Deadpool

Allow me, Deadpool - Marvel's most unusual and definitely foul-mouthed superhero. Having already made a small, rather inglorious appearance in Wolverine, he's finally getting his own movie, which this anti-hero really deserved a long time ago. Tim Miller's directorial debut tells the story of former mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), who is about to change his life for the love of his life, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), when he learns he has terminal cancer. In desperation, he allows himself to be persuaded by a mysterious stranger to undergo a very special treatment that would not only cure his cancer, but also mutate him into a superhero. But in the hands of the sadistic Ajax (Ed Skrein), he must endure unimaginable tortures that would leave him horribly disfigured and ultimately dead. But at the last moment, he manages to escape and henceforth vows revenge. As Deadpool, he hides his scars under a mask and hunts down his tormentors in a red latex suit and with a loose mouth. Because they have taken away not only his good looks, but also the possibility of living happily with Vanessa. And for that, he's in for a real treat.

In the 2009 X-Men spin-off Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds made his first appearance as Wade Wilson. But that character's potential was completely wasted here when they decided to sew Deadpool's mouth shut. As a result, he was relegated to a mute footnote in an already somewhat disappointing film, something this beloved anti-hero really didn't deserve. Reynolds himself has been fighting for a long time to finally get Deadpool his own movie, one that would live up to the irreverent tone of the comic book template. And the wait has been worth it. Because with Deadpool, director Tim Miller presents an extremely amusing, delightfully over-the-top brutal and pleasantly inappropriate contribution to the ever-expanding Marvel universe.

Admittedly, the humor is a bit special. The opening credits are extremely ingenious and show that the film doesn't take itself, its genre or its makers too seriously. In addition, some of the gags go to a great meta level when Deadpool makes fun of the studio, X-Men actors or Ryan Reynolds, sometimes speaking directly to the audience. The wordplay, which thankfully translates very well into German, is sometimes a bit crude, then again downright clever and often really funny. Only now and then the whole thing overshoots the mark, becomes unnecessarily raunchy or a bit too shallow to be able to provide a hearty laugh. But the successful moments are here absolutely in the majority, which makes the film a great pleasure.

As a superhero film Deadpool can also convince in terms of action. When Deadpool takes on the bad guys, body parts do fly around the viewer's ears - but it's all so mercilessly over-the-top that the 16+ FSK rating, while a little surprising, ends up being perfectly fine. There are other aspects of the film besides the humor and action where it works very well. For example, Reynolds and Morena Baccarin have perfect chemistry and although their love story isn't exactly told in a brave Hollywood manner, it is very romantic in its own special way. You can tell what Vanessa Wade means, which then makes even the more dramatic scenes seem very believable. So it is also skillfully prevented that the film degenerates completely to the Klamotte.

All this sounds like a very big cinema pleasure. And Deadpool is - with some point deductions in the B grade. For instance, Ed Skrein as chief villain Ajax is just too colorless and uninteresting to be a real threat. His sidekick Angel Dust aka Gina Carano (Fast & Furious 6, Haywire) is great, but he himself is probably the weakest part of this film. And then finally, there's the X-Men Colossus, a completely CGI-animated character who doesn't quite convince either. So the overall impression is not lasting, but at least a little bit tarnished. In the end, Deadpool is extremely entertaining action cinema with a wonderful anti-hero. No absolute cult film that revolutionizes the genre, but at least the world of cinema superheroes with a good portion of fresh wind. Absolutely worth seeing - and really nothing for children!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp