By Staci Layne Wilson
@StaciWilson

Even though we share a last name, I knew practically nothing about Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool, before stepping into the theater to watch his eponymous movie. I’m just not a superhero kinda gal – in fact, I had to ask whether the flick is based on a classic comic character, or if he was made up to cash in on the superhero cinema boom.

What I’m saying is, whether you don’t know Deadpool from a whirlpool or if you’re already a fan – chances are you’re going to love this well-written, witty, funny, romantic, sexy, silly, action packed, wild ride. I sure did!

This is the starting-point story of Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) who has heretofore been seen merely as a cameo in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He is the mutant mercenary dispatcher with a smart mouth (“merc with a mouth”), basically a black-sheep super anti-hero whose ability to heal everything but his badly burned face is nothing short of miraculous.

Grabbing one by the lapels from the dazzling and delightfully irreverent opening credits sequence, Deadpool hits the ground running and never lets go. Under the surface of quips and quirks, Deadpool reminded me a lot of one of my favorite graphic novel based films of all, Watchmen. There’s an underlying pathos and grit to the whole thing that gives it some weight and gravitas. It’s funny, but there are also real reasons to care about Wade and those near and dear to him.

Having said all that – and acknowledging the writers are indeed “the real heroes” – Deadpool could not have worked half as well as it does had Reynolds not been cast in the title role. Despite being covered head-to-toe in costume or facial prosthetics much of the time, he’s charismatic, charming, sometimes despicable, and wholly believable at all times. Also, it’s great to see Leslie Uggams onscreen – she is hilarious as Deadpool’s blind, cocaine-addicted roommate whose favorite pastime is putting together furniture from IKEA. And Morena Baccarin, whom you’ll recognize from the Homeland and V TV series, is interesting as Deadpool’s lady love.

Deadpool is a lot of fun, quite meta, packed with as much action as one-liners, and is basically what one expects from a superhero story: excellent escapism.

Rated R
1 hour 47 minutes

Get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

DEADPOOL Review — It’s Alive With Anti-Super Hero Humor