Deadpool
Up until this point in time the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been very cut and dry, hero versus villain but Deadpool uses a full arsenal of weapons to entirely destroy that fabric and present something new and exciting.
From the outset you’re treated to brutal in your face violence and wise-cracking humour, even to the point of joke inserts for the opening credits rather than the names of the actors, director, producers and writers.
Deadpool is an extremely self aware film and exploits the stereotypical tropes of previous comic superhero movies to crack jokes at its own expense and often breaks the fourth wall with Deadpool himself speaking directly to the audience or referencing inside jokes (namely the shambles the X-Men franchise has become in recent times).
Even though we have seen glimpses of the idea that the protagonist can be shades of grey recently in Marvel TV series such as Daredevil and Jessica Jones this is an interesting development in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one which should continue.
The biggest let down for this film is the overly safe and generic revenge story with a dull villain. Ajax/Francis sadly fails to become a sinister threat because there is no underlying bigger plot afoot and as such it feels like he simply serves as a target to be hunted down and mercilessly beaten.
***1/2