office returns.

The Deadpool comics, like most superhero comics, vary wildly in quality depending on the writer. When done right, the character plays more like the personification of an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, and it's hilarious. In the wrong hands, he is an insufferable snarky loudmouth that only appeals to casual comics fans. We got the insufferable one. And even worse, it's another damn origin story movie. I'm so sick of seeing this storyline that I'm ready to give an automatic 10/10 to the first superhero flick that does something different.

The film is a comedy, and the primary goal of a comedy is to evoke laughter. Do you enjoy Big Bang Theory's "just mention things geeks like" style of humor? Then you will enjoy Deadpool. Do you feel that just referencing things isn't inherently funny? That there has to at least be a joke present for a reference to work? Skip Deadpool and go watch something else. Do you like Seth MacFarlane's body of work? Go see Deadpool. Do you get tired of constant sex jokes? Psst... Deadpool is probably not for you. Deadpool somehow screws up the 4th Wall jokes, too. Those are usually funny in the comics, but here it felt more like "We get it, Green Lantern and X-Men Origins: Wolverine were terrible. Reference something else, please".

Despite its general lack of originality or humor, the movie does get a few things right. Ryan Reynolds absolutely nails the demented Bugs Bunny demeanor of Deadpool. His performance is right up there with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark in terms of accuracy to the comics. If only they had given him better material to work with. I also enjoyed seeing Colossus portrayed as an goody two-shoes Boy Scout type. He was good comic foil to Deadpool's general profanity, even if the "Hey guys, Colossus has a metal penis" jokes stopped being funny after the first one.

The fact that a Deadpool movie even got made is astounding, but I shouldn't have been surprised that it had to be run through the audience palatability machine in order to be produced. Making an R-rated superhero movie is an risky move, and I can understand why the creative team veered more towards Seth Macfarlane-cum-Bazinga humor over the bizarre hyperviolent comic book parody of the best Deadpool comics. At least we got a Deadpool movie at all. With a sequel already in the works, perhaps the studio will let the creative team cut loose and get weird this time. And maybe they'll actually produce something funny.