By By: CHRISTINE AIKEN
Columnist
aikenc@umail.iu.edu
You are about to embark on a journey to a galaxy far, far away where no man has gone before. It is a place where the princess is almost always in another castle, the cake is a lie, and Spock vaporizes rock.
In this world, it is cool to dress as a superhero on a Monday in the middle of July. It is even cooler if you have battle scars from playing “Smash Brothers.” And in this world, if you don’t know who Inigo Montoya is, you need to find a copy of “The Princess Bride” and watch it immediately.
The world to which I refer is, of course, this new column. Even if you are simply nerd-curious, I invite you to read this weekly feature and check out some of the treasures within.
One such treasure is a little thing called “Deadpool.” This writer admits that she knew almost nothing about Wade Wilson and his antihero alter ego prior to watching the recently released trailer for the upcoming “Deadpool” movie. The character appeared in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” but wasn’t really portrayed quite as he is in the comics, although actor Ryan Reynolds plays the character in both films. In the comics, “Deadpool” is aware that he is a fictional comic book character and often makes reference to this fact for humorous effect.
The trailer for the new film, due in February, starts off pretty grim. Wade Wilson is a decent enough guy with a beautiful woman by his side who finds out that he has cancer throughout his body and is going to die.
Enter government types and scientists who can save his life if he is willing to become their special science project. The result of this project is Deadpool, who is a kind-of, sort-of superhero who seems to really enjoy amusing himself and creating carnage.
This isn’t happy-go-lucky, typical Marvel fare for all ages, boys and girls. If the trailer tells us anything, this film will be raw and unflinching, very much in the vein of the new “Daredevil” series on Netflix. If you have ever sat through an Avengers or X-Men movie, feeling dissatisfied by a scene that was toned down for the kids or had one too many double entendres, then Deadpool will definitely be a must-see film for you. Ryan Reynolds’s brand of humor is perfect for this role. So even if you hated The Green Lantern, please keep in mind that the actor probably didn’t write the script or make the decision to use an animated superhero suit. In fact, this is made fun of in the trailer for “Deadpool.”
Does it make sense that most Marvel and other comic book movies cater to the younger generation? Of course it does. It is nice that the adults get at least one movie that is fearless and really captures the spirit of the character. At least that is the hope. Ladies, instead of going to see that sappy romantic comedy on Valentine’s Day, do yourself a favor and check out Deadpool. I can almost guarantee it will be like nothing you’ve ever seen.
