New film review #21: Deadpool (10th Feb 2016 for UK, 12th Feb 2016 for USA)

Image source: http://www.themarysue.com/deadpool-film-set-photos/

When I heard way back in early 2015 that Marvel were actually going ahead with a proper Deadpool film unlike the awful portrayal of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009, Marvel & Dune Entertainment).  It probably helps for my hype and hope for this film that Deadpool happens to be one of my favourite comic book heroes constantly flitting between morally relatable downtrodden hero and perpetually bloodthirsty 4th wall breaking pop-culture quoting machine.  In regards to that point, Deadpool marks himself out from other pop-culture-quoting characters in comic books and movies by having somewhat more niche and obscure pop-culture references.  To some this might seem a bit exhausting at times but for me personally it adds that little edge of character to Deadpool on top of the self-awareness and bloodlust like a big lump of vanilla ice cream on top of a self-saucing triple-chocolate fudge brownie.

So the plot...uh...there really isn't much of one if I'm honest.  This doesn't mean that the plot of the film Deadpool is bad to any real extent and is quite frankly a decent plot with good pacing to help along the simplicity of the film's storytelling.  Wade Wilson is a former special ops operative who turns himself into a mercenary/dirty deeds fella-for-hire after he returns to the streets of the USA and begins a heart-warming relationship with the stripper-bar server with a heart of gold Vanessa (Morena Baccarin).  After beginning his burgeoning relationship with Vanessa, Wade is tragically diagnosed with prostate cancer in one of the most tasteful and emotional scenes showing the effects of cancer in film or TV I can remember in most films.  He goes through several means to cure himself before settling on a secretly-funded bio-weapons programme run by the sinister Ajax (Ed Skrein) who saves Wade from his cancer while giving him superhuman strength, reflexes and regenerative capabilities while unfortunately turning him into a full-body map of scars and burns in the process.  Naturally this leads Deadpool into a rut of emotion who then goes into hiding for several years before hunting down Ajax in order to seek revenge.

Image source: http://movieplayer.it/news/deadpool-ed-skrein-nel-film-sara-ajax_34976/

This might seem like its more complex than I initially made it out to be but the plot is really quite simple.  In an age where superhero films usually tie themselves down with backstories up the arse and dump themselves down with extensive and complex explanations for character motives, its surprisingly refreshing to have a story with an unconventional main character for the genre and have said backstory and narrative be as simple as possible to accentuate the character's emotions and motivation.  In this sense I can understand what people are saying when they say that the story and narrative of Deadpool is somewhat simple and straightforward but the film as a whole is self-aware and confident in itself enough so that this doesn't really become a major problem.  Sure it does seem like the narrative is a bit streamlined even compared to straightforward films like Ant-Man (2015, Marvel Studios) but with enough self-confidence and well-made storytelling, Deadpool hurdles over this roadblock with all the acrobatics that Deadpool flips over cars with dual 9mm hand cannons in this film.

I've also heard people saying that the film ruins the character of Deadpool with the sexualisation of so many of the characters in Deadpool's life as well as himself and that the film straight up ruins Deadpool's character with the supposed psychotic self-awareness of the character.  Considering the psychopathy and sexualisation in the original comics I highly doubt that these people have actually read those comics not to mention totally misunderstanding the point of Deadpool not only as a film character but also as a focal point within the universe of Marvel comics itself.  Deadpool has always been the go-to-guy for sex jokes, 4th-wall breaks and self-deprecation and so I feel that this film, while somewhat gratuitous with the 4th-wall breaks and sheer wackiness, is more than able to understand and properly portray Deadpool as shown originally in the comics.

Image source: http://mynerfherder.com/2012/11/23/five-superheroes-that-need-their-own-film/

Deadpool for one is probably the best character in this film with Ryan Reynolds more than making up for his lacklustre show as the character in the aforementioned 2009 release X-Men Origins: Wolverine not to mention showing that he can actually play a good part of a superhero despite the tragedy that was Green Lantern (2011, DC Comics & Warner Bros Studios).  Reynolds easily puts in the most comedic role of his career so far and is more than charming and paired up with Baccarin's heartfelt and romantic performance not to mention a stirling voice-acting performance from Stefan Kapicic as the X-man Collossus (who like Deadpool I'd put in my top 5 favourite comic book characters).  With a number of other stirling performances I'd say that Deadpool has a superb supporting cast.  The only performance I really could criticise to any real extent would be Ed Skrein as Ajax and even then, his somewhat generically tough 'I'll smack u in the face mate' British villain persona is surprisingly well performed by Mr Skrein who despite the somewhat generic performance and dialogue is capable at times of really brining the common and stereotypical British villain of Hollywood to life in a plainly charming way.

As for the action, well I won't spoil it too much as its kind of the other crux for the central story aside from the bizarre flashbacks and 4th-wall breaks but it really is excellent with the action being neither too violent for a younger audience (although that isn't really a big problem for me considering my favourite film is Robocop (1987, Paul Verhoeven)) while also being bloody enough that psychos and fans of the Deadpool comics like myself can still revel in the savagery on show.  The 4th-wall breaks might get a bit tiresome after a while but they're in such plentiful array and variation and considering the breakneck pace of the tone and story of the film, I never tired too much at all of these really.  In fact, I don't even think that the film had a 4th wall put in there in the first place, its really just a gaping hole filled by Reynold's and by extension Deadpool's innumerable wit and charm.

So considering that any further explanation of the film would delve dangerously into spoiler territory I think I'll conclude here.  So...is the film worth seeing?  To quote my best friend "

Sex, violence, nudity, profanity. All in all I'm gonna say FUCKING BRILLIANT!" (Brendan Mugadzaweta, 14th Feb).  I really can't say much more than that, the film fires on all cylinders in terms of jokes, sex, violence and storytelling but also has one of the most nuanced, real and relatable love stories I've possibly ever seen in a superhero film and possibly in any comic book film of all time.  Deadpool himself is a joy as portrayed by Reynolds and despite my criticisms of the good Mr Skrein earlier, he also makes a good counter and foil in this regard as Ajax.  With the only solid critique of him being that like most Marvel Cinematic Universe villains, he seems to be thrown away at the end and used just as a crux for this one film.  Even then however, the film is more than capable of standing on its own two feet without reverence to the rest of Marvel's huge film project as either a romance, comedy or action flick.  Go see this as a Deadpool, comics, violence or romance fan or hell, even as a late-valentines day treat and I guarantee you will not go hungry for entertainment.

Cinematography/Camerawork: 7.5/10

Acting: 8.25/10

Story/Plot/Writing: 8/10

Action/Set-pieces/Key moments: 7/10

Direction, lighting and music: 8.5/10

OVERALL RATING: Like a half a kilo of pork ribs on a bed of chips covered in gravy and topped with a showering of grated cheddar after half a dozen pints and just before a vodka shots challenge, you might feel like this is bad for you but this doesn't matter because its just too fucking glorious.

New film review #9: The Wolverine

Remember what I said a couple of posts ago in my review of Man of Steel that the longer a film franchise goes on then the more likely it is to have as many stinkers as well as golden nuggets?  Well the X-men film franchise owned by Fox studios is an anomaly in this sense. When the X-men film franchise first started out way back in 2000 with X-Men (duh, what else?) the first few films of the franchise namely between X-Men and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) were generally a bit shit like Halle Berry's puns in the first film or the over-the-top twists and deaths in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).  But oddly enough, much like the Resident Evil film franchise, the X-Men film franchise seems to be slowly learning from its mistakes and becoming slowly better beginning with that one helicopter scene in Origins through X-Men: First Class (2011) and onwards to the recent release of the second film centred around Hugh Jackman's trademark Marvel comics character.

Now in comparison to the other X-Men films, does this one show as much moving forwards and improvement of the franchise as much as X-Men: First Class?  Hell no.  Seriously, this might be the best film of the franchise yet but that is purely based off of how well the film was made and acted.  Unlike First Class, The Wolverine adds noticeably less new concepts in terms of character development to the film in regards to all of the characters.  Don't get me wrong now boys and girls, there are a huge few concepts thrown into this film which have really fleshed out the film version of the character Wolverine and one after the credits which may have considerable implications for the rest of the X-Men film universe characters.  But in sharp contrast, First Class fleshed out characters that covered a more diverse range of personalities than the characters in this flick with wider implications for the series in later instalments.

Fortunately in comparison to previous X-Men films though, this one has a plot that isn't unnecessarily long-winded or bogged down by too many token back-stories.  Therefore, not only is the plot allot simpler but also allows for an action/adventure flick that is far easier to follow than say X2 (2003).  As the film starts, we are introduced to Logan (AKA Wolverine or as I like to call him 'Mr Kebab stick hands') and a Japanese soldier named Yashida who is saved by our clawed, sweary and later-Batman-esque gruff Canadian soldier in the midst of the atomic explosion at Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War.  Years later, Wolverine is a social and emotional outcast in rural mid-America after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand while Yashida has become the most well-recognised technology manufacturer in all of Japan.  As Wolverine accepts one final request from his old comrade to say goodbye to Yashida before he dies Wolverine soon realises that Yashida is not resigned to death as he might expect but wants to do a two-way deal in which Yashida gets Wolverine's slowed-ageing while Wolverine will be able to live out the rest of his life at a normal pace.  This soon all goes to pot however as Yashida is seemingly murdered and Wolverine is forced to go on the run with his emotionally fragile granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto) all the while running from a shady organisation that employs a mixture of ninjas, yakuza clansmen and a rather pointless side villain named Viper played by the adept Svetlana Khodchenkova (yeah I can't pronounce her name properly either).  And from here on out we experience a set of events that bring our heroes to the action-packed climax with a surprising amount of formulaic plot-lining yet surprising amount of excitement as Wolverine once more pits himself against legions of overconfident foes albeit with a greater sense of vulnerability this time round.

Yes that is the one thing that surprised me about The Wolverine and that is like Pacific Rim, The Wolverine has a formulaic plot and set of events that lead to equally formulaic character development and an equally formulaic climax, yet is all surprisingly entertaining to watch when it all comes together in the end much like a fried breakfast that took you four hours to make yet tastes like it was made by the hands of Zeus, Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver combined.  Perhaps this in accordance to the fact that as I mentioned earlier, Hugh Jackman has become so associated with the role of Wolverine in the film industry over the last 13 years that he now is not only able to show us how good an actor he is by playing a character that can simultaneously be an emotional drawing board and powerhouse but also show us how much he understands the characteristics of this iconic Marvel comics character.  In turn, this is one of the film's main strengths in the sense that Jackman clearly knows how to play Wolverine so well and does so against the backdrop of a roster of characters that we have only just met and so have all the time in the world to get to know that creates a medley of character developments that go together like a grilled halloumi cheese salad and onion marmalade.

But whereas the storyline might not be as deliciously balanced between action and political/historical gravitas as X-Men: First Class, I personally think that the action has taken a notable improvement balancing between fast-paced, pitched battle and angry-Canadian-mutant VS giant-motherfucking-silver samurai-robot.  On one hand, the one-on-one fights throughout the film convey a sense of ultimatum, usually happening as is the case with other films like this one, when two characters of both or either emotional or plot-line importance face off against each other in a clash to the end.  This is interestingly smoothly contrasted against the clashes between Wolverine and legions of foes in fights where the now-vulnerable Wolverine must use wits and speed as well as his characteristic berserker rage to defeat the enemy whether it be at an old friend's funeral in the midst of hundreds of innocent people or atop a bullet train travelling at hundreds of miles an hour.  The one exception to this is the disappointing clash between Wolverine and a clan of Ninjas in an urban tundra town that just screams of similarities to the final set in 13 Assassins (2010) which was given considerable gravitas in the film's trailers yet divulges into a moment of savage clarity where Wolverine takes down a single squad of baddies then runs away like a total idiot thus exposing himself to massed poisoned-arrow fire.

And much like this scene, the flaws of the film really stuck out in my throat like when I first played the space-faring-ship-flying shoot 'em' up game Freelancer (2003) and came across that forsaken and blood-vein-popping race level.  For the most part, and thankfully unlike Man Of Steel, these flaws are not too striking and pretty much just apply to the continuity of the world of the X-Men film franchise.  For example, Wolverine is clearly able to remember the events at Nagasaki that brought him and Yashida together but this is overshadowed by exposition in X2 that explains that Wolverine had his memory entirely taken from him when he was shot many years after WW2 with a bullet encased in the metal Adamantium in the head thus making the flashbacks to WW2 in The Wolverine a little bit niggling to the conscience of X-Men fans.  As I also mentioned earlier, the side villain called Viper seems a little out of place and while she is played adeptly by Khodchenkova, proved to be a character that simply rubbed me up the wrong way as I never really enjoyed her presence on screen as I perhaps should have done.  Also as mentioned earlier, the scene between Wolverine and the ninja clan near the end is just about as disappointing as the entire Michael Bay Transformers movie franchise (at least albeit without horrible sexualisation of women and wholly awful special effects).

But discounting this, the film on the whole is actually pretty damn good.  It might not have the same level of maturity and historical reference in the plot as in X-Men: First Class or the same level of epic gravitas in the action as in X-Men: The Last Stand but at the very least, the action is most certainly the crowning glory of the film (especially the ball-grabingly awesome train fight scene) with its excellent juxtaposing while the plot is pleasantly easy to follow while including some twists at the end and after the credits (seriously, by now it should be a given that everyone stays after the credits at a Marvel comics film) that genuinely made me feel like doing a dramatic turn like I'm a character out of the American soap The Bold and the Beautiful (1987-present).

So in conclusion, I definitely think that this film, much like First Class before it, shows that the X-Men film franchise is most certainly heading in the right direction after the debacles of X-Men, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (I know that many dislike X2 but bite me, I like it and I care less than I do about The Bold and the Beautiful).  The action is well-paced with great juxtaposition which also applies to the plot which is as pleasantly simple yet enjoyable as a foot-long meatball sub sandwich with cheese and the twists at the end just at chocolate frosting that is the indulgent crème caramel that The Wolverine is. I will say one perhaps dark and prophetic last point though, is there much room for the franchise left to go?  Because that seems increasingly the question on my mind.

Ratings:

Plot: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Action: 9/10
Overall rating: 24/30