Deadpool 2 (second-pass / SPOILER-FREE)
Cert: 15 / 119 mins / Dir. David Leitch / Trailer
A second-pass of Deadpool 2 in a more sparsely-populated screening proved to be a slightly quieter affair, but certainly no less enjoyable. With around 30 other patrons, the audible joke-reactions seemed fewer*1, but there was also no accounting for how many attendees had seen the film before*2, and repetition is the enemy of reaction-comedy.
But the gags are still funny, the action is still adrenaline-surging, I still teared-up at one point near the end and I believe I’m still justified in calling this movie better than its predecessor*3.
Deadpool 2 is a winner, but guarded threequel speculation begins now....
*1 But certainly sounding more like people watching a comedy than my time with the latest Amy Schumer flick where, (with the exception of one particular patron behind me who laughed like a drain but only for about a quarter of the movie) the crowd looked on in near-silent horror at badly ad-libbed body shaming. [ BACK ]
*2 While I was enjoying a second-pass, one of my erstwhile colleagues for the day was on his eighth. And while his own laughter was some way off the reactions of the opening night crowd, he still sat grinning like an idiot for the duration. Which made at least two of us. [ BACK ]
*3 Well, Ed Skrein isn't in it for a start. [ BACK ]
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Deadpool 2 (first-pass / SPOILER-FREE)
Cert: 15 / 119 mins / Dir. David Leitch / Trailer
Well, I don't know how Fox have done it, but they have. Against all expectation (cynical, hopeful or otherwise) David Leitch's new film is quintessential cinematic alchemy; a sequel which matches and then surpasses its originator without downplaying or dismissing that first movie in the slightest.
Deadpool 2 is even better than Deadpool.
There. I said it.
On this first and very broad pass, it's difficult pinpoint exactly what makes the movie better, since I absolutely loved all of it. Also, I admittedly missed sections by not being able to see the screen for crying (usually through laughter, but at a couple of points just through sheer exuberant joy).
The masterstroke (which is no doubt currently being over-analysed at various production studios) is that tonally, nothing is off the table here. Writers Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Ryan Reynolds play with the established X-Men universe (indeed the whole comic book genre) without being beholden to it. The film combines gut-busting humour, sincere warmth and affection, blistering action and the foulest of potty-mouths*1 all with equal vigour. That said, Deadpool 2 is above all else a comedy, and is better for it. When it goes full-on in one area, the whole thing is strengthened as a result.
Reynolds plays the title role to perfection as only he can, with returning appearances from Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), Weasel (TJ Miller), Dopinder (Karan Soni), Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) which bring familiarity without repetition. Meanwhile, the 'now featuring' list is headlined by Josh Brolin as Cable, and a tremendously angsty turn from Julian Dennison as Firefist.
Leitch's direction is as tight as the script and as loose as its cast, the eclectic pop/rock soundtrack interspersing Tyler Bates' score with similar fluidity. And while actions in this movie aren't free of consequence, the fourth-wall breaking sets the tone for the screenplay's regard for sticking to the rules. All of which you'd expect, but this is even better, somehow.
About five minutes into the feature it occurred to me that because of the parodic nature of the trailer campaign, I had pretty much no idea what was actually going to happen in the movie. Unless you've already been digging for details, I advise you go into the cinema with the same mindset. Deadpool 2 is a magnificently violent, funny, sweary rollercoaster. Enjoy the ride.
Oh, and there's nothing at the end. Plenty of mid-credits action, but once the names start rolling on the screen, you can make your way out to book your next screening…
*1 There are even a couple of c-bombs, which is unusual for a 15 certificate. They don't necessarily match the flow of the script, but they're used in a way which doesn't de-rail it either. And I only mention this because if That Particular Language is going to be a problem for you, you should know in advance. But by the same token, anyone who's seen the first Deadpool know that this will be a top-end 15... [ BACK ]
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Deadpool (third-pass)
Cert: 15 / 108 mins / Dir. Tim Miller / Trailer
Deadpool is a success. The fact that I adore the film (even with its faults) has already been committed to the aether here and here, but it's fairly safe to say that with an IMDB score of 8.5, Metacritic's 8.5 and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 84% and 94% for critics and audiences respectively, it's been generally accepted as A Very Good Thing Indeed.
And so it has begun. The frantic scrabbling by the movie-studios and rights-owners to replicate the critical and commercial success of Deadpool*1. DC have brought Batman's standalone flick forward (although to be fair, this is also partially due to their uncertainty surrounding the upcoming Dawn Of Justice), Fox themselves have suddenly decided that the next needs to be R-rated (roughly equivalent to a 15 in the UK). And that's not even accounting for the slew of indie-clones which will surface on the bargain-shelves in no time at all. A hyper-sweary, hyper-violent comic-book movie from a major studio will change not only how the cinema-going public watches superheroes, but also the superheroes they're given to watch.
Whether he'll be a saviour or a destroyer, Deadpool is a game-changer.
And as Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn has already noted, this reactive attempt to ape the film's success will probably harm the genre far more than it will reinvigorate it. Writing-teams and studio-heads alike are now looking for the magic new ingredient that made Deadpool stand out. Was it the dry, self-referential humour? No, Guardians and Iron Man have that in spades. Was it an established fan-favourite character who nevertheless isn't beholden to a fifty year legacy of back-story interpretation? No, again Guardians of the Galaxy. Maybe it was the gleeful and wanton violence combined with self-aware analysis of the genre? No, Kick-Ass already went there back in 2010. Was it Ryan Reynolds, after all? With the best will in the world, no. It was the surprise. Not necessarily the audience's surprise - comic-book fans had been expecting great things anyway. More the surprise of an industry that a mainstream superhero flick with a character largely unknown to mainstream audiences could be so well received, especially when it's packed with the sort of content that makes the MPAA generally nervous. But it has been well received, with a sequel being green-lit before the movie even landed properly in theatres.
And it's this sequel which will carry the burden of expectation. After last year's Fantastic Four debacle, no-one would have batted an eyelid if Deadpool had failed to set the world on fire, but suddenly the bar has been raised. Fox are going to have to work far harder to top what they've given us this time if they're going to keep the goodwill of audiences and critics (exhibit a: the fantastic Kick-Ass vs the frustratingly derivative Kick-Ass 2, which recycled everything from its predecessor and brought nothing new to the table). 'More of the same' just won't do; although I expect the writing team capable of bringing us Deadpool in the first place to already be smart enough to know that. The real danger for the sequel will be studio-interference, as boxes are ticked and demographics are catered for.
The important thing to remember is that Deadpool wasn't successful solely because it had that R-rating. Sure, this particular film needs the rating to be what it is, but this worked because it's a great movie. Great movies (generally) succeed. The skill of the writers, performers and production and editing crews combined to made a great movie that (mostly) everyone enjoyed. Which is, generally speaking, the aim of everyone involved in the production anyway. And while it was fun to see severed limbs and heads flying away from torsos in this movie, what defined it more was the laughs that accompanied the whole thing. Comedy is way more subjective than action, so far harder to 'get right'. The occasional humour of the X-Men movies has always been patchy at best, so as Fox rush to make Wolverine's next outing "darker and edgier", they'd be wise to remember that while Batman benefited from this approach, Punisher and Ghost Rider certainly didn't.
Ultimately, the Deadpool wins because it was only ever trying to succeed on its own terms. And not giving a fuck was pretty high on that list of terms. This film had little to prove. Deadpool 2 on the other hand, could be a different matter entirely…
Superhero things, swearing, shooting.
Yes, indeed.
Yes, indeed.
Could well be.
Yes, indeed.
Y'know what? I actually don't think there is.
Level 2: Deadpool stars Morena Baccarin, who appeared in Spy, as did Rose 'Dormé' Byrne.
*1 Although not, from what I can see, by Marvel Studios themselves. As an established and successful franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (ie the Avengers timeline) doesn't really need to chase fans at this point, and the Disney-ownership with its associated merchandising knows that nothing will be gained by suddenly having the heroes running around swearing (although this in itself was also highlighted to humorous effect in Age Of Ultron, where Captain America berated Iron Man over his potty-mouth).
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Deadpool (second-pass / SPOILERS)
Cert: 15 / 108 mins / Dir. Tim Miller / Trailer
An interesting second-pass for 20th Century Fox's Deadpool, as it's a movie I scored full-marks initially yet didn't get a whole lot more out of when I re-watched it. That's not to say I enjoyed it less in any way, but other than a stronger grasp of the mechanics of Wade Wilson's superhero-transformation (more on that later), the movie holds that instant-classic feel of comforting repetition, rather than a film which is going to unfurl new secrets each time you watch it. In many ways it makes a nice change to not be bludgeoned over the head with Too Much Activity Obscuring The Plot Points™, but short of sequel ret-cons or back-referencing, it means that Deadpool has said pretty much all it has to say the first time you sit waiting for the end-of-credits scene.
And as much as I love this movie (I do, despite the picking apart I'm about to embark upon), it was this second-pass which highlighted a few of the cracks that were masked by the film's novelty the first time around. Whether Sunday night's audience just weren't as hyped as Wednesday's, the laughter wasn't as vociferous and the 'laugh-gaps' in the film become more apparent. The same can also be said of the classic-jukebox soundtrack, much of which is listened to in-movie resulting in a pretty firm nod towards Guardians of the Galaxy that also cuts down slightly on the cost of scoring the film. I'd been a little unclear on Wade's transformation, too, until a re-watch confirmed that yes, they basically just inject him with an accelerant then torture him until his mutant DNA kicks in. We aren't shown any scanning for traces of mutant DNA before that, so is it safe to assume that everyone has it, to some extent? So this process could apply to pretty much everybody? Really? Okay then.
The thing which really stuck out however, was what a sub-par villain Ed Skrein's Ajax (aka Francis) is. Not withstanding the fact that The Transporter Refuelled" is still making me be sick in my own mouth, the role itself seems to have been hastily sketched in at the last moment, never mind Skrein's inability to do much interesting with it. Don't get me wrong, he'd make a more than passable henchman (this portrayal and the actor), but he's just not boss-material here. Although is he more cringe-inducing than The Wolverine's Viper? Well of course not.
No, this movie is Deadpool's show in name and in spirit, and if that means eclipsing almost everybody else on-screen, then we should have been expecting that anyway, right? The movie has scored the goal which Marvel missed with Punisher and Ghost Rider, and made a fun, exciting flick for older (if not necessarily more mature) audiences. Then again, the central character is a creation of the 90s, and so isn't hampered with the baggage many heroes bring to the screen with them. Most importantly, Deadpool is a positive which more than cancels out the negative of last year's Fantastic Four reboot, but potentially sets the bar unfeasibly high for Fox's other Marvel output. Time will tell.
Superheroes appeal to us because they show us what we could be without our limitations, and dare us to aspire to that even with them.
And if we're allowed to have super-powers and still make dick-jokes all the time?
Even better…
As much as you'll scoff at this, X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Yes.
Yes.
Ryan's on spectacular form, everybody else just about keeps up.
Oh, maybe a little.
I'm not hearing one.
Level 2: Deadpool features Gina Carano, who starred in Haywire alongside Ewan 'Kenobi' McGregor.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Deadpool (Spoiler-free)
Cert: 15 / 108 mins / Dir. Tim Miller / Trailer
The wait is over and like it or loathe it, Ryan Reynolds' previous outing as Wade Wilson has been well and truly scrubbed from the cinematic bathtub. With much anticipation and much promotional buzz, Deadpool lands in our cinemas with a crunch, a squelch and a scathing throwaway comment punctuated with profanities.
Yep, the red-band trailer wasn't exaggerating and the X-Men's longtime comic antagonist struts through his own movie with a potty mouth and more bloodstains than you can throw a bottle of Vanish at. The film is never exploitative, but it mixes the throwaway sass of Guardians of the Galaxy and the caustic edge of Kingsman with sociopathic glee, and it earns that 15 Certificate in no uncertain terms.
And of course Deadpool wouldn't be Deadpool without a little fourth-wall-breaking, which is undertaken regularly - if sparingly - and completely in the film's stride. There are also plethora of barbs thrown towards super-heroes generally, the X-Men franchise, the larger Marvel universe over the fence and even a couple at DC for good measure (although the Fantastic Four appear to escape a ribbing ~ maybe those wounds are still a little raw for Fox?).
But the film isn't entirely snark, it's also a ridiculous amount of fun. Visceral and adrenaline-fuelled, but fun. There are segments which are humorous and ones which are action-packed. The two tend to have a little trouble meeting in the middle ground, but whichever is being presented to the audience, the screenplay makes sure that no-one will be bored at any rate. Reynolds is fantastic with and without the mask (and with and without the scar-makeup), and is aided by a great supporting cast. Even Ed 'Transporter Re-tooled' Skrein is bearable, so the film must be doing something right.
The business-end:
• Is there a Wilhelm Scream? See below.
• Is there a Stan Lee cameo? Yes.
• Is there a mid-credits scene? No.
• Is there a post-credits scene?Yes.
More punch than most action flicks, funnier than any comedy in recent memory and with the most down-to-earth super-powers you've seen since Cap' beat the crap out of a deck-full of mercenaries using his shield, Deadpool is utterly magnificent.
X-Men: Apocalypse really has its work cut out now, since the brazen attitude of this film makes the serious-nature of its stablemate look even more camp...
Not that I heard, but I spent a significant amount of time either guffawing, gasping or wincing.
Have you heard one in there? Lemme know in the box below ;)
Level 2: Deadpool is portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, of course, who 'played for the other team' in 2011's Green Lantern alongside Temuera 'Jango Fett' Morrison.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
