Article By: Alice-Ginevra Micheli

It’s finally here! The film that has been in the works for over 11 years and was finally made for the fans, and by the fans: Deadpool!

So I’m sure most of you are really just wondering whether or not it’s actually good or if it’s a rehash of the movie that we do not speak about. Short Answer: It’s absolutely awesome!

The film follows Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), a mercenary-for-hire who after a cancer diagnosis undergoes extreme experimental treatment that cures him, but also leaves him disfigured and with a thirst for revenge.

It’s a comedic, action-packed ride where he goes looking for the man who ruined his looks, while also breaking plenty of fourth walls — and necks — on the way. Directed by newcomer, and previous VFX artist, Tim Miller (no seriously it’s his first), the film is refreshing in amongst plenty of morally ridden comic book movies that are about doing what’s right over what’s easy. No, Deadpool doesn’t care; he just does what is most efficient and fun no matter the consequences.

The dialogue is incredibly witty, there are no missed beats and not too many quiet awkward moments that are normally very present in comedies. It came as no surprise to me when I read up on the screenwriters, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, only to find out they’re the same people who wrote Zombieland (2009). The humor and oddly creative violence present in that film definitely made its way into this one, with a slight update and a new look.

The story itself is very simple: broken man falls in love, something bad happens, goes on revenge journey. However, the simplicity of the story helps elevate the complexity of the protagonist. It pushes forward the character and gives him a proper introduction, letting the audience truly ascertain his personality, motivations and skills, while at the same time not getting lost in something overly polluted and convoluted.

The acting is also on par. Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool, there’s no question about it, the character was based on him, everyone knows it was perfect casting and he does exactly what you hoped/knew he was going to do. However, the supporting cast were also surprisingly entertaining. The most identifiable being the X-Men Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), who get’s a surprising amount of character development (re: he gets actual dialogue), as well as serving a good moral model for the audience to bounce off of when comparing him to the ‘Merc with the Mouth’. The newer teen X-men Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) was also an invigorating take on the superhero, adding some cool powers and a badass attitude to the mix.

The villain is your typical run-of-the-mill evil Englishman (which they make apparent early on), played by Ed Skrein. You might recognize him, or his name, as the original Daario Naharis from Game of Thrones – however I could not get out of my head how much he looks like Nicholas Hoult with his new hairstyle. He does a fine job as the bad guy, nothing special, but enough to introduce this franchise to the Marvel Universe.

The same can be said for the love interest (Morena Baccarin) and the best friend (T.J. Miller), they don’t do anything that hasn’t been seen before in many an action/superhero movie, but they also aren’t obsolete either. One thing I also found very refreshing is the fact that each character actually serves a purpose within the story. They’re not just there to flesh out an empty script, they have character, attitudes and motivations of their own that are illustrated in an apt manner.

Overall, Deadpool pushes boundaries. It takes the superhero genre we’ve all come to know, love and become a little sick of, and flips it on its head while still keeping its most basic elements at heart. In a way it finally introduces the idea of the anti-hero/vigilante to the big screen without it coming too close to falling into the trap of being a cliché driven romp in disguise. It knows what it is and its limitations, and makes them its own which also allows for a fun filled couple of hours.

Is it a perfect movie? No. The story might be a little simple, the secondary characters a little traditional, however is it worth watching? Absolutely.

P.S. After surprisingly entertaining animated credits there’s an extra credits scene that’s worth sticking around for!