Aggressive Asinine Anti-hero Amazes Again!

(Before reading any further into this review, I strongly recommend you read my thoughts on the first one here)

I sometimes wonder if Fox appreciates how lucky they were to ultimately give Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds the chance to make Deadpool.  Especially when you take into account how little they did to get the film up and running, and stipulating things like the filmmakers were only allowed to use two X-Men.  It’s only because of R-rated takes on superheroes like this and Logan that Fox is even considered capable of being mentioned in the same sentence as Disney and Warner Brothers.

EBay

And, with Venom appearing to be their last chance, this applies doubly so for Sony.

Going by the trailers, it seemed that new director David Leitch and his crew knew what the fans wanted and were more than happy to oblige.  More fights, more explosions, more 4^th wall breaks, and, of course, Cable.  I don’t consider it much exaggeration to say that Cable & Deadpool  probably helped our regenerating degenerate get his foothold into Marvel readers’ good graces like he did in the early 2000s.

As expected of a sequel, there were plenty of elements in this film that played out like the first one.  To name a few:  the in-media-res start to the film, Deadpool stuck with baby-sized limbs as he heals up at Blind Al’s after a major fight on a busy road, Weasel’s outlandish analogies about Deadpool’s appearance, Deadpool and Vanessa reuniting as Wham! plays in the background (this time around it’s to a more somber rendition of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go), and a simplistically-drawn credits sequence.

Fortunately it wasn’t a total rehash, and brought in some new concepts as well.  I thought it was a bold choice bringing in his “seeking true death” motivation from the comics, as it lays bare just how miserable Deadpool can find his existence at times.  And as cliché as it may be to that the love interest dies in response to the protagonist fighting evil, I believe that something like Vanessa’s death in the opening was probably the quickest and most direct way to believably convey Deadpool’s desire to the viewer.

As opposed to, say, desiring to be with the universe’s manifestation of it (which was also Thanos’ motivation behind his actions in the original comics).

I was definitely pleased to see Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead return, and that we got to see more of their characters (NTW’s girlfriend and Colossus’ filling in for Cyclops’ by-the-(literal)-book foil).  Dupinder the cabbie also gets in on this character expansion, now serving as Deadpool’s self-proclaimed protégé (i.e., doing Weasel’s grunt work at the mercenary bar) and eagerly obsessively awaiting the day when he can fight alongside his idol.

VideoGameGenius

Although I doubt there’d be that many instances where “run the target over with your car” would be the best option.

And speaking of supporting characters, I’d be remiss if I forgot to talk about X-Force!  I definitely felt their scene was one of the better jokes in the movie, especially about how:  1) there are so many characters in the X-Men comics that four or five of them dying within five minutes of each other isn’t considered that great of a loss and 2) that details which most action films treat as minor (in this case wind direction and speed during a HALO jump) are actually quite significant.

EspirituAloha

I’d imagine that for any skydiving instructors watching this, it would be a rather unexpectedly pleasant validation of their work.

I definitely believe that this, including how of this first draft of X-Force it was Peter that had the second-most amount of interactions with Deadpool, was the filmmakers’ way of showing Fox that even though they had access to all these movie stars like Terry Crews (as Bedlam) and Brad Pitt (as The Vanisher), they didn’t need them in order for the audience to like the film – definitely a bold move on the filmmakers’ part!

Focusing now on the surviving member of X-Force Version 1.0, I would say that I was satisfied with Domino’s portrayal by Zazie Beetz, even though her appearance in the comics makes the name more appropriate.

Since “Die” would just be awkward, even though that name gives you a better sense of her probability-influencing power and deadliness.

Her scenes were definitely impressive to watch, and had some good back-and-forth with Deadpool about her power being real.  If they ever decide to have her show up again in any future X-Men films, one thing I’d propose would be to have her fight Longshot (since Mojoworld is clearly a thing after seeing Shatterstar’s pureed innards), just to see what kinds of crazy stuff would happen when two people that can manipulate probability to their favor fight each other.

Scoopnest

Maybe something like this, but with reality?

It was definitely interesting to contrast this performance by Josh Brolin against his in Avengers:  Infinity War.  For starters, his presence was far less overwhelming (naturally), but this only helps sell the sense that Cable is this grizzled bad-ass that had to fight every day to survive in his original timeline.   I was curious to see how much of the time-travel element of his (incredibly complex) backstory they were going to bring in, and was impressed that they not only kept it as a pretty significant part in this film but had him do it again at the end.  I definitely was satisfied with the job done regarding the audio-visual effects work of his cybernetic arm and futuristic arsenal – he had just enough to keep his fight scenes interesting, but not so much that it felt cartoonish; doubly so with keeping the number of them to a minimum, as opposed to his (occasionally mocked) portrayal in the comics.

Although when he shows up like this, it’s a little hard not to…

As a side-note, Cable saying his daughter’s name was “Hope” is a not-so-subtle nod to a story arc in one of his comic series.  There, though, his role was reversed so that he was the one protecting a mutant child against another time-travelling warrior trying to stop said child from manifesting its power.

Seriously, though, between these two and the Winter Soldier, is there a mechanical arm liquidator in the Marvel universe or something?

As far as the targeted teen and moral core of the story, Russell Collins, I thought the actor did a solid enough job portraying him, and definitely had a few funny moments.  However, I feel he and his character arc work better when viewed as Deadpool learning how much of an impact he can have on his fans, especially the younger ones who tend to focus on his irreverence, combat skills, and cool appearance.  I don’t feel it’s too much of a stretch to say that Russell exemplifies some significant negative traits associated with comic-book fans:  pasty-white, noticeably overweight, sub-par social skills, and overestimating how tough he actually is (as evidenced by thinking that 1) “Firefist” works as a nom-de-guerre and 2) genuinely believing he could fight head-on against someone like Black Tom Cassidy).

Sadly, they don’t bring in his laser-shooting shillelagh (or later being half-tree) from the comics.

Then, when you factor in his abuse at the hands (or cattle-prods, as the case is) of the school where he was sent in order to be made “correct,” it’s little wonder that Russell would so easily take Deadpool’s initial talk about people being crap, always looking out for yourself, dog-eat-dog world, etc., to heart and eventually become a mass-murdering madman who triggers the end of mutant-kind (somehow – Cable doesn’t elaborate all that much about it).  And this is before you factor in Cable’s steadfast belief that Russell can’t change; sadly, that kind of sentiment can be found here in the real world as well, specifically that maladjusted kids like Russell are innately bound to stay that way or get worse.

I feel that this is why during the climax, when he’s about to burn the headmaster of the school to a crisp, that Deadpool’s second talk to him about how he doesn’t have to become the monster everyone expects him to be and that there is enough good in life to make it worthwhile (to say nothing about literally dying for him) works in terms of both seriousness and sincerity and seamlessly carries over the 4^th wall to the viewers who can relate to those feelings being conveyed.  It also gives us the hope that, now that he has people in his life that see value in him, Russell will improve himself.

As a side note, I’m of the belief that the name of the Russell’s school is a reference to X-Men villain Nathaniel Essex (a.k.a. Mr. Sinister).

Because of these particular issues of Russell’s, I think the Juggernaut was absolutely the best choice for the film’s actual bad guy to stop.  Besides exemplifying how much better of a special-effects budget the filmmakers had this time around, it helps visualize Russell’s temptation to use his power to wreck society as payback for all of the rejection and suffering he’s gone through.  The Juggernaut himself even touches on this concept in one of his comic appearances from the early 2000s, where he’s fighting someone who stole his powers and remarks that being the Juggernaut is like being “an angry kid in a muscle suit.”

Although, to be fair, when your power derives from a godlike being that feeds on destruction, your options are somewhat limited to begin with.

One final thing related to the Juggernaut which I’d like to add – even though this connection is only superficial at best – is how this is not the first time that Ryan Reynolds has been involved with someone getting tased up the ass.

And going by that smile, I fear it may not be the last…

Much like the previous film, Deadpool 2 is a fun, violent romp, which shows that having people in your life whom you care about can make you be better more than you might think.  With great special effects and writing that doesn’t just bring back what you liked about the original but builds on it, I give this sequel 4 restored teddy-bears out of five.

Previews included:  Hotel Artemis, which shows that even criminals desire free healthcare; Mission Impossible:  Fallout, where Tom Cruise once again finds himself trying to outrun the US Government; The Equalizer 2, continuing to demonstrate to us that just because a man is old doesn’t mean he can’t kick ass; The First Purge, where we finally find out how such an outrageous concept got approved in the first place; Tag, where Jeremy Renner tries to avoid getting slapped by people; The Predator, which is taking us back to Earth after the previous entry in the series; Bohemian Rhapsody, a biopic about Freddie Mercury sure to get an Oscar nomination or two; Sorry to Bother You, which looks it might actually do something no film has yet done before (make telemarketers relatable); and The Happytime Murders, which appears to be a cross between Greg the Bunny and The Heat.

Deadpool’s Do-over is Downright Dope

“Capturing the zeitgeist” is a phrase that is frequently used to make something sound more important than it usually is, usually by marketing/advertising agencies trying to convince media buyers that they’re worth their commission.   However, there are occasions where the phrase is appropriate to use; one example I would put forward of this is Wade “Deadpool” Wilson.

Cue theme song.

Originally conceived in the 1990s as another gun-toting badass (and copy of DC villain Slade “Deathstroke the Terminator” Wilson), this character’s steadily risen to becoming a fan-favorite, showing up in various comic series, video games, and animations, to say nothing of the various clothes and memorabilia for sale of him.  This is due in part to the fact that, unlike most other Marvel characters that frequently grapple with serious personal and social dilemmas (e.g. Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men), most Deadpool stories were about him getting into and out of various kinds of misadventures where he would crack various jokes and pop-culture references in one panel and some goon’s skull in the next.

Marvel

Although I’d say in that specific case most Star Wars fans would consider that justifiable homicide.

Combine that with his frequent breaking of the fourth wall (a.k.a. where characters acknowledge they’re in a work of fiction), often done to poke fun at other works of not just Marvel but most literature as well, and you more or less have an adult version of Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck.  Because of this popularity, you would think that adapting a film version of the character would be a cake-walk, right?

I (and many other fans of the character) say that because of X-Men Origins:  Wolverine, specifically when and how he shows up in the last third of the film.  This is because, instead of a wise-cracking smart-aleck, we were given a voiceless lackey (because his mouth was surgically sealed) that sprouted blades from his arms and could shoot lasers from his eyes.  And even they though he eventually did break the fourth wall in that film, it was only a brief “Shhhh” to the audience at the end of the credits.

Fortunately, the opening scene in the Nigerian compound, at the very least, got across the basic idea of what the character was supposed to be like.  This is probably why Fox decided to keep Ryan Reynolds, who I thought did a decent portrayal for that scene, for their second stab (heh-heh) at the Merc with a Mouth.  This time, though, they were smart enough to have him 1) be the main character, 2) wear his iconic outfit and mask (instead of dark circles around his eyes and no mouth), and most importantly 3) letting him continue to talk after getting his super powers.

I also have to give Fox credit for how they advertised the film, including various parodies of movie posters and videos of Deadpool  talking about things like Australia Day and testicular and breast cancer awareness; after giving it some thought, this is actually quite appropriate considering how Deadpool actually HAS cancer.  They even lampoon Reynolds’ poster for the mediocre Green Lantern film (on a side note, I think he might be one of the few actors to star in both a Marvel AND a DC movie).

So it’s with this in mind that I went in to the theater to see Deadpool at the Bow Tie Cinemas in Chelsea (which was offering two special flavors of popcorn for it – Blood Velvet and Spicy Chimichanga).  And having seen it, I can confidently say that Fox made up for his lackluster debut in Wolverine.

Right from the opening credits, this movie was taking the piss out of itself, labelling the director as “A Talentless Dick,” the main villain as “Some English Actor,” and the writers as “The True Heroes of This Film.”  This was quickly followed by an incredibly violent dispatching of some goons, including a decapitation and a guy splattering on a freeway sign, showing that this movie wasn’t going to shy away from showing the messy results of Deadpool’s fights (whereas in Origins he just deflected bullets back at his attackers just by swinging his swords really-really fast).

The other part of the movie I was very happy with was his origin, showing that, while he was never what most people would consider to be a good person, breaking into people’s houses and tricking people into fighting each other and things like that, he also wouldn’t murder an entire village of unarmed men, women, and children.  Another important part that this movie got right was how Wade got the name “Deadpool,” with it being that he and (the people who would probably be the closest thing he could call) his friends all had wagers running for who was going to die on each contract, which is also known as a death or dead pool; since he gains advanced healing abilities, he could never technically lose the death pool and decided to name himself as such.

This is in stark contrast to Origins, where Major Stryker says it’s because all the powers of the different mutant captives were “pooled” into Wilson to make him even more “deadly.”  And instead of just stopping there, Fox decided to make him Weapon XI as well, which not only was he never, but also introduced an entire plot point from Grant Morrison’s run on the X-Men that even I thought was so intricate it should have just stayed in the comics.

8Tracks.Com

And trust me, Alice, that link is NOT a rabbit hole that you want to go down…

And speaking of Alices, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Fox decided to bring in Blind Al, Deadpool’s quasi-landlady, quasi-weapons supplier.  To be honest, I was expecting Deadpool to make at least one Daredevil comparison, seeing as how he acknowledged Marvel’s Distinguished Competition when he said that she was the Robin to his Batman.  Another pleasant surprise occurred during the climactic charge on Francis’ base (which to me looked suspiciously like a SHIELD Heli-Carrier), when he ran into Bob, who was working as one of Francis’ goons; in the comics, Bob was a generic grunt of HYDRA (yes, that same one from the Captain America movies) that Deadpool decided to keep as a friend/lackey and often served as the butt of Deadpool’s tomfoolery.

Marvel (Deadpool:  The Gauntlet #8)

As far as the main supporting cast, I felt they did a satisfactory job – as in my mind it was like Godzilla, in the sense that I knew, the audience knew, and the movie knew the audience was here for the title character, and the rest of the cast was there to make sure the protagonist got to where he needed to be.  Morena Baccarin (as Vanessa Carlysle) helped make the love story believable, being able to keep up with Wade’s acerbic and offbeat personality, while Ed Skrein (as Francis Freeman) made us want to see Deadpool violently take him down. Additionally, I’ll admit I was a little surprised when I found out that both of them were actual characters from the early Deadpool comics, especially that Francis’ code-name really was Ajax.

Marvel

Here are the comic versions of the characters for comparison.

I also think it was a smart move on Fox’s part to keep in the dingy brutality of the process that gave Deadpool his powers.  Mainly because it not only showed what the X-Men movies couldn’t because of their trying to stay more accessible, but also as a contrast to Wolverine, in the sense that Logan had it slightly better; by this I mean that, where Wolverine was the cream of the war-fighting crop, the doctors knew exactly what they were doing with the best technology available, and his amnesia making it so that he wasn’t always conscious of all of his experiences he endured, Deadpool was just another guinea pig being experimented on with second-hand tools in a dilapidated basement by people that saw him and the other subjects primarily their personal canvasses of pain-causing and, most importantly, was aware of every humiliating and painful part of it.  Every.  Single.  Moment.

That’s also to say nothing of the fact that Wolverine was able to keep his face after his treatment, instead of getting rancid salami masquerading as a ball of Swiss cheese.  To be honest, I was expecting Vanessa to tell Wade that she couldn’t get past his ugliness, either the instant after Wade took off his mask for her,  or after they passionately kissed (saying something along the lines of “It’s like I’m kissing a microwaved Slim Jim that was just used for a hobo’s urinary tract exam” or something to that effect), as I believe that would totally be in line with a Deadpool story’s sensibilities.  Frankly, I’d say if there was any kind of positive message to be gleaned from this movie, it could very well be that trying to find the funny side of a horrible situation might be what helps you get through it.

Which is why I’d probably place ‘Pool nearer to Python than Pagliacci.

On a final note about the surgical lab scene, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the laboratory scene from V for Vendetta, specifically the one where after months of being experimented on Prisoner 5 rigs an explosion in his cell and then walks for freedom through the burning wreckage, completely naked and disfigured.  Not that this has anything to do with the rest of this article, I just didn’t know if this had crossed anyone else’s mind when watching that scene.

Fumaga

Frankly I’m just as surprised as you are that I’m talking about Deadpool and Alan Moore in the same article.

The last thing that I want to bring up that I really liked about the movie is how Fox finally had Colossus play a significant part in a one of the X-Men films.  When I was a kid he was one of my favorite X-Men, so when the most he did in the second, third, and sixth X-Men films was escort some children out of danger and punch some people, I’ll admit I was a little disappointed.  I also enjoyed his multiple earnest attempts at trying to persuade Wade to join the X-Men and/or start the path to becoming a better person (especially because it was the opposite in the comics, with Wade frequently trying to finagle himself onto the team), and also how he waited until Francis’ Number Two would fix her “wardrobe malfunction” before resuming their fight.

I give Deadpool 8.4 bullets out of 12 (or 3.5 out of 5).  As I said before, Fox definitely made up for the Wolverine version of him, and it’s in general a well-done action movie.  I’m almost temoted to say that the CGI people should at the least get some kind of awards nod, if only for the work they did animating Wade’s outfit and facial expressions.  It was also a nice change of pace seeing a movie that broke the fourth wall as much as this one did.  And considering the stinger at the end, I have a feeling there’s more where that came from and some!

Marvel

Prepare for pouches, people!

Besides seeing the same one for Independence Day:  Resurgence, previews included:  Hardcore Henry, a first-person action film directed and written by Ilya Naishuller; 10 Cloverield Lane, a sequel (or prequel?) to Cloverfield where John Goodman gets real creepy; Suicide Squad, which looks like it’s aiming to be DC’s version of Guardians of the Galaxy; The Purge:  Election Year, where it looks like the stakes are being raised; and X-Men:  Apocalypse, which looks it will finally have James McAvoy lose the hair.

Con-icles

The leaves are changing colors.  The days are getting shorter.  The air is getting cooler during these shorter days.  You know it’s that time of year again  –  time for another New York Comic-Con.

For those of you who may not know, the New York Comic Convention is an annual 3-day event where some of the biggest names in comics (and as of 2009 anime and manga) meet to discuss upcoming plans, host panel discussions, and promote their companies’ merchandise.  Emphasis on the last one.

Easily one of the biggest sci-fi conventions on the East Coast, NYCC (held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on W. 34^th street) draws in at least several hundred thousand people each year.  As I’m sure you can imagine, this means lines.  Lots and lots and LOTS of lines.  And these aren’t even exclusively for the speakers or panels, oh no.  15 to 20-minute lines abounded for things like buying from the various vendors, getting a cup of soda, and using the restrooms.  For the bladders of most sci-fi fans, this is where the men get separated from the boys, and the only way to tell the winners from the losers is if your bladder was ruined outside or inside a restroom stall.

Lines.  Lines everywhere.  

However, if you can look past the lines, and the occasional overpriced piece of merchandise (a.k.a. “swag”) and/or obsessive fanboys/girls, it really is quite enjoyable.  There were several areas in the center where they had demos of new video games, most related to comics, where people could play some of the most anticipated games of 2011 and early 2012.  They also had a section devoted to new movies and TV shows, such as The Avengers and the Animal Planet’s totally-not-a-waste-of-time-and-money Sasquatch-finding program.  Throughout the course of the con, these areas would be giving out free swag to people who may have waited several hours in line to see various props, clips, and photos of the movie/show at random.

Like Mecca, but with more pointy ears and wigs.

The panel discussions covered a wide range of topics.  Some of the ones that I went to included: a preview of Season 3 of Delocated! (which is a very funny and interesting show that I highly recommend) with comedian Patton Oswalt as the surprise moderator,

the airing of a new show called China, IL, what to expect from Spider-man in the future, and a question and answer session with a certain main actor from a certain science fiction trilogy.

I also met and got an autograph from Andrew W.K., the singer and well-known starter of parties.  So that was kinda awesome.

Another thing that Comic-Con is known for is their sale of merchandise.  Here, you can find rare back-issues for comic series going as far back as the 1950s, in addition to plenty of knickknacks and memorobilia.  There were t-shirts as far as the eye could see, emblazoned with more various comic, anime, and video game characters and references than you could shake a wooden sword at …which could also be bought there.  Yes, you read that right, my good reader.  There were also plenty of replica weapons both wooden and metallic, such as swords, knives, and war-hammers (such as the one wielded by one of my friends below).

I think you know what time it is.

The third and perhaps most obvious element of Comic-Con, and perhaps any science fiction/anime/video game convention, was the people who dressed up as various characters.  Known as cosplay, these folk are guaranteed to have people pay attention to them whether they want to or not (although almost 99% usually do).  The quality of the cosplayers can vary from wearing a bunch of tinfoil and cardboard boxes to having near-perfect replica clothing, equipment, and most importantly headgear/hairstyles.

One phenomenon that has become more popular at cons is the idea of “cross-play.”  Cross-play is when a female will dress up as a male character vice versa.  And before you ask, yes the other way around can be incredibly horrifying (I can guarantee that whoever invents and sells eye bleach for this will beome the next great billionaire).  Here is one such example of Deadpool, a Marvel Comics character known for his insanity and wackiness.  In this case it was a Deadpool who dressed up as a woman (Don’t ask), so in effect it was a cross-play within a cross-play.  Unfortunately I cannot afford a foghorn, so you will have to substitute your own Inception noises.

Sadly, this wasn’t the oddest thing worn at the con.

It is also an interesting sight, possibly more so than at the con itself, seeing these cosplayers actually going to and from the Javits Center.  There’s just something about this juxtaposition that really shows how this event is in New York City but appears to be the result of shoddy fourth wall design.  As you can imagine, this makes for some very interesting and amusing pictures.  Such as this picture of some of my other friends on the D train as they went to the con on Saturday.

Oddly enough, it would still be appropriate to play the theme song from the Adam West show

And this one of a (non-genderbent) Deadpool at a hot dog vendor.

All in all I would have to say that I enjoyed Coimc-Con a lot.  It was fun seeing all the various booths and panels, in addition to meeting up with my friends, including making some new ones, and picking up some swag that I would be probably be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.  While I may not have been able to get much rest that weekend and my wallet took a beating, I definitely felt it was worth it.  If you ever have some time (and money) to spend in mid-October you should definitely think about heading down to Comic-Con.