An edgy return for X-Men series

Deadpool (English)

Director: Tim Miller

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapièiæ, Leslie Uggams

Even if you are not a hard core fanboy, the title sequence would give you a clue about

Deadpool ’s edgy DNA — the cast includes a “sulky teenager”, a “gratuitous cameo” and a “British villain”! The eighth instalment in the X-Men film series, Deadpool tells the story of anti-hero Wade Wilson who fights cancer and emerges a slightly insane, terribly scarred superhero with a cool sense of humour.

So Wade is this ex-Special Forces guy who is now a mercenary. He meets and falls in love with an escort, Vanessa, and just when life seems a bed of roses, he discovers he has cancer.

A shady Agent Smith-type person offers him help and introduces him to Ajax, who is your standard-issue raving psychopath with a British accent and mean superpowers. Horrific experiments and terrible torture follow and they leave Wade cured, but with a face “like an avocado had sex with an older avocado”. He swears revenge on Ajax and all sorts of merry mayhem follows.

Most of the funny lines are unprintable and the censors played spoilsport by beeping them out.

Tim Miller, who did the title sequence for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, makes an assured directorial debut. Ryan Reynolds plays the lead character and was apparently attracted to the project after learning that ‘Deadpool’ refers to his appearance as “Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar-Pei.”

Morena Baccarin brings tough love as Vanessa. Ed Skrein, who we last saw as Frank Martin in that sad Transporter reboot plays the insane Ajax. T.J. Miller is the best friend Weasel while Brianna Hildebrand is the Negasonic Teenage Warhead.

Wait for the credits to roll for the customary Marvel post-credit sequence. The tone of the movie felt kind of confused — edgy but not pushing the envelope far enough, which is thanks to the censors who have chopped off the extreme language, violence and sex. The other worrying thing is if edgy becomes mainstream, the electric underground runs the risk of turning vanilla. The horror of it!

— Mini Anthikad Chhibber