Superhero Media: Deadpool

Right up until the moment I was watching Deadpool in the cinema, I was really apprehensive about it, suspecting that it may just turn out to be trash, despite how good the cast was and how fun the trailer looked. You see, I'm old enough to remember a world where Deadpool comics were not often great, where the character was annoying and not well liked; I remember Deadpool being garbage. So I didn't believe the hype, I didn't care all that much if I could help it, and I tried not to hope too hard that Deadpool might actually be good. Thankfully, Deadpool was not only good, but turned out to be one of the better solo X-Men film outings, keeping true to the character, but not letting too many of the more tiresome elements bleed through. I don't think that anyone who didn't grow up with '90s X-Men family comics can understand just how ubiquitous and tiresome The Merc with a Mouth was for a few years there. One of the best decisions the filmmakers made with Deadpool was to keep it small and just do something quick and fast, like a microwave chimichanga. 

Keeping things small, Deadpool makes sure to check all the Superhero Movie boxes, with an origin, references to the broader franchise and sequel teases, all with a blase and irreverent tone that teenage boys will love. That's the trick that Deadpool pulls well, in that the film isn't actually a meta-criticism of the superhero genre, or a deconstruction, it's a standard Superhero film with a sarcastic tone and more swearing, pretending to be a clever deconstruction. Add to that basic, but somewhat clever conceit, a solid script, plenty of good actors and the intent to make a fun film, rather than meeting fan expectations or directly adapting comics. Deadpool isn't even all that beholden to the other X-Men films, with Colossus, the X-Wing Jet and even the X-Mansion all looking a little different from their last appearances in Days of Future Past and The Wolverine. The addition of Negasonic Teenage Warhead was probably the most brilliant choice of the film, having a jaded character for Deadpool to bounce off who is already tired of his shit before he starts. I hope she makes it to the MCU at some stage. 

Probably my favouite part of Deadpool is Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, I don't know how they got her, but she's the funniest character in the film and a good update on the tiresome version of the comics, which was just a parody of the already tiresome Aunt May from Silver Age comics. It's a little cheap in places, parts seem to have been rushed to finish last minute and the studio had no confidence in it, but, somehow, Deadpool works, it comes together into an enjoyable film. When I crack open some early '90s X-Men and see how tiresome the character used to be, I'm actually amazed how good the film turned out, even after watching it several times and seeing the sequel, it exists somehow on the edge of my perception, as a goal that can never quite be achieved, even when it stares me in the face. It will be interesting to see how Deadpool is integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I'm sure it will be a fine film, but how they balance the tone and if he may appear in crossover films, remains to be seen.