Deadpool review

Deadpool

Sometimes you're in the mood for an elegant steak and prawn dinner, and sometimes you just want greasy tacos. Tonight we opted for entertainment fast food. Sure, we know it's not good for us, and has no long term life enhancing qualities, but man, oh man, does it ever taste good every now and then.

Deadpool is one fast-paced, gratuitously violent, and unapologetically perverse comedic R-rated romp. Right from the opening credits we know we are in for a sarcastic, witty ride. The dialogue is exceptional: Fast, unexpected, twisted, and very funny.

Ryan Reynolds is hilariously dark as our anti-hero. Lots of mildly offensive material sure to offend just about anyone, but his delivery is so off-handed and glib, you just can't help but snicker as he jumps and darts about, leaving a dozen dead thugs in his wake.

Quite a bit of his fight dialogue felt as though it could have come from Jim Carey's The Mask. Hey, it's a Marvel comic! You know what to expect. LOTS of action, a love interest, a bad guy, and a flawed hero. All the components for a really entertaining 108 minutes.

Good direction and casting: I really liked actress Morena Baccarin as Deadpool's girlfriend. She is beautiful, feisty and sexy, a perfect match for Reynold's smart assery. Kudos also to Ed Skrein as the villain Francis/Ajax - he's handsome, smart, and an eerie sociopath. 

I also really loved some of the secondary characters - a fantastic Leslie Uggums as Deadpool's blind roommate fixated on assembling Ikea furniture. There are some shameless and very funny Ikea plugs in this film. T.J. Miller was hilarious as Deadpool's buddy, Brianna Hildebrand as the sullen and sulky Negasonic Teenager, and Jed Rees as the very creepy ‘suit’ recruiter. Great casting all around!

Movie locations and times 

I give this movie . . . 

Netflix Recommendation

Amy - The Amy Winehouse Documentary - 2 hours 

Much like a slow moving freight train, we can see right from the beginning where Amy's story is going to end, and it is going to end badly. However, this documentary is gently and lovingly crafted to give you a complete understanding of a person thrust into a spotlight she didn't want or feel comfortable in. 

Footage of the early days of her career, her natural talent and self deprecation are surprising and very sweet. I confess that I didn't know much about Amy Winehouse until I watched this film. I came away with new respect for her talent, and sadness for her self destruction. As with many creative souls, she was misunderstood, and surrounded by numerous people who used her as a means to their own ends. There are moments in this documentary when I felt a voyeuristic guilt, as the footage used is obviously from the very paparazzi who relentlessly hounded her and used her celebrity for their own gain.

Definitely worth watching if you are curious, a music fan, or if you have known someone involved in an unhealthy relationship with drugs or alcohol.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.