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Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead walking next to Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. Picture: 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film
What happens when you make a superhero (even if the lead character argues he’s no hero) film and combine a brilliant screenplay with a lead actor and a director – who not only are passionate fans of the original comic but . . . – are simply perfect for the job? Well . . . something like Deadpool may turn up.
Ryan Reynolds plays the lead character “Wade” or perhaps more accurately first name “Dead,” surname “Pool.” Reynolds has a long list of comedies, dramas and action flicks in his resume and has even played Wade Wilson (Deadpool) before in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). He has also obtained previous superhero-experience as Green Lantern in the self-titled movie in 2011 but the movie itself is a far cry from Deadpool in terms of quality. Reynolds, however, is a truly funny guy. And the jokes in Deadpool just tickle my fancy.

Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the superhero character who just can’t stop cracking jokes. Picture: 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film
The film opens with plenty of action and gay-sounding jokes, Reynolds delivering them with a somewhat caricature accent making the viewer wonder if we have actually have a gay superhero on the screen. Nothing wrong with that, and even groundbreaking perhaps . . . .
It turns out that Deadpool is actually pansexual. “DP brain cells are in CONSTANT FLUX. He can be gay one minute, hetero the next, etc. ALL ARE VALID,” tweeted Fabian Nicieza, one of the creators of the original comic character, after being bombarded with questions of the hero’s sexuality. Yeah, after subjected to a rogue experiment, Deadpool obtains accelerated healing powers, hence the constant flux. Shoot the guy in his spandex-covered ass and the butthole will heal itself.
Deadpool is director Tim Miller’s debut. He’s originally an American animator and a visual effects artist, who has an Oscar-nominated animated film Gopher Broke (2004) under his belt.
Reynolds and Miller actually spent 11 years to find a studio, which would greenlight their passion project. After someone leaked test footage from Deadpool, the fans’ reaction, according to Reynolds, was so strong that 20th Century Fox had no choice but to invest in the movie.
The screenplay is written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and involves many twists and turns and even breaking of the fourth wall, a tool, you rarely see in use.
The action scenes feature plenty of well-choreographed martial arts, even brutal scenes with plenty of blood and madness.
Overall, Deadpool delivers a total package of entertainment, hard laughter and cliché-avoiding scenes that won’t leave the viewer with a fish in hand.
Deadpool opens in cinemas on February 12.