We saw Deadpool (2016) at the local drive-in last night. Coming in at a comfortable 1:48:xx, this movie makes a claim to be the king of snark, and all aspects must be observed, from credits to snappy asides to the audience to (according to official reviews) references to past movies performed by the stars. As I greatly appreciate well turned snark, I found this portion of the movie to be right up to snuff.
(Random, sleep-deprived-fueled thought: the snappy aside to the audience is known as “breaking the fourth wall” in circles inhabited by critics and writers. The movie attempts some sort of unusual use of this technique that I didn’t really catch. I am suddenly wondering if any dramatic production has ever attempted a different variant: two characters “break the wall” – to two different audiences. Perhaps one speaks to the camera and one speaks slightly off-kilter, visually speaking, to the same camera…. Think of a multiverse. A technique to be used for a specific reason.)
This movie is, to use my Arts Editor’s observation, virtually “plot-free”. Oh, there’s a plot, a goal for Deadpool, a man who has acquired super-powers through human machinations, and now seeks revenge on his savior (he comes to his skill in snark through perfectly normal procedures) while saving his girl. But the theme of the movie? Off the top of my head, I couldn’t name it. Nothing to really chew on. This movie is all about style as embodied in the snark, the restraint-free profanity, and the violence that is eternally rained down on both the bad guys and on Deadpool.
If & when the owners of this franchise choose to make a sequel, I believe using the same approach would be a mistake. They will need to find an interesting theme and explore it using Deadpool’s unique capabilities and viewpoint on life, or audiences will simply react with “been there, done that.” In the end, despite the delight it brings, snark is the medium … not the message.
