Deadpool

For F*** Magazine

DEADPOOL 

Director : Tim Miller
Cast : Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić, Leslie Uggams
Genre : Action/Comics
Run Time : 1 hr 49 mins
Opens : 11 February 2016
Rating : M18 (Sexual Scenes and Violence)

There’s an actual Deadpool movie and we’re reviewing it; this is a real pinch-me moment for any comic book fan. This X-Men spinoff centres around the invulnerable, trigger-happy, wisecracking, fourth wall-breaking antihero Deadpool. When mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds) is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he volunteers for an experimental procedure to cure him and grant him regenerative super-powers in the hopes that he can live out the rest of his days with the love of his life, Vanessa (Baccarin). Ajax (Skrein), one of the operatives in charge of his transformation, intends to torture Wade and lease his services to the highest bidder. Reborn as Deadpool, Wade seeks vengeance against Ajax and fears he won’t be able to win Vanessa back after being horribly disfigured, supported by his bartender friend Weasel (Miller) and blind landlady Al (Uggams). In the meantime, Colossus (Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Hildebrand) of the X-Men are out to recruit Deadpool to join their band of do-gooders.

            There’s definitely an underdog quality to the Deadpool movie. For years, it seemed just out of reach, no matter how hard star/producer Reynolds lobbied for it to get made. Despite repeated attempts by Fox execs to suppress it, it’s seen the light of day and was definitely worth the wait. First-time feature film director Tim Miller helms the movie with admirable confidence and the brash, tongue-in-cheek tone is very faithful to the character’s portrayal in the comics. Screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick of Zombieland fame have crammed the script with more smart-alecky pop culture references and snicker-inducing double entendres than you can shake a katana at. While this is still very much a straight-forward origin story decked out with bells and whistles, it is refreshing amidst the current landscape of comic book blockbusters which run the risk of feeling samey-samey. There’s a leanness to Deadpool that serves as a counterpoint to the bloat of more conventional franchise entries.

            Deadpool makes it known loud and proud that he’s far from a straight-arrow, nice guy superhero. He’s crass, cocky and all-around unpleasant, which means it might not be particularly easy to get audiences who aren’t already acquainted with his shenanigans to be in his corner. However, it is easy to see why Reynolds has such an affinity for the character, who like him, hails from Canada. Reynolds has been in a string of flops with most attempts at pushing him as an A-list leading man falling flat, and Deadpool is just the right material for his particular talents. To put it bluntly, Reynolds can sometimes come off as a bit of a douche, what with that smirking, handsome mug of his. Deadpool is unapologetically, 100% a douche. Surprisingly, Reynolds is also able to imbue the character with a decent amount of pathos and the sequence in which Wade is being tortured as he undergoes his transformation is genuinely affecting. There’s also a fight scene in which Reynolds gamely goes completely nude.

            The film’s limited budget means not being able to shell out for a star-studded supporting cast, a fact which is acknowledged as part of the self-aware humour. While the character is thinly-drawn, Baccarin is alluring as Vanessa and more than able to keep up with Reynolds’ non-stop snarking. A montage of Wade and Vanessa’s eyebrow-raising lovemaking proclivities is just the right combination of being a turn-on while also being hilariously uncomfortable. Colossus, with skin of metal and a heart of gold, provides plenty of laughs as well, despite the digital animation used to bring him to life falling a little short of the standard set by bigger-budgeted superhero movies. Miller’s comedic shtick can sometimes be annoying (see Transformers: Age of Extinction), but he tones things down and is able to sell Weasel as a comforting, familiar presence.

Alas, the film’s weakest point is its villains, with Skrein unable to bring much charisma or menace to the role of primary baddie Ajax. As Ajax’s henchwoman Angel Dust, MMA fighter Gina Carano stands around looking tough and throws punches when required. With his healing factor and formidable arsenal, Deadpool never actually faces a significant level of threat from his antagonists, but battling the bad guys consciously takes a back seat to the character strutting his irreverent stuff.

            Deadpool gleefully crosses the line at any given opportunity, revelling in the violence, nudity and profanity like nobody’s business. It adheres to plenty of tropes we’ve seen before in comic book character origin stories, but there’s definitely a new spin on things here to enjoy. Sure, there are audiences who will find Deadpool too smug and obnoxious for their tastes, which is completely understandable. And there will teenagers who will emulate the character’s unsavoury manner, thinking it’s the definition of cool. But if you’re experiencing comic book movie fatigue (and really, who isn’t at this point?), Deadpool is a delightfully naughty shock to the system. And yes, stick around for the de rigeur post-credits stinger which hints at things to come, albeit in the movie’s own offbeat way.

Summary: A fan-favourite character finally gets his due. While not as unconventional as it would like to be, Deadpool is what fans have been waiting for and is enjoyable in its wholehearted embracing of the source material.

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

Jedd Jong  

"I've already broken three WALL-Es before you!" 

The Transporter Refueled

For F*** Magazine

THE TRANSPORTER REFUELED

Director : Camille Delamarre
Cast : Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Loan Chabanol, Gabriella Wright, Tatjana Pajković, Wenxia Yu
Genre : Action
Run Time : 96 mins
Opens : 10 September 2015
Rating : NC-16 (Some Sexual References and Violence)

Frank Martin, badass chauffeur extraordinaire, rides again in this reboot of the Transporter franchise, with Ed Skrein stepping into the driver’s seat. Those who engage Frank’s professional services must abide by three rules: “no names”, “never change the deal” and “never open the package”. Frank plans on spending some quality time with his newly-retired father (Stevenson). However, he is called away on duty when a mysterious woman named Anna (Chabanol) hires him. What Frank thought was going to be a simple job ends up landing both him and his father in mortal danger, as Anna coerces Frank into helping her enact a deadly vendetta against ruthless prostitution kingpin Karasov (Radivoje Bukvić).

The Transporter series has been something of a cash cow for producer Luc Besson, the franchise comprising three feature films starring Jason Statham and a spin-off TV series starring Chris Vance. The premise lends itself well to an episodic nature – each new job Frank takes on brings with it new adventures. Naturally, Besson would be most unwilling to put said cash cow out to pasture, so here we are with yet another unnecessary reboot. Besson has put the new film in the hands of director Camille Delamarre, whose previous film, Brick Mansions, was also his directorial debut. From the get-go, it’s clear that The Transporter Refueled is a film that is being made purely for business purposes. It is intended to kick off a new trilogy co-produced by Besson’s EuropaCorp and Chinese company Fundamental Films, with at least one of these new movies slated to be shot in China.

All that cynicism aside, it is still possible to enjoy The Transporter Refueled as disposable entertainment. It is slick, glossy and glamourous, even more of an Audi commercial than the recent Hitman: Agent 47 was. The production values are solid enough, with sub-par computer-generated effects kept to a minimum. Stunt coordinator Laurent Demianoff and car stunt coordinator Michel Julienne are both frequent collaborators of Besson’s. While the stunts never reach the ludicrous heights of the previous films, there is still fun to be had and the pace is kept sufficiently brisk with chases, hand-to-hand fights and action sequences set on airport runways and in luxury yachts. Naturally, the plot is a mere inconvenience and secondary to the action, and scenes that are intended to be emotional generally fall flat. Oddly enough, the prologue takes place in 1995 and the bulk of the film takes place “15 years later”, meaning the movie is set in 2010. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to just set it 20 years after 1995, in 2015?

Frank Martin is still Jason Statham’s signature role and the figure of the driver in the sharp suit who can handle himself in a fight is somewhat iconic, so much so that Statham essentially cameoed as Frank in Michael Mann’s Collateral. Many have dismissed Ed Skrein, who vacated the role of Daario Naharis on Game of Thrones for this project, as just a pretty boy. While he doesn’t quite possess Statham’s natural gruffness, he is relatively charming in the part. Unfortunately, like many of today’s crop of leading men, there are times when he pitches his performance as “intense” but it reads as “flat” instead. Still, he’s able to carry himself well enough throughout the action and there’s an earnestness about him that is somewhat appealing.

French supermodel Loan Chabanol has poise to spare – alas, the same cannot be said of her acting chops. The Anna character, a former prostitute striking back against her criminal employers, should have far more of an impact than she does in Chabanol’s hands. Her sisters in arms, played by Gabriella Wright, Tatjana Pajković and Wenxia Yu, are barely discernible from one another and the film fails to substantially develop the bond between these women. The Russian mafia villains are about as stereotypical and generic as they come. It’s a good thing that Ray Stevenson is on hand to lend some personality as Frank Sr., clearly enjoying himself whether he’s putting the moves on Gina (Wright) or berating Frank Jr. for being 38 seconds late to pick him up. The film is clearly taking its cue from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, what with dear old dad calling his son “Junior” and inadvertently joining his son on a dangerous adventure. Needless to say it doesn't remotely approach the father-son chemistry provided by Sean Connery and Harrison Ford in that film.

The Transporter Refueled is little more than a generic, fizzy action flick but then again, it clearly has no aspirations to anything beyond that. The action manages to be inventive as if almost by accident, with a gag involving Frank using fire hydrants to distract his pursuers and a fight scene in a service corridor with drawers on either side being the standout moments. More polished than expected for a cash-in reboot, The Transporter Refueled is far from a fiery wreck, it’s just closer to a Ford Focus than an Audi S8.

Summary: A largely silly and unnecessary reboot, The Transporter Refueled is cinematic junk food, but it is slickly packaged and moves at a decent clip.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Jedd Jong