Deadpool - Blu-ray

Movie: Allow me to introduce Deadpool - Marvel's most unusual and definitely foul-mouthed superhero. Having already made a small, rather inglorious appearance in Wolverine, he's finally getting his own movie, which this anti-hero really deserved a long time ago. Tim Miller's directorial debut tells the story of former mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), who is about to change his life for the love of his life, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), when he learns he has terminal cancer. In desperation, he allows himself to be persuaded by a mysterious stranger to undergo a very special treatment that would not only cure his cancer, but also mutate him into a superhero. But in the hands of the sadistic Ajax (Ed Skrein), he must endure unimaginable tortures that would leave him horribly disfigured and ultimately dead. However, at the last moment he manages to escape and henceforth swears revenge. As Deadpool he hides his scars under a mask and hunts down his tormentors in a red latex suit and with a loose mouth. Because they have taken away not only his good looks, but also the possibility of living happily with Vanessa. And for that, he's in for a real treat.

In the 2009 X-Men spin-off Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds made his first appearance as Wade Wilson. But that character's potential was completely wasted here when they decided to sew Deadpool's mouth shut. As a result, he was relegated to a mute footnote in an already somewhat disappointing film, something this beloved anti-hero really didn't deserve. Reynolds himself has been fighting for a long time to finally get Deadpool his own movie, one that would live up to the irreverent tone of the comic book template. And the wait has been worth it. Because with Deadpool, director Tim Miller presents an extremely amusing, delightfully over-the-top brutal and pleasantly inappropriate contribution to the ever-expanding Marvel universe.

Admittedly, the humor is a bit special. The opening credits are extremely ingenious and show that the film doesn't take itself, its genre or its makers too seriously. In addition, some of the gags go to a great meta level when Deadpool makes fun of the studio, X-Men actors or Ryan Reynolds, sometimes speaking directly to the audience. The wordplay, which thankfully translates very well into German, is sometimes a bit crude, then again downright clever and often really funny. Only now and then the whole thing overshoots the mark, becomes unnecessarily raunchy or a bit too shallow to be able to provide a hearty laugh. But the successful moments are here absolutely in the majority, which makes the film a great pleasure.

As a superhero film Deadpool can also convince in terms of action. When Deadpool takes on the bad guys, body parts do fly around the viewer's ears - but it's all so mercilessly over-the-top that the 16+ FSK rating, while a little surprising, ends up being perfectly fine. There are other aspects of the film besides the humor and action where it works very well. For example, Reynolds and Morena Baccarin have perfect chemistry and although their love story isn't exactly told in a brave Hollywood manner, it is very romantic in its own special way. You can tell what Vanessa Wade means, which then makes even the more dramatic scenes seem very believable. So it is also skillfully prevented that the film degenerates completely to the Klamotte.

All this sounds like quite a big pleasure. And Deadpool is - with a few point deductions in the B grade. For instance, Ed Skrein as chief villain Ajax is just too colorless and uninteresting to be a real threat. His sidekick Angel Dust aka Gina Carano (Fast & Furious 6, Haywire) is great, but he himself is probably the weakest part of this film. And then finally, there's the X-Men Colossus, a completely CGI-animated character who doesn't quite convince either. So the overall impression is not lasting, but at least a little bit tarnished. In the end, Deadpool is extremely entertaining action cinema with a wonderful anti-hero. No absolute cult film that revolutionizes the genre, but at least the world of cinema superheroes with a good portion of fresh wind. Absolutely worth seeing - and really not for children!

Picture + Sound: Anything other than top-notch quality would have been a bitter disappointment with this Blu-ray, of course. The picture is absolutely clean and the colors are very atmospherically mixed. The image sharpness is also at a very high level and allows even the smallest details to show up very well. In addition, the film also has a pleasant picture depth, which comes into its own well, especially during the action sequences. The powerful and very lively sound mix can also convince all along the line. Numerous sound effects ensure that the surround channels are in use almost throughout. All in all, there is a deserved here: very good!

Extras: The Blu-ray has plenty of good bonus material to offer. Starting off with not one but two audio commentaries, one by Ryan Reynolds with screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and one by director Tim Miller with Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld. Both commentaries have very interesting as well as amusing moments to offer. Those primarily interested in the film should listen to the amusing commentary with Reynolds. Those who want to learn even more about the comics and the technical aspects of the production should not miss the second commentary.

Continues with dropped or extended scenes that can be played with an optional director's commentary (approx. 19:14 min.). Alone, a mini guest appearance by Nathan Fillion and another sideswipe at Green Lantern make these additional scenes absolutely worth watching. There are also some outtakes (approx. 6:12 min.) and image galleries. A detailed, multi-part Making of (approx. 80 min.) may not be missing of course also. Even if the content of the film is a little too detailed, which you know as a fan of course long ago, this documentary is absolutely worth watching!

Fans can also open Deadpool's bulging bag of fun. Inside are numerous, very watchable promo videos (approx. 23:54 min.) and a poster gallery. A preview of the latest X-Men movie rounds out the very good bonus offerings!

Conclusion: Deadpool is crude, brutal and delightfully politically incorrect. This (anti)hero is truly not for children! But after his disappointing performance in the first Wolverine movie, Deadpool gets to really let his hair down in his first own work and rip on everything and everyone. Fans were thrilled, giving the film a worldwide box office take of over $700 million. The Blu-ray and DVD release should add a few more dollars to that total. The Blu-ray presents the film in first-class picture and sound quality and also has a lot of good extras on board. For this there is from us the predicate: Absolute obligation program!!!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp