Deadpool


If I was a twelve-year-old boy I think I'd probably rank Deadpool as one of my top ten favourite films ever. It is a film clearly written by a teenage boy, perhaps fifteen or sixteen: how else can one explain the plethora of nob-gags and wank jokes?
 
This fixation on the penis is hardly homo-eroticism however, despite the constant jokes on ejaculation and anal penetration, although Deadpool himself in his pre-super-power days is decidedly camp and it appears to me this story is really a tale of him concealing his true gay self by fooling himself of his straightness by fixating on a woman.

The film is certainly watchable. The characters are reasonably likeable and the film moves at a swift pace so that the easily-duped cannot reflect for a moment to realise the story is meagre and simplistic. The story basically goes: Deadpool gets super powers, he wants revenge on the guy who gave him super powers, he nearly succeeds but doesn't, then the bad guy kidnaps his love interest and Deadpool goes to save her.

The problem for me is the film is not particularly funny, though it really really tries to be, and if you are going to thread smart-ass quips throughout your film, you should really: a) try to make those quips actually funny, and b) get actually funny actors to deliver those quips. If this had been done the film would certainly make the twelve-year-old-boy-me's top five.

There is a morality issue in this film. Those easily duped will happily lap this shit up, enjoying the spectacle, happy to watch as long as there is a vague sense of good-guy-versus-bad-guy. Despite Deadpool being a self-proclaimed not-a-hero, his deeds have been carefully crafted so he never does anything too bad to innocent members of the public, so he is a good guy really (mostly). This is a bit like Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, who never maliciously kills and only kills in self defence (if the other contestants don't die by accident first) thus allowing her to remain a heroine throughout the story.

However, Deadpool has a confused morality. He advises a taxi driver to kill his rival (who is trapped in the boot of his car) then tells the taxi driver to kidnap the woman he is in love with. This comes after our non-hero severely beats a man for stalking a woman. It seems misogyny is not an issue for Deadpool; he only takes vengeance on whoever pays him to do so. Otherwise, he doesn't give a shit about people's lives.

Perhaps I am taking the film too seriously. You could say the 'kidnap her' line was merely a joke; but how do we know that for sure? In the end, you'll see Deadpool is guilty of all the fuzzy logic our governments and corporate media are guilty of. As long as there is a vague bad guy, that's all that matters: just accept who is good and who is bad, shut the fuck up, and enjoy the violence.

Deadpool is not the only film guilty of this encouragement of complacent subservience: 99% of Hollywood and American TV is there to fool you into forgetting how raped you are. Even the US army vets films so they promote US imperialism.

Other than that, the film was reasonably enjoyable.

Over and out for now, guys!

xxx

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