Respond to these rapid questions in our Deadpool quiz and we will tell you which Deadpool character you are. Play it now.
In many ways, “Deadpool” is the cinematic equivalent of that kid in school who would always say how much he didn’t care what other people thought of him, but only loud enough for everyone to hear him. It is the adolescent who pretends to be too cool to care, but who wants you to like him so badly that he will do anything to get your approval. It’s true that this is partially a byproduct of being a cog in the machine of the superhero movie marketing system; in order to satisfy the audience, you have to unavoidably hit a few of the beats of the genre. Although it attempts to live up to its beloved source material, “Deadpool” ends up subverting its own agenda by becoming an unremarkably generic, by the numbers action film about a superhero. A man named Deadpool is portrayed as someone who constantly challenges the expectations placed on him as a superhero, but the film about him falls short of capturing his rebellious personality. It’s a surprisingly straightforward origin story, devoid of true satire of its own genre, and carried almost entirely by its lead actor’s charisma. Despite the fact that Deadpool is an entertaining character, he has yet to find a humorous film to match his larger than life persona.
With this adaptation of Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld’s Marvel creation, Ryan Reynolds finally gets the role he was unquestionably built for after years of development limbo. People who are upset about comic book film reviews are frequently those who believe the critic is unaware of the source material’s inherent strengths, so it seems appropriate to point out that I read Deadpool back when it was first released in the ’90s. I’m aware that the character has evolved significantly since then, but the film version isn’t all that dissimilar from my memories of the man in red who refused to follow the rules.
It will be brought to your attention over and over again in the film version of Deadpool, often through fourth wall breaks, just how much he doesn’t care about those rules. Immediately following an opening sequence in which Deadpool destroys a convoy carrying his arch-nemesis, Ajax, the majority of “Deadpool” is told in flashback (Ed Skrein). We learn that Deadpool was once a mercenary by the name of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds). We get to know two important people in Deadpool’s life: his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and his best friend Weasel (Michael Cera) (T.J. Miller). Then Wilson is diagnosed with late-stage cancer, just as Wade and Vanessa are about to embark on their Happily Ever After journey. Wilson is approached by a mysterious recruiter (Jed Rees) who offers him a deal: submit to the testing of the Weapon X program (which was responsible for the creation of Wolverine) in exchange for saving his life. As a result of Ajax’s experiments on Wilson (along with his partner in villainy, Angel Dust, played by Gina Carano), Wilson develops mutant characteristics, including enhanced fighting and regenerative abilities. When Ajax abandons Deadpool in a burning building, Deadpool spends the next year preparing to track him down and kill him as soon as possible. Both Colossus (a motion-captured performance by Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) attempt to intervene in order to prevent the delicate balance between mutants and humanity from becoming too violent, but they wind up fighting alongside Deadpool.
But you shouldn’t waste any more time and start this Deadpool quiz.
Because of debut director Tim Miller’s background in animation (he also created the stunning title sequence for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), “Deadpool” is a high-octane action film, but to say that it is lacking in depth would be an understatement. It’s almost as if it’s trying to be intentionally shallow, with frequent references to both its own existence and the existence of other superhero films (for example, when Deadpool is being transported back to the X-Men mansion to meet with Professor X, he asks “McAvoy or Stewart?” and makes jokes about how many times it has been blown up). There is a distinction between merely referencing a genre and truly satirizing it, and the writers of “Deadpool” are far too often content with the former rather than the latter. Deadpool plays at times like a “Scary Movie” version of a “X-Men” film, which is something inherent in the comic book but less satisfying when stretched out to a feature length.
Deadpool Quiz
That “Deadpool” fluctuates wildly between being cooler than the genre in which it now exists and completely embracing the genre’s broadest clichés doesn’t help matters either. Some might argue that “Deadpool’s” bipolar approach—which alternates between being too cool to care and being downright maudlin with its melodrama—is a reflection of the character’s split psyche, but that argument isn’t nearly developed enough to be convincing. Instead of delivering a story that is so by-the-numbers, why not reflect it structurally as well as narratively? Perhaps a memorable villain or even an interesting action set piece would be appropriate. We weren’t allowed to put those in between the jokes, were we? “Deadpool” makes use of cheap jokes at every opportunity, even when it appears to be heading in a more serious or interesting direction. Is Limp Bizkit ripping you off? Is it appropriate to refer to the bald character as “Sinead” TWICE? Half of the jokes fall flat, and they’re the kind of faux-edgy material that you’d hear at an open mic night when someone is trying to get attention by being edgy. In the year 1995.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Deadpool quiz.
Thank you, God, that Reynolds exists. Baccarin is well-cast, and I generally enjoy Miller’s work (especially on “Silicon Valley”), but Reynolds owns “Deadpool” from beginning to end, having famously battled for the role. He throws himself into the role with all of his might, injecting a vivacity that is often lacking in superhero films, and he manages to make even the most ridiculous jokes bearable. The rest of “Deadpool” would be better off if they knew what to do with him.
For more personality quizzes check this: Captain America Civil War Quiz.
