All it takes now is the word, "Deadpool," and all conversations erupt into voices hurdling over each other. Everybody has something to say about this sensation taking the world by flames. No, seriously! Didn't you see what happens to the helicarrier in the scrapyard in the last scene? (Wait, did I just break the fourth wall by talking to you?) Anyhow, moving on to the Loudmouth Mercenary, it just took one night in the cinemas for me -- a I-have-never-heard-of-Deadpool-before -- to seriously consider changing that status. I know next to nothing about the origins of Deadpool, but I hope this convinces you, I-have-never-heard-of-Deadpool-before person, to give it a hear.
1. The much needed anti-hero Superhero.
People, he is no dashing Superman or Nordic-hot Thor. In fact he is actually a walking talking fighting tumor if you go in depth and looks very much like the overcooked creme brulee your mom served you last weekend. He is no knight in shining armor to the rescue or the guy who'll climb up trees to rescue your kitty. He is very much regular human, hell-bent on revenge. I mean, c'mon! Who won't want revenge for getting fried in a glass tube? But in the end, his human qualities make him all the more easier to relate to. In the wake of superheroes with unimaginable powers, we needed someone to tone it down. In the last scene when urged by Colossus to be a true hero, Deadpool does what he does best. But, hey -- at least he doesn't have an underwear over his spandex.
2. Humor! Humor! Humor!
Deadpool was basically created as a villain by creator Rob Liefield in one of the Marvel New Mutants series, overshadowed by other familiar characters. However, he quickly caught up and decimated an entire force. But was that reason enough to bring him back? I guess his erratic unconventional sense of humor, sometimes brutally humorous, got readers hooked. Who could have thought of an anti-hero superhero being schizophrenic with two voices (at least) in his head telling him what to do? Neither could we have imagined a crazier-than-hibernating-squirrel mercenary getting his own volume and his own movie. But he did. And watching "Deadpool" was a joyride filled with insane laughter from credits to credits. If you have seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, watch from credit to credit. Seriously. Oh, and try out those new chimichangas.
3. Imperfection.
I was an "X-Men" fanatic, a "Transformers" addict. So, obviously, I expected larger than life action scenes, perfectly choreographed sequences and graphics that were bound to blow me away. "Deadpool" was nothing like that. It was a billion times better owing to how naturally careless it was. The action scenes were fluent and flowed into each other with grit and roughness. As powerful as the mercenary was, the enemies were more skilled. Thank God it was not one of those movies where the hero fights against weak lil' villains without so much as a bruise. Deadpool bleeds. Deadpool loses body parts and cracks jokes about it. He regenerates them because of the X gene in him but, yeah. He is still physically vulnerable. That imperfection in him, and the fact that he "wears red so that villains can't see him bleed" adds dimension to the film. Fox really didn't think about that when they invested just $58 million into the movie, a pie short of well almost all its slices, right?
4. Ryan Reynolds.
That's it. Social media was fueled up in debates when it was announced that Ryan Reynolds was cast as Deadpool, but no one could have played the character better. Period. The lewd and on point one-liners could only have been delivered perfectly by Ryan Reynolds. The spontaneity of his acting, his energy and subtle charisma was infectious. Pre-fry and post-fry, I'm pretty sure he will make any ladies heart pound with his freedom of movement and delivery. And as the crazy maniac lover, he was a gift wrapped in red (pun intended). Check out this hotties mid-shoot sneak-a-bouting-hashtagging at http://www.dorkly.com/post/74596/ryan-reynolds-deadpool-tweets
5. The tender side of the crazy Merc with Mouth.
That one was rare to point out. Between all the humor and action and vengeance, I almost completely lost track of the love story within. Deadpool and Vanessa Carlysle, a.k.a. Copycat, hit it off right from the start and hit it they did. Their years together marked by eventful sex, in walked cancer and Project X and the birth of Deadpool. But through it all, their love remained strong culminating in a few punches thrown by Vanessa and a passionate kiss.
6. The fourth wall!
He can break the fourth wall. He can talk right to you and is conscious of the progression of the movie/storyline. I was a bit blase about that taking the realism out of the movie, but Deadpool being "Deadpool lived up to it. It's basically his ability and it's awesome as hell.
I was one of the few people unaware of the existence of this fictional character. And as a first timer, "Deadpool" was an energetic leap into the world of Marvel. I just grabbed the comics from Barnes and Noble and am waiting for the next installment. Haven't seen it yet? You need to get a load of that.