Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds) has reigned supreme over the past few months, with what will go down in history as the best and most inventive marketing campaign for a movie. But, despite the ever-increasing buzz surrounding this feature, one question still remains: Will it be any good?
This question has now been answered, with the first reviews pouring in. And Deadpool turns out to be a great debut for the character (we don't actually count the X-Men Origins movie, do we?), mainly because of the movie’s self-awareness. If director Tim Miller had taken that away, then we would have had yet another origin story, dumbed down even more by its scope.
Sure, there are those who say that Deadpool lacks a strong villain (IGN), that the repetitive jokes numb the audience (Empire), or that it is nothing more than an innocent pleasure (The Guardian). But, overall, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive - apparently, Fantastic Four is the only property that Fox cannot adapt successfully.
Here are some of these reviews:
At this point, a movie studio would have to torch its headquarters, donate its merchandising revenues to charity, and produce a seven-hour art film performed in Ukrainian sign language to do something that truly qualified as a subversive gesture. Until then, viewers should gladly submit to the gleefully self-skewering pleasures of Deadpool, a scabrously funny big-screen showcase for the snarkiest of Marvel's comic-book creations "” a disfigured and disreputable mercenary who likes to crack wise, bust heads and generally lay waste to the idea that he's anyone's hero. As a vehicle for the impudent comic stylings of Ryan Reynolds, this cheerfully demented origin story is many, many cuts above Green Lantern, and as a sly demolition job on the superhero movie, it sure as hell beats Kick-Ass. And given the resurgence of fanboy interest following a well-received trailer at last year's Comic-Con (plus the benefit of IMAX showings), Deadpool should show plenty of life at the box office, especially if its well-earned R rating functions less as kiss of death than as badge of honor. (source Variety)
For the multitudes who feared that, after Fantastic Four, Fox might simply be rummaging too far down into Marvel’s basement in search of a few more scraps of lucre, the joke’s on them. It takes a little while to get in gear "” or perhaps just to adjust to what’s going on here "” but once it does, Deadpool drops trou to reveal itself as a really raunchy, very dirty, and pretty funny goof on the entire superhero ethos, as well as the first Marvel film to irreverently trash the brand. Just what anyone suffering from genre burn-out might appreciate at this point, as well as a big in-joke treat for all but the most reverent fanboys, this looks to be hitting the market at just the right time "” with Christmas releases now in the rear-view mirror "” to rake in some sweet returns. (source The Hollywood Reporter)
The jokes in Deadpool are delivered with such a sly, smart-aleck wink that it takes a while to figure out that it's selling a jokey tone rather than actual jokes half the time. But it's got the perfect salesman in Reynolds. Even with a face that's been horrifically crispified into what his pal (Silicon Valley's T.J. Miller) likens to the offspring of an avocado that had sex with an older avocado, Reynolds and his character are a blast of laughing gas in a genre that tends to take itself way too seriously. Deadpool may not be a cutting-edge comedy, but it is a cutting-edge Marvel movie. And right now, that's something. Rating: B. (source Entertainment Weekly)
It's simple - if you like the Deadpool comics and appreciate the character, see this. It's made for you. By the same token, if you loathe the character, stay away. If you're more of a casual fan or not really a comic reader, you'd be well-advised to go in with an open mind. If you don't mind a gloriously silly 100 minutes fanboy ride, you'll have fun. But, if you expect a KINGSMAN style cross-over hit that's not at all what this is. It's been made for a specific cult audience but it can't be denied - that audience will absolutely love it. (source JoBlo)
Wade Wilson has been successfully revived on the big screen in a movie that's full of amusing one-liners, stylish action, and heaps of fan service. Weak villains and an unsatisfying revenge plot ultimately hold it back from being something more distinctive, but Deadpool delivers a large dose of unwholesome fun. Rating: 7.4 out of 10 (source IGN) Here, we must add that this is nothing new as far as superhero movies are concerned - by now, it is well-known that studios are barely able to present the audiences with a respectable villain (there are exceptions, of course). But the thing is that Deadpool is a hero who makes the villains unnecessary from a certain point of view, stealing their witty remarks, providing the violence and gore himself, and so on. Ultimately, we can understand why Ajax felt so one-dimensional - Deadpool stole all the other dimensions from him.
Deadpool is just about everything you could hope for from a Deadpool movie given the boundaries of A) it's an origin story; B) it has to bring in people who are unfamiliar with the character; and C) it's upending traditional superhero tropes. Even with these restraints, the film is often an absolute blast that had me rolling over with laughter again and again. It's a shame we had to wait so long for Deadpool to mouth off again, but hopefully he'll be serving up some chimichangas in the not-too-distant future. Rating: B+ (source Collider)
The sheer number of dick jokes will soon numb you to their impact, but this is a fun, if patchy, alternative to the glut of “the world is about to end unless we do something” comic-book films. Rating: 3 stars out of 5 (source Empire)
Unafraid to rip the very genre it’s now a part of, Deadpool is the ballsiest comic book movie any studio has dared attempt. Hopefully it will be rewarded with a big enough audience that this won’t be the first and last time we see the infamous merc on the big screen. Rating: 4 out of 5 (source Examiner)
Deadpool is funky, fresh, and ferocious, which is the shot in the ass that superhero movies need right now. His opening credits alone are enough to have audiences in stitches, as blurbs like The British Villain or The Comic Relief flash while a gossip rag showing Ryan Reynolds on the cover flies through the air. Self-aware doesn't even begin to describe the levels of saccharine satire that skewers today's barrage of spandex-wearing good guys, and it's all done while achieving more entertaining levels of comic book fun than most of the film's competitors. (source We Got This Covered)
Deadpool is neurotic and needy - and very entertaining. An innocent pleasure. Rating: 4 out of 5 (source The Guardian)
If you want to find out more about the movie (of course, with spoilers), Comic Book Movie has done a terrific job at gathering as many reviews as possible.
And, to end this piece on Deadpoolish note, here's what Deadpool's wife says:
Source for the images: WikiComicsRu
