Why Deadpool is just “dead” to me

Hundreds of thousands of people have flocked to see the unique, fourth wall breaking, smart mouthed Deadpool on the big screen. I have known about the character for years, and though never a fan, I was intrigued by what this one of a kind character could bring to the big screen. I knew going in that there would be excessive language, vulgarity, sex and excessive violence. Not big on heavy violence and swearing in films….. “Kingsman” was a little too over the top for my taste for example. I decided ahead of time, that I would not let these things be the reason I disliked the film, if I indeed did not like it. If your wondering what the fourth wall is, it is the ability for the character to interact with his world, and our world.

So assuming you are not familiar with the character, let me give you some details. Deadpool is Wade Wilson, a former Special Forces soldier known for his smart mouth and for his love of violence. Wade went into mercenary work after his brief stint in the military. He met a prostitute, and they fell in love. Later after getting married Wade was diagnosed with cancer in several parts of the body. He underwent a very secret, experimental treatment that would leave him horribly scarred, but possess amazing abilities. He never told his wife,  thinking she could not want him, as he looked like Freddy Krueger. She went two years without knowing he was alive. Meanwhile Wade Wilson created the Deadpool persona, and was invulnerable to the point where he could heal from most anything, and even grow limbs back that were amputated. He became essentially an assassin anti-hero that was a master at swordplay, and guns and somehow possessed the agility of Spider Man. He went on a revenge spree against the men who made him the way he was. They used torturous, mean spirited methods for making superheros who they intended to keep as slaves.

So on to the film. I simply did not enjoy the film, and I am unable to understand what the big attraction is. My first big problem is that the film is quite jarring. I am fine with flashbacks in films. But this whole movie feels like nothing but flashbacks, and flash forwards with no actual substance. The film never is allowed to build momentum, or drama that sucks the audience in. Secondly, it actually was not entertaining. There were jokes, and one liners sometimes poking fun at himself or the actor that played him (fourth wall) that were meant to be funny, but outside of a couple chuckles, I was not laughing and engaged. Maybe that is my problem, because thousands of people loved it.

Now on to the real reason why “Deadpool” is just dead to me.  The film wants you to think of this as a love story. They want you to care. They want you to feel bad for Wade, and the fact that his whole body is greatly disfigured. His mutation brought out through terrible torture makes him look like he has fourth degree burns.. They want you to feel sorry for his wife, and what she went through thinking he died of cancer. They want you to root for Wade as he gets revenge on his enemies for doing this to him, and trying to control him afterwards. This is what the film is going for, and for me it did not work at all. This is the biggest failing. I was not engaged, and the film failed to make me care, and that is why I left the theater numb. The other recognizable hero in the film was Colossus of the X-Men. He was meant as a type of foil to Deadpool, always trying to recruit him into the X-Men and to make him into a real hero who did not kill. But in the end Colossus just seemed like an annoying preacher that you got tired of hearing from. He did not add much to the film for me. What I did like about him, was that for the first time he really looked like Colossus from the comics.

So in closing, I know most folks are not going to be able to relate to this blog post. By all means, educate me on why this is such a great film. I just don’t see it.