Deadpool Review

"You're probably thinking "This is a superhero movie, but that guy in the suit just turned that other guy into a fucking kebab." Surprise, this is a different kind of superhero story."

Deadpool is the first in a long line of Superhero films scheduled for a 2016 cinema release, and is based on the origin story of the popular eponymous anti-hero from the comic series by Marvel comics. Many people would roll their eyes at the prospect of yet another new superhero film, with the genre oft criticised due to the huge amount of films slated for release over the coming years and the huge cinematic universes built around these comic characters. It seems to be a genre that is only getting more popular, to the stage that it is getting pretty damn hard to avoid these films in the current cinematic landscape. The Superhero phenomenon is often compared to the similar influx of Western movies in the 1950s and 60s, in which many of the popular films produced were westerns, all vaguely imitating each other to make as much potential money at the box office from film audiences. This fad eventually died out towards the end of the 60s and like many other  trends in cinema, another popular genre or type of film took its place and so on. Now the Superhero genre undoubtedly holds that crown in audiences hearts.

But unlike many Superhero films that are produced, Deadpool comes as a surprising breath of fresh air in the genre due to the fun the creators have with the source material, as well as there being a lot there for broad film audiences but with tons of nods and references for the die hard fans. Another thing that really sets this film apart from others of its kind is the love and passion that went into every aspect of production, and bravely doing something different in a genre unfortunately full of imitations of current popular trends. In the following review I will be going over the films plot in depth and its possible affect on the future of Superhero films, so be warned of potential spoilers from here on out.

First thing to probably mention to audiences unfamiliar with the character of Deadpool is that he really isn't anything like the other Superheroes that appear in films like The Avengers, to the point where he really can't be categorised as a superhero at all, despite the red and black suit not looking a million miles away from something Spider-Man would wear. Entered into the same Weapon X program that Wolverine was given his adamantium skeleton in, the mercenary was given incredible healing abilities essentially making him immortal, but lost his sanity in the process. Incredibly dark, amoral and funny, the character acts as a mockery of the genre and pop culture as a whole, with his fourth wall breaking and jet black humour setting him drastically apart from the other characters in the Marvel universe. Due to these factors the character has always been viewed as a risk from a film making stand point, and attempts to make the film have been quashed at all times with producers not daring to create a film based on the character to an almost complete lack of funding. From all of these factors it seemed like fans would never get the Deadpool film that they desperately wanted. One thing that sets this apart from other films is that this isn't just a simple cash grab from lazy producers and executives whoring out a popular character and bankable property to make a lacklustre disposable film that will make them a lot of money, but it is more a project of passion that the story tellers really wanted to tell.

Shown in a non linear narrative, the film introduces the mercenary Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) as he heads in a taxi to take his revenge out on Francis (Ed Skrein), the villainous British mutant who experimented and disfigured him. The impressive attack seen in the test footage is back and improved upon, and then in flashback partly narrated by Deadpool we are introduced to pre-transformation Wade, who still has the same humour and wit. This section establishes the love story of the film between him and the equally fucked up escort Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). This eventually turns into a simple superhero origin story when Wade discovers he has terminal cancer, which leads to the Frankenstein-esque quest of revenge against the people who created him and destroyed his life in the present. To guide us through the shifting time periods is the fourth wall breaking and enigmatic Deadpool, as he gives insight on how he became the disfigured and insane vigilante we all know and love. This material in another movie could have been handled in an incredibly dark fashion, but tonally the film remains consistent to the source material with lots of humour, pop culture references and a self referential nod to the real world that really sets Deadpool apart from its contemporaries. The story for the film is incredibly simple and formulaic, but in a comedy like this it really doesn't matter too much as it just acts as the framework for the jokes to play off. A more complicated story would never be able to work in this context, and the use of the simple story never makes the action or humour appear dull.

This is Ryan Reynolds second portrayal of the merc with a mouth, after a disastrous attempt in the 2009 flop X-Men Origins: Wolverine. When compared against the poor story, excessive use of random characters and the mesmerizingly poor CGI that makes the film look like it was made to be straight-to-DVD, Reynolds portrayal of the character at the beginning of the film can probably be taken away as one of the only positives, as he really tried to tap into the irreverent humour of the character and show off his incredibly impressive comedic skills on a minor level. But the ending absolutely shattered this when the character most known for his quips and wit had his mouth sewn shut and his powers exaggerated and bastardised to the stage where many believed that Deadpool on screen really was a lost cause. Luckily due to a lot of people who really wanted to give the character justice (and some test footage potentially being leaked by Reynolds himself) Reynolds luckily was given a second chance at playing the character.

Reynolds stands out in the film and is really excellent, with his portrayal being like the character had jumped straight out of the comics and onto the screen. Like Hugh Jackman, Robert Downey jr. and Chris Evans before him, this is a man that was born to play this character. And whilst his other performances in other pretty poor Superhero films can be seen as lacklustre, due to his genuine love of the material it really makes him a pleasure to watch. The supporting cast are all strong too; Baccarin is great as the love interest and brings a lot of heart to the plot, newcomer Brianna Hildebrand is a lot better than I expected as obscure X-Men member Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Ed Skrein and Stefan Kapicic are both hammy and great as the archetypal British villain Francis and the CGI metal skinned X-Man Colossus respectively. T.J. Miller and Leslie Uggams deserve particular praise for bringing to life the oddball friends and sidekicks Weasel and Blind Al, with them besides Reynolds bringing most of the humour to the film.

Complaints for the film would probably go to the constant pop culture references to social media and various actors, that whilst in character and well done are very reflective of the zeitgeist of the modern era and may make the film appear dated in a few years time. Another big complaint goes to the CGI and set pieces not looking particularly interesting or spectacular; Colossus looks odd and out of place in nearly every scene he is in and the final showdown arena isn't particularly interesting visually. A lot of the film takes place on an overpass or in fairly dull areas, which is unusual for a film in this genre which typically have big, extravagant backdrops. Due to many Superhero films having an incredibly higher budget than this, moments in the film do appear cheap and out of place, with one scene where Deadpool visits the X-Men mansion looking more like something out of an SNL sketch than a cinematic superhero film. Luckily these problems are addressed and mocked, with the studio and the films budget featuring in several gags throughout, like how only two obscure X-Men seem to be around in the film due to budget restraints. Generally everything about the other X-Men films, Reynolds's past outings in poorly received superhero films and Hugh Jackman are mocked and ridiculed throughout, and this is handled fantastically where it is handled subtly and all the other characters act as unknowing straight men to Deadpools insanity. Any moment that feels a little cheap or bad is heightened by the incredibly strong script and the fantastic performances. Parents be warned; this isn't your typical superhero film!

At the time of writing this review Deadpool has just had a better opening weekend than the previous X-Men films in grossing at the Box Office, which may or may not be due to its R rating which gave the writers more freedom with the material. It's pretty certain that from this there will be many imitations made to emulate Deadpool's success, with the third Wolverine film already being announced as being R-rated. Often films of this callibre that do something a little different with their material bring a new trend to the genre, with two big ones being The Dark Knight and Guardians of the Galaxy. The Dark Knight was very successful critically and commercially, and afterwards a lot of films were made dark and gritty to bank in on the success of this style. Alternatively Guardians of the Galaxy was incredibly popular for its wackiness, inventiveness and use of old music in the science fiction setting, and afterwards many films have also tried to imitate this very different style. This shift in imitating popular film trends can probably be best seen in the teaser trailers for Star Trek Into Darkness (can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdgRx94W5ko) and Star Trek Beyond (can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRVD32rnzOw). Whilst both are sequels in the Star Trek franchise, both imitate the style of The Dark Knight and Guardians of the Galaxy respectively, in a way that's almost laughable. Undoubtedly many R rated superhero films will be released in the next couple of years, and I'm sure many executives and producers will already be after the next obscure property that they can produce in this style. But this is sort of missing the point. What makes films like The Dark Knight, Guardians of the Galaxy and now Deadpool so popular and interesting is that they dare to be inventive with their source material, they care about their fans wants and they try to do something new in a genre that can be so repetitive.

Summary: A few naff set pieces aside, Deadpool delivers exactly what was promised; a fun, violent, offensive and original film with strong performances and a fantastic script, that breathes a lot of life into the Superhero genre

8/10

The Revenant Review

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe... Keep fighting"

When director Alejandro G. Inarritu blew away critics and film audiences alike with last years best picture winner Birdman, audiences highly anticipated what would be the next project of the inventive and interesting film-maker. One of the major things that set Birdman apart from other films nominated that year and what it is perhaps best remembered for one year on is its powerful use of interesting camera techniques, particularly the extensive use of the long tracking shot, which through clever editing gave the film the appearance that only one long shot is used throughout. But what makes the film truly fantastic and rewatchable in my opinion is its strong dialogue, script, characters and story, and is made greater from these elements rather than it being nothing but a hollow presentation of a unique film making technique. The visuals, editing and film making all cooperate to compliment the strong material at hand. Whilst Inarritu's follow up, the western epic The Revenant, is a fantastic piece of film making and a great film overall, it does seem to suffer from slight style over substance, and what really shines more than the story at hand is the directors impressive presentation of the setting, the visuals and the technical intricacies of film making. I will be going over the film in depth in the next few paragraphs, so bear in mind (pun intended) that there will be many spoilers from this moment on.

Like The Hateful Eight earlier this year, this film is also set in the colder reaches of 1800's America. Set in 1823 Montana, the film is loosely inspired on a folk tale surrounding the real life of frontiersman, explorer and fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), and is predominantly about his survival of a brutal bear attack, his betrayal and abandonment by his colleagues and his attempt to stay alive in the harsh Louisiana Purchase wilderness. Whilst this story was used for inspiration, many of the elements including the elements of revenge and family are fictional. The film opens, like Birdman, with a culmination of vivid, surreal and beautiful imagery, showing a little of the history of the Glass character, his romance with a native American and a sort of mantra that the character lives by; that whilst you're breathing you need to fight to stay alive. This is an overarching theme throughout the entire movie and whilst a little heavy handed in its delivery, these Inarritu dream sequences are always wonderfully shot and in this case it really brings a lot of atmosphere to the first minute of the film, and sets the tone very well.

It then shifts to later on in time to a brutal surprise attack on the Rocky Mountain Fur Company trappers by the Arikara Native Americans, and has an incredibly impressive long tracking shot of the surviving Frontiersman escaping to their boat in a wonderful piece of choreographed madness and technical mastery that in my opinion is the second best scene in the entire film. This moment is very hard to not get drawn into, and you get a real sense of the brutality of this period in American history. The mise en scene in particular is made incredibly realistic in contrast to other westerns that are produced, with the blood and mud and dirt appearing terribly real with the desaturated look of the film. The sense of misery is incredibly realistically conveyed, more so than any other film I've probably seen since Saving Private Ryan.

The stand out scene of the film comes shortly after this, when Glass is attacked by a bear. This acts as the pivotal inciting moment in the films plot. The scene is visceral, violent and shocking, with the bear given a surprisingly realistic motive in the attack rather than just being the monster necessary to advance the plot, and in fact is actually provided with a lot more sympathy than I expected to see. I think in a way this adds to the drama, and can favourably be compared to Ang Lee's masterpiece Life of Pi, which also portrayed wild animal predators in a similar fashion. This scene is played out simply as two animals fighting on screen, both mirroring each other in their sacrifices to protect their off-spring. More so than the monster that is Tom Hardy's amoral Fitzgerald, the bear is an antagonistic force that is simplistic and acts as a symbolic force of nature against the frontiersmen and their destruction of the natural American wilderness. The attack is gruesome and realistic, and sure to make you wince whilst viewing, and has rightly been given the critical attention that it deserves. Whilst being almost wholly computer generated, the bear looks incredibly convincing and meshes brilliantly with the hyper realistic landscape that Innaritu constructs.

After the attack Glass is mortally wounded, and as the other frontiersmen can't continue on their way carrying his body on a stretcher, Fitzgerald (Hardy) the young Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) and Glass's half-native son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) stay behind to look after Glass with promise of a large reward, and are told to look after him or give him a proper burial in the likely circumstance that he dies. In a particularly brutal speech Fitzgerald decides that it is best for all of them if they murder Glass, and in trying to ends up murdering Hawk. He then convinces the unknowing Bridger to abandon Glass half dead on the assumption that he will die from his wounds and so they can escape from an imaginary attack from the natives. Left for dead, the rest of the film essentially follows Glass's incredible struggle to stay alive, heal his wounds and travel back to the settlement to get his revenge on Fitzgerald, whilst also having a spiritual journey in finding himself.

The acting in the film is consistent and well played, and one of the best elements of the entire film. Leonardo DiCaprio shines in the leading role, and whilst it can be argued that his performance isn't outstanding or vastly different from some of his other performances, he really gets into the role and his acting is strong. Not many other leading actors can portray pain and sheer misery like DiCaprio, and watching him MacGuyvering his way through the wilderness is heightened by his ability to physically portray the hardships and brutal injuries of the character, in a way that I don't think many actors would be able to pull off. Even stronger in the film however is Tom Hardy, who completely embodies the monstrous and vile character of Fitzgerald that only an actor of his calibre can do. Essentially in films like this there are two different kinds of actors; those who act the part that they are given and those who become the part and make it more than it was ever written to be. Whilst Leonardo DiCaprio plays his role incredibly well, he never truly embodies the spirit of the character in the way that Hardy can. From Bane to Ivan Locke to Max Rocketansky to the Kray twins, Hardy has the incredibly rare ability to morph into whatever part he is given, and he really has a field day in this dark and grim role. Will Poulter is also excellent, and really hasn't received enough attention or acclaim for his performance, in which he plays against the older, more experienced actors marvellously.

Technically this film is a marvel, and like Birdman before it Innaritu expertly utilises the interesting filming methods at his disposal to really draw you into the film on a visual and technical level. Shot with all natural lighting, the film looks beautiful, with the location really being emphasised at all moments and the costumes incredibly well designed. Unfortunately for the films sake the visuals and technical elements are really only a filler to the story and script, which despite the key dramatic moments early on thin out during the long second act. Pretty much all of this act is just DiCaprio having a problem with a certain injury and dealing with it, whilst dragging his maimed body towards his end goal. Whilst this is interesting and certainly shot well with a fantastic score, at moments it feels stretched out. It almost seems like there wasn't enough material for the film to be made so scenes feel drawn out, in a way that it almost becomes boring. Whilst the dream like sequences and the fantastic exchanges between Poulter, Hardy and Domnhall Gleeson break up this middle section, the action all seems episodic and you feel yourself waiting impatiently for the final act and the final pay off.

Luckily the pay off is well handled and it really brings back the sheer brutality of the early scenes as Glass tracks down the disgraced and escaped Fitzgerald. This leads to a vicious fight between the two men at the side of a river bank, which can be compared to the bear fight earlier in the film and is really well choreographed and acted, and acts as a great pay off to the long, drawn out and thoughtful odyssey for the Hugh Glass character. Tonally even in these more violent and shocking scenes and the slower more introspective scenes, the film is consistent and stylish in its delivery.

Summary: Whilst certainly not without its faults, particularly in its pacing and the script, the acting is fantastic and the film is well worth a watch for its stunning visuals alone, and is yet another example of Innaritu's mastery of innovative film making techniques

7/10