Deadpool (2016)

Knowing this action picture would be extremely violent, quite lewd, and very funny, Jack and I had a great time watching Ryan Reynolds get down and dirty as a low-life who becomes a super anti-hero, based on a Marvel comic series.

Reynolds (last blogged for a dramatic role in Women in Gold) is clearly having fun in his three personae: as his handsome self, after being disfigured, and in his red mask. I heard him tell Seth Meyers that he enjoyed making the lovely script supervisor read his dirtiest lines back to him, even though he hadn't really forgotten them. Morena Baccarin (will forever be known as Nicholas Brody's wife on Homeland) is luscious and also sweet as "a hot chick" (more on that in a minute). Comedian T.J. Miller (best known to me for 18 episodes of Silicon Valley) has plenty of gags and also some semi-serious lines to deliver and mixed martial arts star Gina Carano (most recently in these pages for Haywire) has some good stunts. In the "who is that that looks so familiar?" category is actress/singer Leslie Uggams as a profane elderly blind woman.

This is director Tim Miller's feature debut. He directed the opening sequence of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo American remake. You can watch that sequence here.

Writing partners Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (they wrote Zombieland, Jack's favorite movie of 2009, which I also loved) are working on sequels to both Zombieland and Deadpool. The Deadpool opening credits alone, created by the screenwriters, are worth the price of admission. I found them and have hidden the text here, just in case some of my readers might deem them spoilers. This is where Baccarin is dubbed "a hot chick."

The composer is Junkie XL AKA Tom Holkenborg (he just scored Mad Max: Fury Road) and his stuff is great, but there are also lots and lots of catchy tunes by others. Here's the imdb list and here's the youtube playlist, playing right now on my computer.

There are two conventions in Marvel comics adapted into movies. We fan-girls and -boys know to watch for them and I tend to cheer. 1. The obligatory Stan Lee cameo, which is particularly good here. You won't miss it unless you leave the room. And 2. The post-credits bonus. Do not run away. Stay in your seat or fast-forward your DVD (scheduled release May 10, 2016) if you don't care for the music.

The critics are pretty kind to this one, averaging 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and I suspect the audiences have self selected to want to like it, and are averaging 93%. You should self select as well. If gratuitous violence makes you sick, this is not for you. But it's a hoot for the rest of us.