R-Rated Deadpool Movie: Dead Right, or Dead Wrong?
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – April 2, 2015 (Gephardt Daily)
In a move that is being embraced by many hardcore comic book fans and criticized by more casual, mainstream super hero movie fans, Fox has officially announced that they are going for an R-rating for the movie “Deadpool.”
Based on Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, “Deadpool” tells the origin story of a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary named Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), who is subjected to a top secret experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers. He adopts the alter ego of Deadpool, and, armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Wilson hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.
Reynolds previously appeared as Wade Wilson in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” but while fans largely agreed that he was perfect for the role, the film’s portrayal of Deadpool himself was received about as warmly as a porcupine in a nudist colony.
“The first fifteen minutes of X-Men were a perfect representation of Deadpool,” says Michael Kimball, an English and Literature Professor at the College of Southern Nevada, who sometimes uses comic books and graphic novels in his classes. “Sadly, they took away his voice at the end, completely eliminated any humor from his personality, and turned him into some strange type of super-mutant that could do everything.”
Popular Utah author Guy Galli (“Shadow Hunter,” “Keepers of the Sword” and “Lifted Up”) is a lifelong, obsessive Deadpool fan.
“Deadpool’s my thing. I’ve been a fan of him since New Mutants #98 and loved him ever since then,” said Galli. “I’ve got so many Deadpool figurines, and they’re old and rare. My wife actually thinks I might have a problem with it.”
Galli practically echoes Kimball’s sentiments about the previous film portrayal, but where the two differ is on the issue of the R-rating for the new film.
“I’ve always found the violence to play into his critique of the superhero world, in that he breaks through the constraints that usually hold other superheroes back,” said Kimball, who believes that an R-Rating is the best way to capture the material.
Galli, however, is devastated by the news.
“You can do a great action show without making it rated R,” Galli stated emphatically. “You have to write it tighter, and you have to write it better, but you can do it.”
One aspect that both of these die hard fans feel strongly about is that an important quality of the character is that Deadpool is the superhero who “breaks the fourth wall.”
“He always knew that he was in a comic book,” Galli explained, going on to reference a personal favorite moment from the comics.
“Deadpool walks in, and Wolverine says ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you,’ Galli said, clearly amused at the memory.”And Deadpool says ‘Yeah, it’s hasn’t been since X-Men ’93.'”
Galli feels that the R-Rating will work against the film, not only in pushing out a wider, younger mainstream super hero fan audience, but also in being truthful to the spirit of the character.
“Well, Deadpool, has changed over the years,” Galli asserted. “When he started, he was the Merc with the Mouth. He wasn’t the Merc with the foul mouth. He was wisecracking, he taunted people. He knew he was in a comic book. He wasn’t afraid to die because he knew the writers would write back anyone.”
Galli feels that the perfect solution would have been one suggested by Jessica Chobot of www.nerdist.com, who had read the profanity laced script but found a way to make it work as a PG-13.
“Keep the script you’re happy with, bleep out the naughty words, and let Wade Wilson break the fourth wall to comment on the fact that he mysteriously can’t swear without hearing a loud noise,” Chabot said.
“That would be so much better, so much funnier, and so much truer to who Deadpool really is,” Galli said. “If you take the time and do it right, you can give the fans what they want, and make ’em laugh.”
Galli feels that playing Deadpool as an F-bomb dropping action hero is the lazy way out.
“Those are a dime a dozen, and Deadpool is truly unique,” Galli said. “And I wish they would give him what he deserves by making a movie that is as unique as he is.”
