Writer: Florey DM

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Watch this if you liked: “X-Men” movies

The Good, the Bad and the Merc with a Mouth:

Is "Deadpool" a Valentine's Day movie? The titular super guy (he is no hero, he says) assures you that it is. "Deadpool" is a very self-aware movie that is not afraid to poke fun at anything and everything - including itself, which makes this the perfect movie for a fun date full of laughter.

The antihero makes no attempt to mask its volatile and obnoxious nature, the only thing he masks is his extremely ruined mug. Right from the moment the movie plays, the opening credits will have you laughing out loud. While other movies will list down real actors' and directors' name, Deadpool's simply states stuff like a moody teenager, a British villain and a gratuitous cameo (we all know who this is in almost every comic book movie, ever).

The movie straight away begins with gory action, giving you no doubt of its graphic violence. It is interlaced with Deadpool telling the audiences how things led up to his little opening sequence fight. Oh, and this is done face-to-face, in a way, as he breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audiences himself. This is in reference to his schizophrenic nature in the comic books, which means to the characters in the movie, he will seem like someone that is talking to himself or to someone in his head.

The Pool boy - his cab driver's affectionate moniker for him - throws many a jest to his fellow "X-Men" comrades. Even saying that he only got his own movie because he, simply put, was "nice" to Wolverine (he did first appear in the latter's 2009 movie). There are many references in this movie that are gems to people who follow pop culture closely.

The dialogues are also more than chuckle worthy, each one eliciting laughter - from the diss on Ikea, to the way Wade Wilson (Deadpool's pre-Deadpool name, just to be clear) and his lady love flirt and profess their love, to his banter with his best friend, all gems.

The effects and acting in this movie are not cringe-worthy, definitely a step up for Ryan Reynolds from his Green Lantern days (yes, he made fun of this too, and his own acting abilities). The rest of the cast - Ed Skrein, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapicic, Morena Baccarin - also give stellar performances.

Though the movie has gone through some cuts due to local censorship, it is barely noticeable as the editing was not choppy, making the story still cohesive and comprehensible.

As for the violence level, oh...on second thought, maybe only watch this if your date is also a horror movie fan - there's a reason Mr. Pool suddenly changes his mind about his own movie's genre about halfway into the movie.

Stick around after the wide shot ending (Deadpool does proudly call attention to his movie's cinematography). After five minutes of real, actual names of the cast and production, there is a short post-credits scene at the end that is worth you fidgeting in your seats while more impatient audience members file out of the hall. And yes, Deadpool again pokes fun at yet another superhero movie.


Look Out For

• Stan Lee in what he calls his "favourite cameo" (Spoiler alert: maybe it's because of all the half-naked women in his surroundings for that particular scene).

Trivia

• This is the last comic book character Ryan Reynolds will play. He previously played Hannibal (2004's "Blade: Trinity"), Wade Wilson (2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"), Hal Jordan (2011's DC's "Green Lantern") and Nick Walker (2013's "Dark Horse's R.I.P.D.").

Best watched with

• Not your Valentine's date?

• Anyone who doesn't understand double entendre, adult jokes or pop culture, the dialogues will be wasted on them.

Cinema Online, 08 February 2016