[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONHBaC-pfsk[/youtube]

The world has waited a long time for a movie like this. Over the course of the past decade or so, we have been treated to a barrage of movies featuring superheroes, which, while entertaining, have become a bit derivative. All of the same basic components are usually there: tragic origin story, a love that cannot be for whatever reason, and a slow realization and acceptance of powers and the responsibility to use those powers for the greater good. This is basic blueprint of the modern superhero movie, one of many spawned by Marvel, DC and their subsidiaries. It was a good formula, one that made good movies and lots (LOTS) of money for the studios.

And then Deadpool came along.

Even in the comics, Deadpool likes to push the boundaries. He swears, drinks, bloodily murders and generally pokes fun at everybody else he comes into contact with. The movie, however, takes all of those qualities and just goes to town with them. He is foulmouthed, cold-bloodedly violent, crude and just kind of a jerk to everyone. Fox Studios, the studio that made Deadpool, was skeptical of an R-rated superhero movie.

Other R-rated superhero movies, like Blade and Punisher, just completely tanked critically and financially, and they were certainly not keen on repeating those mistakes. Despite this, after a certain sample test footage was leaked online, and the explosive fan reaction that followed it, Deadpool was greenlit to be made at an impossibly low budget for a superhero movie.

And that was that. The movie, slated for a February release, had very little press, and was relatively unknown until a few months ago. Even after its incredible advertising efforts in the last couple of months, few expected it to actually be big, let alone the fifth-highest grossing movie of all time! And as of right now, it is, having had the most successful opening weekend of any R-rated movie in history. But enough with the setup—it was raunchy, gory and filthy, but was it any good?

The short answer is YES, IT WAS AMAZING. I am an avid reader of the Deadpool comics, and the movie exceeded literally all of my expectations. Would I watch it with my little sister? No, of course not. Would I recommend it for a school event? Uh, I don’t think so. But for a teenage boy who loves inappropriate jokes and over the top violence (which is almost all teenage boys)? That would be a solid yes.

Deadpool, from start to finish, takes everything that people love about superhero blockbusters and skewers it. Heavily. From stereotypical English villains to superhero landings, nothing is safe from Deadpool’s rampage. Some high points:

The opening credits sequence is genius: panning around a tableau of the titular antihero throwing some costumed motorcycle goons inside of an SUV, flashing onscreen the opening credits, before zooming out and putting the frozen picture into motion. And these aren’t your normal opening credits—featuring character names such as “A Moody Teen,” “A Hot Chick,” and “A CGI Character.”

I also loved the fourth wall breaking. Deadpool is famous for knowing that he is, in fact, a fictional comic book character, and addressing his audience and fellow characters accordingly. The movie worked this in beautifully, actor Ryan Reynolds blatantly addressing the fact that he was in a movie and engaging the audience in a playful way that didn’t take you out of the movie too much. They used this as a tool, not just a comedic prop, having fourth wall breaks utilized for exposition, backstory, and, yes, sometimes as a comedic prop. A great part of that was watching the other characters wondering what on earth he was talking about, and who he was talking to. (When asked, he merely said, “them,” gesturing towards the screen.)

There were some awesome secondary characters. Weasel, his best friend and the bartender of his favorite dive, added plenty of sarcastic deadpan to combat ‘Pool’s outright insanity. Deadpool’s elderly, blind, drug-addicted, grandmotherly roommate, Al, was also a great character, bringing a weird combination of both being a motherly figure along with bringing a ton of obscene insults. And the X-Men cameos were nice, Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, who were equally infuriated and bemused by Deadpool’s onscreen antics

Deadpool, like most any movie, was by no means perfect. Ajax, the superhuman villain, fell a little flat on personality and color, which is a shame when you look at any of the colorful villains Deadpool has come up against in the comic books. The plot line was also pretty standard for a superhero origin story, which was reportedly forced on the movie by the studio. Also, while very funny and true to the character, the excessive swearing, gore, and sexuality may turn off a lot of parents and younger viewers.

Ok, but don’t get me wrong. Despite the small number of issues that I have with Deadpool, it was a ridiculous amount of fun to see, and I would 100% recommend it to anybody who’s allowed to see it. It’s a perfect anti-movie for my favorite anti-hero, and I can’t wait for the inevitable sequel!