From the hilarious marketing campaign to the beginning credits to the after-credit scene, Deadpool successfully encapsulates the satirical, immature, fourth-wall breaking titular anti-hero played by Ryan Reynolds. He plays “The Merc With a Mouth” just as well as Hugh Jackman plays Wolverine or Robert Downey Jr. plays Iron Man. Reynolds completely takes on the character of Deadpool, and it seems as if Deadpool and Reynolds are the same.

Deadpool shines most in its comedy, perfectly balancing clever jokes with toilet humor. While there is some crudity, most of the jokes are clever. The film is also very self aware. Deadpool jokes about everything from pop culture to the ridiculousness of his superpowers. There is also some great action. It has over-the-top violence that often stops while Deadpool tells the audience a quick joke, then continues.

And on the topic of gory action, this movie is rated R, and it does not mess around. Its opening weekend was the highest rated R movie of all time and greater than all of the 20th Century Fox films. It also had the highest opening weekend for a first-time director. Studios should take a note from Deadpool and not let ratings prevent them from making R-rated movies.
This same studio, 20th Century Fox, that produced the X-Men movies, incorporates some of those characters into Deadpool. The X-Men characters in this film are kind of unknown, as pointed out by Deadpool himself. Colossus is a moral superhero with steel skin, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead is his trainee who has the power to fire lasers out of her hands. Together they have some great dialogue. The only problem is the plot, which isn’t exciting, but the humor makes up for it. That, and Ryan Reynolds finally gets a role where he gets to use a broader range of acting, from comedical to the occasional serious scenes.