If at first you don’t succeed try, try again! That seems to be the mantra for upcoming move ‘Deadpool’, with Ryan Reynolds having another crack at the character he first played seven years ago.
He first appeared as Wade Wilson/Deadpool in’ X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ back in 2009 and fans were left disappointed at how the character was treated. He was completely different than the character in the comic and even had his mouth sewn shut, meaning his trademark remarks were gone.
He is a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary who is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.
Ryan (39) is in need of a hit after a number of flops like ‘Green Lantern’ in 2011, ‘RIPD’ in 2013 alongside Jeff Bridges, as well as ‘Blade Trinity’ in 2004 which spelled the end of the franchise. He has fared better in comedy roles, although ‘Buried’ and ‘Safe House’ did well.
Deadpool is known as ‘The Merc with the Mouth’ and Ryan is harnessing his comedy side from films he has been in such as Van Wilder. The character came to life in 1995 and is relatively unknown compared to such ones as Spiderman so it does present a hard sell.
There has been a huge amount of quirky promotion ongoing for the film but this might prove its undoing because it is leaving some wondering what on earth it is about. Is it a superhero movie? Is it a comedy?
Upon watching the trailer I feel that they are trying too hard to show that this is an ‘adult’ superhero movie. The humour in it seems to be bordering on the ridiculous. We get that he gives wisecracks but what more can the story offer? The movie ‘Kick-Ass’ and its sequel already skilfully dealt with the funny side of the superhero genre
They are going for an origin story with this one. In the trailer Deadpool says, “This is a different kind of superhero story. To tell it right I need to take you back before I squeezed this ass into spandex.” In the trailer we are shown how Wade Wilson is diagnosed with terminal cancer and it jumps to him being offered a chance at life.
“What if I say we can cure you and give you the abilities you never dreamed off?” he is asked. Of course he goes through the procedure but his good looks are gone and he is left scarred.
Also starring in the film as Angel Dust is MMA fighter Gina Carana who is making a dent in the movie industry. She is in the upcoming remake of ‘Kickboxer’ alongside original star Jean Claude Van Damme, and has appeared in such films as ‘Fast and the Furious 6’ and ‘Haywire.’
Morena Baccarin of ‘Homeland’ fame is playing Vanessa Carlysle who is Wade’s loving girlfriend. Vanessa is also ‘Copycat’, a superhero in Marvel comics who is a former member of X-Force. How much of that character we will see remains to be revealed. The film opens on 10th February.