Review: 'Deadpool' Finally Gives The Merc With A Mouth And His Fans The Movie They Deserved

This one has been a long time coming. After years of development hell, and a horribly inaccurate appearance on the big screen, the merc with a mouth has finally gotten his time to shine. It may have taken some leaked footage and pressure from fans to get this movie off the ground, but it was definitely worth it. Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures, even in Hollywood. Fans of Deadpool will be pleased to know that this R-rated comedy doesn't hold back; and more importantly, pays much overdo service to the fans. Equipped with fourth wall breaking, cursing galore, and its fair share of references, Tim Miller's Deadpool provides fans with everything it should have and needed to do. 

Set in the X-Men universe, Deadpool follows the story of former mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and his life as crude anti-hero. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Wilson seeks desperate measures to save his own life. The result of these measures leaves him with mutant powers, as well as a horribly mutilated face at the hands of fellow mutant Ajax (Ed Skrein). The now masked and super powered Wilson seeks revenge on Ajax and co. for ruining his life, and does so in the most humorous and violent ways possible. 

My main concern going into this film was that its sense of humor and references would only appeal to a select group of people, specifically comic book and Deadpool fans. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that the movies humor was handled in a way that could be enjoyed by everyone for the most part, and much credit goes to writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland) for pulling off that difficult feat. That being said, the movies brand of humor still isn't for everyone, and some of the references may go way over people's heads. I thought the references to the X-Men universe, Green Lantern, and the characters portrayal in X-Men Origins: Wolverine were particularly the most clever.

While the writers and director Tim Miller certainly deserve a lot of the credit for keeping Deadpool's personality and humor intact and accurate to the comics, Ryan Reynolds also deserves recognition. Reynolds take on Wade Wilson in this film is literally right off the pages of the comics, and its almost impossible to think of any one else playing this part. Reynolds does a fantastic job at the fourth wall breaks that address the audience, along with the dirty humor Deadpool is none for, his delivery of all the character's clever one-liners, and even down to his expressions and voice tonality under the mask. Reynolds certainly gives voice actor Nolan North a run for his money as THE voice of Deadpool for now on, and its one of the best superhero casting choices made in the last few years.

The rest of the films cast sort of takes a back seat to Reynolds and Deadpool's huge personality, which was expected from the get-go. There are some characters I felt were slightly underused including Gina Carona's Angel Dust, Leslie Uggam's Blind Al, and to a certain extent Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). Some of the great surprises of the film's cast are T.J. Miller's Weasel, who gets some great scenes of dialogue opposite Reynolds, and of course Morena Baccarin's Vanessa, who isn't your by the numbers superhero love interest (Which is fitting for someone like Deadpool).

Ed Skrein's Ajax ends up being a pretty basic superhero villain, but he does a great job at truly making you hate his character and makes you understand Deadpool's motivation to want to kick his ass. But for me the real surprise performance of this film was the now finally comic book accurate Colossus voiced by Stefan Kapičić, who truly provides a great contrast to the rude and brash personality of Reynold's Deadpool. He gets some great lines and scenes, as well as some hilarious moments of his judgement of Wilson's morals and means for handling situations.

The music of the film is also certainly worth noting as well, and is a pleasant fresh approach to the typical superhero film score. Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road) proves that he's one of the best new composers in the business, and he goes for a very different sounding soundtrack that matches the fun of the Deadpool character, and gives the movie an even more upbeat and unique tone. There's also a great inclusion of other well known songs throughout the film, that are incorporated perfectly and help increase the hilarity of certain scenes rather than just being thrown in there for the hell of it. And props to the Deadpool rap, which even included sound bites of Reynolds' voice and was also cleverly incorporated in the film.

The costume and set design also deserves some attention here, as Deadpool himself may have one of the most comic book accurate superhero suits seen on screen (And certainly in the X-Men universe). The inclusion of the animated CGI to show Deadpool's expressions also was a subtle yet very important addition that helped make Reynolds' portrayal as close to the comics as possible. The CGI for Colossus and classic suit designs for him and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are also very well made and fitting for the film. For being on such a small budget, the film impresses effects and cinematography wise, with only a couple of scenes here and there looking a little dodgy. The action scenes are also of note, as they're all very well filmed and orchestrated to the level of Marvel's recent Daredevil series. 

Despite reluctance from the studio and some concerned fans, Deadpool ends up being everything a movie based on this character should be. Its very self aware and doesn't hold back on its humor, and is written in an extremely witty and referential manner. While the plot is a little played out, and some references may only appeal to a certain audience of people, the movie is impressive in every other aspect. Reynolds does the character (And his career) justice with an excellent and hilarious performance, and you can't help but wonder how much crazier things will get in the film's confirmed sequel. First time director Tim Miller also solidifies himself along with writers Reese and Wernick as guys to look out for in coming years, and they provide us with a breathe of fresh air from the standard comic book movies we've become accustomed to. 

I give Deadpool 4.5 out of 5 star:

So what did you think of Deadpool? Did it live up your expectations? Is it the comic book movie to beat this year? Let us know below!

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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Starts Production; New Cast Additions Revealed Including Kurt Russell

Its hard to believe that it has already been almost a year and half since the Guardians of the Galaxy caught audiences by surprise and captured our hearts. Arguably one of the funnest comic book movies of the last few years, Guardians was a breath of fresh air from the gritty Dark Knight-esque films Hollywood had become accustomed to. Well fans of the first film and the gang of space outcasts won't have to wait much longer, as the film's 2017 sequel has just started production.

Marvel Studios and director James Gunn made the announcement over at their website yesterday. As was expected, the original core group of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and fan favorite Groot (Vin Diesel) will all be returning for Volume 2. Other surprise returns include Michael Rooker's Yondu and Karen Gillan's Nebula, who both served more villainous roles in the first film. 

Now the real interesting part of the announcement is the mention of the new cast additions. These additions include Kurt Russell (Hateful Eight), Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (Everest), and Chris Sullivan (The Drop). While its unknown just who these actors are playing yet, several rumors suggest that Kurt Russell will in fact be playing the role of Star-Lord's mysterious father. It's also been rumored Pom Klementieff will be playing the part of Mantis, a well known member of the Guardians in the comics. All of this remains to be seen though, so it should be taken with a grain of salt for now. 

Fans will also take note of the names from the original film that were excluded in this cast announcement, including those of Nova Corps. members played by John C. Reilly and Glenn Close, along with Benecio Del Toro's Collector. There's also the significant exclusion of Josh Brolin as Thanos, who director James Gunn has confirmed won't be appearing in the film. This may come as a big surprise to fans, but most will recall that the character played a very small role in the first film. Marvel is most likely saving the character's next appearance for the big two part Infinity War films. 

So are you excited for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? What characters do you think these new cast additions are playing? Let us know below!

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'Daredevil' Season 2 Trailer Gives Us Our First Look At Jon Bernthal's Punisher and Élodie Yung's Elektra

With the recent success of Fox's Deadpool giving sudden attention to darker and edgier comic book properties, there was no better time for Marvel to release their trailer for the second season of Daredevil. As many fans know by now, the second season is taking a note from this year's trend of having two superheroes team up against each other (See Batman v. Superman and Civil War), in this case being our titular hero and The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Not only does this trailer give us our first look a Frank Castle, but also a peak at fan favorite Elektra (Élodie Yung).

Below is the first full trailer for season 2 of Daredevil:

Marvel has made it pretty clear that they aren't afraid to go dark with their Netflix shows, and this trailer reiterates that even more. The success of the show's first season was able to prove to many the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a darker side, and they've made it just as marketable as their family friendly films. While Jessica Jones didn't fare as well as Daredevil did ratings wise, it too was generally well received by viewers and fans alike. The choice to go with Punisher as the next season's villain is certainly and intriguing one, and is a decision that definitely keep people interested in the next season (If they weren't already).

The inclusion of Frank Castle will give the character a great introduction to the MCU, without giving him his own solo series or film just yet. Judging by the trailer, it seems that the dynamic between Castle and Murdock will be a major point of emphasis. Rather than going with a clear cut villain such as last season's Kingpin; or a character like Bullseye from the comics, Punisher sees himself as doing good and seeking vengeance for his dead family. Yung's Elektra will also most likely serve as a similar figure to Matt, as someone whose methods he won't exactly be seeing eye to eye with.

There's still a lot in the air about what could happen this season, including what other characters may be showing up that we don't know about yet (Fingers crossed for Bullseye), or how the show will connect to eventual Defenders team up. There's always the possibility of MCU characters showing up including Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, or even fellow New Yorker Spider-Man (Now played by Tom Holland). The showrunners are probably keeping much more surprises in store for fans that we won't be seeing until the show hits March 18th.

So what did you think of the Daredevil Season 2 trailer? Are you excited to see Murdock and Castle duke it out? Let us know below!

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Review: Hateful Eight, Django but Chained

A film that was nearly scrapped by director Quentin Tarantino is both a fun time at the movie theater, yet just doesn't feel as fantastic as it was claimed to be. A well cut out story falls apart when it needs to define itself the most, and a plot twist that was as vaguely awkward as it gets.

Director Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained) is back with a 70mm camera and a story that starts out as a "Who Dunn It in the Old West" and then evolves into a traditional Quentin Tarantino film. The cast is comprised of Samuel L. Jackson (Marvel's The Avengers), Kurt Russel (Furious 7), Jennifer Jason Leigh, Channing Tatum (Magic Mike), Tim Roth (The Incredible Hulk), Walton Goggins ( Justified), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), all of which do a solid job at conveying their roles.



The plot consist of Samuel L. Jackson's Major Marquis Warren being stranded due to a arriving blizzard and receiving a ride to a travelers lodge from Kurt Russell's John "The Hang Man"Ruth. Upon arriving at the lodge, the film turns into a mystery of what happened to Minnie, the owner of the lodge, as well as who is in association with Jennifer Jason Leigh, and trying to get her free. The films major connection with the audience is trying to convey which individuals are involved and which are innocent bystanders. The is film is broken into six chapters and has the fifth chapter serve as the big reveal for the film.



In essence the film is over done in the style of Tarantino at the very most and almost spoils the good taste of the film.The film felt as though Django was taken and smothered in Tarantino sauce once again, when it didn't have to be, doubling the gore, sexual jokes, mistreatment of women, and a whole lot of bloody gun play and you have The Hateful Eight. The cinematography does do the film justice in a widescreen scenario but at the same time the film feels better justified as a play.

In Django Unchained (A film that will constantly be referenced in comparison), the audience roots for Django to find freedom and rescue the love of his life. Yet in comparison, The Hateful Eight does not know who exactly they want the audience to root for at this point. The film attempts to rotate the audiences respect between each character and attempts to have us develop their motives for saving the captive, Yet this is where the film fails because most of the characters seem one dimensional and each feels as though they were barely explored in depth

It is sad to say that the film does nothing to develop the world of The Hateful Eight, only to give us a glimpse of what the character holds through dialogue that reveals minimal back story, that is almost pointless when you are trying to figure out who is lying among them.



Ambitious and enjoyable, yet not a memorable and ground breaking film that it attempted to be. Just like how it split audiences down the middle,

Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight shoots its way to a 2.5 out of 5 stars

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Review: 'Chi-Raq', Spike Lee Doesn't Do The Right Thing

In the year 2015, gun violence and African American culture is a topic in which is heavily being expressed through both the news and social media. Director Spike Lee sought to express this idea through a film to describe the outcries of the time in a highly stylized film, and ultimately the result is a mess. Instead of creating a timeless films expressing the struggles in the struggling communities of Chicago, we were delivered a film that simply assimilates all the problems of the time and puts it in a 2 hr film.

Teyonah Parris(Dear White People),Samuel Jackson (Hateful 8), Nick Cannon(Drumline), Jennifer Hudson (Dream Girls) ,Wesley Snipes (Blade), John Cusack (Love and Mercy) , Angela Basset (American Horror Story), Dave Chapelle (The Chapelle Show) are a cast assembled by Director Spike Lee is so convoluted that is beyond recognition. Beyond Teyonah Parris , everyone else in the film feels as though Spike Lee was filming and called up some friends who weren't busy on his contact list. The dialogue is a satirical musical drama which is the worst possible choice for a film like this which needs to create the clearest possible message which is....

This leads to the second biggest problem with the film which is trying to figure out the problem in which the film is trying to address. The plot revolves around Teyonah Parris character attempting to solve gun violence in Chicago by having the women of two clashing gangs by refusing to have sex as long as gun violence is present. The film from there is smothered with dialogue utilizing sexual innuendos that feel off or outdated. A lot of scenes could've been broadened upon, while others could've been drastically cut.

For the first time in a long time, I feel as though no performances in this film moved me or made me seek out change in the community. The film was tedious and made it difficult to watch as serious
moments were cluttered by what seemed to be jokes thrown in by the cast.

In a time where a serious film that demands change is needed, a film like Chi- Raq attempts to make a difference without being blatantly clear on what its trying to say. Without a clear voice the film feels as though it is just another lost whisper against the ever growing sounds of gun violence reigning through the U.S. Spike Lee has delivered some timeless classics filled with emotion and creativity, yet I am not sure this was the film appropriate to try and do the same.

Chi- Raq earns a 1 out of 5 stars

What did you think of Chi-Raq? Let Us Know

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Review: 'The Revenant' Brings Story Telling Back From The Dead

In a era where films use explosions and gun fire in order to attract audiences, The Revenant uses old fashion story telling in order to provide a great thrill that you don't often see in cinemas. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, who also directed one of 2014's most creative films, Birdman. The Revenant stars Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street, Inception), Tom Hardy (Legend), Will Poulter (The Maze Runner), and Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), all of which I would say deliver standout performances.

The plot of the film revolves around a group of frontiersman who were pushed away from the settlement, from here we watch DiCaprio take lead battling Nature, the elements, other Frontiersmen, Native Americans, and the harsh reality of the world surrounding him.

To say the least, Leonardo DiCaprio did the up most possible in order to convey a convincing Hugh Glass through the various events in which he faces. Dialogue is key, but more of the body language conveyed as well as the little things that DiCaprio does in the film help form a convincing character to the audience.

Through out the film Tom Hardy also gives a great performance as a disturbing John Fitzgerald , a frontiersman who was partially scalped by Native Americans, and holds a chip on his shoulder for anything that doesn't involve money. To say the least, the cast was phenomenal throughout the film.

A big key factor that also makes this film one of the best is the cinematography. The principal filming was initially suppose to take place in Canada, yet due to weather circumstances, and the purpose of green screens seeming too unrealistic, the filming moved its location. Instead they used places such as Argentina, parts of the United States, and British Columbia, all of which are seamless when looking at the transition between sets. 

The subtle looks upon nature as well as the score composed by Japanese artist Ryuichi Sakamoto in addition to Bryce Dessner help convey the grand nature of the film truly making it a standout. This film is definitely a film worth watching in IMAX in order to get the full effect of the film.

A film that exploits the danger of nature and the harsh frontiers of the 1800's, with Leonardo DiCaprio displaying why he is one of the all time greatest actors, The Revenant is one of the must see films of the new year.

I give The Revenant 5 out of 5 stars:

Let us know what you think of the Revenant?

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Review: Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' Teaches Us To Never Doubt the Knowledge of a Botanist

Films about space exploration and mishaps in the farthest regions of the galaxy have become a bit of a trend in Hollywood lately. Some of the today’s most acclaimed directors such as Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), Christopher Nolan (Interstellar), and Duncan Jones (Moon) have taken a crack at the genre, so it was only a matter of time before Ridley Scott (Alien) himself gave it a shot. With The Martian, Scott takes a break from the usual science fiction extraterrestrial films he’s known for, and tackles a much more grounded and realistic space adventure story. The result is a captivating film that sports a cast who bring their characters to life, along with a story that is packed in suspense and never offers a dull moment.

The film follows the crew of the Ares III; a team of astronauts who are ready to set back home after their mission to mars. But just prior to leaving, a storm hits leading the crew to believe that one of their members; botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon), was killed during the storm. It isn’t until once the Ares III has departed that it is revealed Watney did in fact survive the storm, and has now been left alone to fend for himself on the deserted planet of Mars.

Every time there is a film that follows a person on their own or stranded in a place without any other humans, there’s always a risk that film’s narrative me be boring or not captivating enough for the audience. There’s also a tremendous amount of pressure on whatever actor is playing the title role, as they have to practically carry most of the film on their own. In The Martian’s case, that responsibility falls onto Matt Damon, along with screenwriter Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods). Both Damon and Goddard do a fantastic job at making Watney into an entertaining and relatable character whose eyes we are able to see the film’s events through.

While it may have seemed like the film was going to be two hours of Matt Damon alone on Mars, Scott keeps the audience’s attention but constantly cutting back to what is taking place back on Earth. Watney may be the most developed character in the film, but several other supporting players get their time to shine, and are portrayed fantastically by some familiar faces. Standouts include Jeff Daniels (Newsroom) as the NASA director, Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as the man in charge of the Mars mission, and Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings) as a fellow head employee for NASA. Every character introduced in the film serves a purpose, and adds something extra to the flow of the film’s story. The dialogue between these characters was especially impressive, with some witty remarks reminiscent of that of Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network).

But the real stars of the show here are the crew of the Ares III themselves, who all really provide the emotional anchor of the film. While a majority of the film is seen through Watney’s eyes as we experience his emotions, seeing the psychological effects of leaving a crewmember through his fellow astronauts adds an entirely new layer to the film. Michael Pena, Jessica Chastain, and Kate Mara specifically stand out, and share some great scenes alongside each other. Although it would’ve be nice to have had more screen time between these characters and Watney himself prior to them leaving, we’re giving a good idea of their personalities and what their relationships with Watney were like through some great dialogue scenes.

The soundtrack of the film was another surprising standout, and really helped give the film its own identity. The film’s score is definitely a lot more lighthearted than expected for a film about a guy left alone on Mars. This actually suits the movie well, and is a great reflection of Watney’s optimism throughout the story. There is also a great amount of 70s music in the throughout, which is a running gag in film. Those who are fans of disco music will really enjoy it, while those who aren’t will feel Watney’s pain.

In this day and age where space adventure films are a dime a dozen, and each film is trying to reach a further region of space than the last, The Martian is a breathe of fresh air. Everything about the film from its visuals and its beautiful use of colors, the avoidance of clichés, down to the spectacular cast that was assembled all really help it stand out from its predecessors in the genre. The Martian is a return to form for Ridley Scott, as well as another brilliantly acted film led by Matt Damon himself, and is sure to be a contender for an Oscar in visual effects next year. Those who are looking for a grounded space film that isn’t named Star Wars or Star Trek should look no further than this brilliant take on the future of human space travel. 

I give The Martian 4 out of 5 stars:

So have you see The Martian? What did you think of it? Let us know below!

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