By Owen Paiva – Staff Reporter

While he may not be the most well known Marvel character, the Merc with a Mouth has built up a sizable following. Go to any conventions and there will be people dressed up as Deadpool. Deadpool is a unique character as he frequently breaks the fourth wall (talks directly to the audience) and is aware he is a fictional character. He is a mercenary, but his power is a healing factor. He is able to grow back body parts, survive gunshots, etc. His humor and wit, may not be a superpower, but it is one of his strengths. Deadpool is one of the funniest characters, who is as quick with a joke as he is with his weapons. The movie portrays the origin of Deadpool, but is not as boring as standard origin specials. He gets his powers, and is out for vengeance. Going into the film, viewers should expect to be entertained as they follow Deadpool on his mission.

This is a rare gem where the writing, acting, and directing is all brilliant. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick crafted the script with care, understanding the strengths of the character and having a field day with it. The focus of the movie is more on the character of Deadpool himself, and this only helps it. Ryan Reynolds was born to play this role. This is a rare perfect match; maybe Harrison Ford as Han Solo could be a close second, but other than that, no casting choice has been so spot on. Reynolds wanted to get this movie made and pushed for it. Tim Miller also shined on his directorial debut, laying out the movie in a way that breaks away from the norm.

The supporting cast was also great with T.J. Miller as Weasel, Deadpool’s best friend and bar owner. He played off Deadpool so well, with one particular sequence after Deadpool gains his power. Morena Baccarin is also a great supporting character, that you grow to care for. Deadpool is in the X-Men universe, and two X-Men feature. Colossus, in the best movie portrayal yet, is the straight man, and Deadpool plays this so well. Newcomer, Negasonic Teenage Warhead is another gem, especially her conversations with Deadpool.

This movie has a lot going for it. The jokes hit more often than not, Deadpool is the star of the show, and does not fail to disappoint. The jokes start from the opening credits, all the way to the end. The supporting cast is fantastic, and the relationships feel natural. Deadpool references other movies and pop culture, but does it in a genius way. The soundtrack is also amazing, with one joke particularly playing off of this.  Most origin stories start off boring, but the first sequence of “Deadpool” thrills with action and laughs.

The movie suffers from having a low budget compared to other superhero films. It did the best it could with $58 million. The villain is not particularly notable, and his main cohort, Angel Dust, is also not too notable, causing some of the action scenes to suffer. One particular scene seemed a little floaty. This is not too distracting, but hopefully a bigger budget will be on the cards for the sequel.

This movie was at the forefront of the debate of can R-rated movies be profitable. $619.3 million later proves that it can. R-rated movies, especially comic adaptations can be profitable and really good. Rumors are swirling with the next Wolverine movie, that it will be R-rated. Certain characters like Wolverine will benefit from this, since they have the ability to do more with it. This is a very good move for the studios because now they will be more willing to make these R-rated features. There even was this conversation over “Star Wars” as director Matthew Vaughn was offered the director’s role, but turned it down due to the studio not allowing it to be R-rated. This also stirred up rumors that some of the anthology films, mainly the Han Solo and Boba Fett movies could be R-rated, and have a darker tone. “Deadpool” opened the door for more R-rated movies that follow.

“Deadpool” was worth every penny and was extremely entertaining. With a 8.5/10 rating on IMDB and a 84% (Certified Fresh) rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 93% of the audience liking it, “Deadpool” has the ratings to stand on.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars