It’s hard to believe that Deadpool is coming to a theater near you in only three short weeks. Deadpool on the big screen started out as a disappointing first appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009, and then leaked test footage at San Diego Comic-Con in 2014, and now a major motion picture in 2016. With the movie about to be released in theaters, will Deadpool live up to the hype and marketing?
Last night, Fox held special advanced fan events in New York City and Los Angeles for the upcoming Deadpool movie. While studios usually just screen a new trailer, footage, or an extended scene from a movie, Fox actually screened a full (though “unfinished” version) of Deadpool with Ryan Reynolds, director Tim Miller, actors T.J. Miller and Brianna Hildebrand, along with screenwriters Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick, and Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld and comic book icon Stan Lee in attendance.
The fan reaction to Deadpool has been overwhelmingly positive, as it appears Fox got everything right about the Merc with the Mouth. Not only are fans saying that this is the best comic book movie from Fox, but it’s also the best movie that stars a Marvel character period. It certainly feels that director Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds captures everything right about Deadpool, including the superhero’s sense of humor and violent streak. Check out a few Twitter reactions below:
Nothing like a surprise afternoon delight. @VancityReynolds & crew surprised fans w/ a #Deadpool screening tonight pic.twitter.com/b8IqEDlKPI— Deadpool Movie (@deadpoolmovie) January 19, 2016
This #deadpool fan’s happy. Really fun movie. Overall plot’s standard, but consistently strong comedy, fan service & action overshadow that.— Gregg Katzman (@GreggKatzman) January 19, 2016
This is how I just spent my afternoon! OFFICIALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE MARVEL MOVIES OF ALL TIME. SO GOOD! pic.twitter.com/6bMTVusfGi— Nadeshot (@Nadeshot) January 19, 2016
Holy chimichanga! Deadpool was phenomenal!!! Such a great job, well done guys!! #Deadpool #DeadpoolMovie @ROBLIEFELD— John Mike Melendez (@MrMikeMel) January 19, 2016
Got to see Deadpool a month early. BEST MOVIE I’VE EVER SEEN. SO GOOD. pic.twitter.com/fNXGRGRbul— Jenna Ezarik (@jennaezarik) January 19, 2016
Well, hell, you guys. They went and made an amazingly awesome, fun, exciting #Deadpool movie. It’s outstanding.— Lucas Siegel (@LucasSiegel) January 19, 2016
There are also a few early non-spoiler reviews of the movie like Lucas Siegel’s from Comicbook.com. He appears to agree with the overall positive reaction to Deadpool, but unpacks the Marvel character’s origins and story. Siegel writes:
Deadpool will certainly have some laughs just based on the character’s sense of humor, but it seems that the movie is a lot funnier than expected. It appears that the comedy will cut through the movie’s violence, so it does get too off-putting for general movie goers. He continued:
“There are some slight alterations to Deadpool’s origin here, but it serves the film well. It gives him a streamlined story that will be easier to digest for the general movie-going crowd. The essentials, after all are there: mercenary, cancer, experiment, superpowers. Anything else is just window-dressing.”
Speaking of violence, Deadpool is known for being very bloody and gory, which is why fans were so adamant about the movie getting a rated R from the MPAA. Fans feared that if Deadpool received a PG-13, it would be like almost every other superhero movie and would be just a watered down version of the beloved character. Of course, that doesn’t seem to be the case with the new movie.
“The humor, while aptly shown in the trailers, was still somehow surprising. I was expecting this movie to be funny, but I wasn’t really expecting to laugh that much, that hard, and that often. The movie is hilarious - it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in the last couple of years, and that helps you digest the violence, too.”
“The violence is definitely crazy, definitely over-the-top, and definitely gory. But it’s also well-choreographed, and some of these action sequences are so quick and stunning, you can’t blink for minutes at a time, for fear of missing the next unbelievable stunt. It’s a blast to watch, and impressive - it ramps up nicely, as well, from a familiar opening sequence to the explosive finale.”
Finally, it seems that Deadpool has a good blend of comedy and violence, while it also injects a good amount of heart into the film. It feels that Fox did a good job making a good comic book movie for fans, but will it also translate to general audiences without a history with the comic book character.
From all the positive reactions and word-of-mouth surrounding Deadpool, it certainly seems that Fox might have another hit on their hands. If you remember, Fox also released Kingsman: The Secret Service in February, which was another hyper-violent action comic book movie released around this same time last year. If Fox matches Kingsman’s hefty box office and critical success with Deadpool, we might see a trend of more rated-R comic book movies in the future.
“This is a fun movie, and it just feels oh so Deadpool. Rarely have I seen a comic book movie not just capture a character so well, but add to it, as well. Deadpool is simply what fans have been dying for, and it’s clear in every moment that it was made by hardcore fans, too.”
Deadpool opens in theaters on February 12, 2016, followed by X-Men: Apocalypse on May 27, 2016; Gambit sometime in 2017; Wolverine 3 on March 3, 2017; and an untitled X-Men film on July 13, 2018. The New Mutants is also currently in development.
Source: Comicbook.com, Twitter
