I’m thinking you have to be into comic book heroes to ‘get’ this movie. That’s a total upgrade from my first impression, which is that you have to be an adolescent boy to get this movie. Its succcessful box office performance has totally disproved my theory, however (it’s the highest grossing R-rated film ever). Ryan Reynolds plays rootless mercenary Wade Wilson, who, despite feigning indifference, has a big heart. He meets and falls for Vanessa, played by long, tall beauty Morena Baccarin (Homeland, Gotham), a hooker. The allure of the film, apparently, is its irreverance on all fronts. It includes all the usual cliches and pokes fun at them, starting with the opening credits and Reynolds’ humorous asides to the audience. The action—and there is a lot of overt sex, nudity, violence and torture—revolves around the hero’s hunt for a ruthless, sadistic villain he believes holds the key to his happiness. There are definitely some funny lines—especially during Reynolds’ exchanges with taxi driver Dopinder—and Reynolds is appealing as the anti-hero performing heroic acts against his will.
Should You See It? Only if you’re into the whole superhero thing. Or if you’re a guy—Reynolds even pokes fun at men who get their women to see it by telling them it’s a comedy.
Viewed at Galleria 6 Cinemas