Verdict:
Look, comedy is hard. Action comedy is especially hard, and Deadpool is a dark comedy comic book hero. It should not be surprising that the movie based on him can be witless at times. There are some jokes that are genuinely funny, but many of them are just dumb.
The quality of a joke is in the eye of the beholder, but the life expectancy of a joke depends on its relevance and the humour in Deadpool is very centred on pop-culture, referencing various celebrities, obscure movies, and superhero characters, which means that this movie is not going to be nearly as enjoyable a few years from now.
It is not only the humour but the whole movie feels that like it is only meant to exist and be enjoyed now. The X-men academy and the characters from the X-men universe show up without much introduction because the film expects you to know those things, which in turn makes this movie feel like a page between some two other bigger superhero productions. What’s going to happen to all these movies, once the whole superhero multiverse hype goes away in a few years from now?
On top of its insubstantial relevance, Deadpool has issues that are endemic to superhero movies and are really starting to get annoying. Why does Deadpool put so much effort in trying to avoid bullets, considering that his superpower is immortality? How did one of the characters, who is not a superhero, manage to survive what should clearly be a fatal fall? Do we really need another “I got your girl” villain? Maybe this is now accepted by audiences, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
This viewer read a few Deadpool comic books and has been a fan since before he was cool. I thought those comics were genuinely funny. Perhaps it’s this light fandom I have that made me cringe at the movie from time to time. Did they get the character right? Well, the 4th wall breaking is technically there, and the dark comedy is technically there and the general concept is all there, but this film is really just Two Guys, a Girl and a Deadpool Place. It’s not just Deadpool but Ryan Raynold’s goofy Deadpool. It’s Marvel factory’s Deadpool.
I realise this review is coming off rather negative. Could Deadpool be better? Yes, the jokes could be less corny, the camera work during the action could be clearer, the fighting choreography could be less nonsensical and less reliant on CG, some of the plot points could be less cliché. But it could’ve also been much worse if this movie came out in the 90s. The various issues Deadpool has don’t break it. The Deadpool himself looks on point.
I found it to be less enjoyable for the comedy and more for just being a polished superhero movie. The acting is good, if you do not mind Ryan Reynolds’ delivery. The chemistry between characters is good; The villain is shallow but surprisingly charismatic. The action looks cool, if you don’t try to overanalyse it like I do.