By ADAM KNAEBEL
Reporter

Action? Comedy? Marvel? Fourth wall breaks? Count me in. These were the thoughts going through my mind a little over a year ago when the test footage for “Deadpool” leaked. So yea, this movie has been on my radar for quite a while, but did it live up to my expectations?

The main premise of this movie revolves around Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Wilson decides to undergo a treatment that not only will cure his cancer but also give him extraordinary abilities. He gains the cure and the ability to heal any kind of wound but not without being transformed into an unpleasant sight to look at. So, thinking his girlfriend won’t love his new look, Wilson seeks revenge. The rest of the film revolves around Wilson as Deadpool going after the man who did this injustice.

So what worked in the film? Personally, everything in this movie was amazing. I only have one minor gripe that I’ll mention later.

Starting with the cast, everyone did wonderfully. This was the role that Ryan Reynolds was born to play. You can really tell that he genuinely loves this character and was excited to play the part. Reynolds does a great job of acting through the suit with broader gestures and wide dynamic range in his voice. None of this seems out of place because the character of Deadpool is supposed to be “putting on a show” much of the time. Other standouts in the film are T.J. Miller as Wilson’s good friend Weasel and Wilson’s love interest Vanessa played by Morena Baccarin. The chemistry between Baccarin and Reynolds is compelling making their character’s romantic relationship wonderful to watch and honestly one of the stronger one’s I’ve seen in a comic book movie.

A staple of the movie and the character of Deadpool is the comedy. Fair warning, a lot of the humor in this movie is dark or pretty crude. I’m not talking about farts and burps crude but much more extreme. That being said, I sat through this entire movie with a smile on my face. The other kind of humor is based around pop culture references which are plentiful and Deadpool’s ability to break the fourth wall. Deadpool does this by interacting or speaking directly with the camera and by making direct references to the production of the movie itself. One indirect example of this is when Weasel tells Wilson to talk to someone saying, “It may further the plot.”

Another element done justice is the action. First-time director Tim Miller shoots the action scenes so well the audience knows what’s going on at any given moment. The action is also at times pretty over the top violent, but that is meant to give the film a bit more of a comedic feel. Not to mention Deadpool plays through the action with a comedic view, making hilarious remarks the entire way.

To tell the origin story, the movie flips back and forth between current action and Wilson’s backstory which is a refreshing way to see this kind of movie. But therein lies my only minor gripe with this movie. The backstory gets just a little slow in some scenes. I realize the origin story is necessary to introduce the character which is why I only complain about it a little.

If you like crude comedies, violent action, superhero movies and a guy in red spandex, then you’re going to love this movie.