By Kate “One Take Kate” Taylor
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| Image via |
It’s breaking records all over the world, fans and critics are heralding Deadpool to be the Marvel movie that not only mercilessly rips on the brand and any films in the cannon that have come before itself; but it also gleams with everything that is exactly, perfectly represented about a beloved comic content film done right. Since the Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) directed Spider-Man (2002), ever so slowly and surely…comic superheroes had a renewed upswing of making cinematic bank. Cue a stream of great and some not so great superhero films that are now staple in a production companies schedule for each year. With popularity comes palatability for the masses, like Chris Evans’ Captain America reminding us to watch our language, while true to the comic character, its now also essential to be included for the new younger audience that love the Avengers films too. Don’t get me wrong, they’re super enjoyable films and I totally dig them, but the diehards…the diehards needed something more.
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| Sometimes you’ve just got to take some ‘Me-time’. Ryan Reynolds chilling as Deadpool. Image via IMDB. |
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) with its bright colour palette, infectious soundtrack of yesteryear hits and self-deprecating heroes has been a step in the favoured direction for the Comic-Con crowd (aka diehards). GOTG showed us that BAM you could make bank and still have a comic credible edge.
If you loved the way that GOTG is taking things then hold on to your chimichangas kids cause
Ryan Reynolds, with the magic of first time feature length director Tim Miller and in conjunction with screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (the geniuses behind the Zombieland script); are bringing us a rip-snorter of an anti-hero action movie that had me splitting my sides from the opening credits. Personal feeling: this is the new anti-hero super hero film that will define the genre. Writing this up a week after Deadpool’s release, it’s such a thrill to be caught up in the international box office love-fest that Deadpool has created, with Reynolds, Cast, Crew and 20th Century Fox graciously thanking their fans via social media for the success they’ve received which seems to be surprising and delighting them as much as the film’s entertaining us.
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| Maximum Hotness: Deadpool‘s just finished kicking butt. Image via IMDB |
Coming out of a screening I attended for a different film last night at an Auckland cinema, an evening of the week known affectionately in New Zealand as ‘Cheap Arse Tuesday’, it was so cool to overhear excited chatty fans who had just walked out of their first Deadpool experience. They were retelling jokes, commenting on the parts they felt were their favourites and generally and this is the coolest part – they were filled with that Wade Wilson/Deadpool swagger. They all had a spring in their step, were tweaking their heads and their hands around in that suited Deadpool animated way, and living the Deadpool vibe immediately. It was rad to see. Why’s Deadpool work so well? There’s a few reasons but mainly the stick ability to the source content. After all comics pretty much are storyboards, so in essence, it’s all there for the production teams on films like Deadpool, to just lift fun, memorable moments as they are from the pages and recreate them with a superbly picked cast and with authenticity in mind. By doing so Tim Miller has crafted a fan-freaking-tastic film for the Deadpool Army to cherish forever more.
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| Awesome dude Reynolds with a stack of Deadpool fans. Image from Ryan Reynolds Instagram: @vancityreynolds |
Marvel movie love interests while, usually being wily adaptable cool and aloof chicks themselves, can still come off as a bit need-to-be-rescued-y. Deadpool’s kickass equal is Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), she has serious bite and she’s down to ride for her man Wade Wilson before he even becomes the merc with the mouth. Wade and Vanessa’s relationship has ups and downs, but it’s there realisation that they’re perfect for each other and care about each other a lot that provides the mutual respect they have for one another. I felt like this was a great example of real relationships and how they come together…you want someone who’ll challenge you and check you, you do pick on each other occasionally; you do have a laugh when the other’s being unreasonable and here Miller, Reynolds and Co. have worked that in well to be a relationship that’s aspirational but for the right reasons. Plus Ryan Reynolds and Morena Baccarin are hawt, they’re both super freaking hawt and they look fantastic when they bump uglies…preeeettty sure that’s got a smidge to do with it.
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| Putting some balls in holes: Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and Wade (Ryan Reynolds) get cosy. Image via IMDB. |
Deadpool is smart in how it makes the world we’re watching normal and everything that’s happening to Wade Wilson believable which gives Deadpool, a potentially new character to some, an instant likeability. Deadpool is an equal opportunity offender, no group, gender or minority misses out on being dissed and in some weird way becoming empowered by this. If everyone gets a turn at getting made fun of by the hot guy in the red suit, then are we all so different?
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| Just drink it in everyone. Drink. It. In. Ryan Reynolds behind the scenes on set on Deadpool. Image from Ryan Reynolds Instagram: @vancityreynolds |
Maybe my most favourite thing of all is the meta treatment that Deadpool gives every subject that comes within his katana’s swiping distance. There’s banter about the fourth wall, there’s banter about breaking the fourth wall whilst breaking the fourth wall, there’s knowing discussion on production costs or casting, other Marvel film plots and generally even that Deadpool is familiar with the fact that he IS a comic book super hero, starring in his first film right now. There’s fun poked at the people who are sitting in the cinema feeling squeamish at the gore and thought this was going to be a rom-com, there’s fun poked at the people who are enjoying the gore too much. It really is inclusive of everyone and in this lays its power. Deadpool also keeps in the things that are kind of cheesy but you’re expecting and you actually love, so to leave them out would be a sin. Yup I’m talking about the obligatory Marvel movie Stan Lee cameo. I think Lee’s cameo in Deadpool could be my most favourite of his yet and just goes to show that Lee’s as stoked on this interpretation of Deadpool as we all are too.
Deadpool is a must-see movie and when I stepped out of seeing it I knew immediately it was an unequivocal 10 out of 10 for me. I love everything about it and I’ll definitely be off to see it again. It’ll take maximum effort for me to be as impressed by another Marvel movie as I am about Deadpool, but thankfully there’s news that a sequel is already in early production stages. Ok there you go, rave review over! Go out and see it already, what are you doing still reading this…go buy tickets for it and see it right now!
DEADPOOL is out now in NZ Cinemas.
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| Ah yuh…we’re just a bit excited about Deadpool. One Take Kate and Mr Leon Taylor at the Deadpool Red Carpet and NZ Premiere February 2016. Thanks 20th Century Fox NZ for the snap! |
What’s your favourite Ryan Reynolds role? Are you pumped to see him as Deadpool? Let me know below or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
