Action Adventure

'Deadpool' Blu-ray Review: A comic book movie, with maximum effort

May 11, 2016Ben MK



FEATURE: 
Out of all the heroes and villains in Marvel Comics' pantheon of characters, perhaps none is as irreverent as Deadpool, the smart-mouthed anti-hero cooked up by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza over 20 years ago. Unfortunately, Deadpool's big screen debut in X-men Origins: Wolverine was what the character himself would call "a career low," and star Ryan Reynolds has been championing for a proper Deadpool movie ever since.

Enter Deadpool, a movie that doesn't waste a single R-rated minute letting audiences know it's not your typical superhero adventure, with an opening credits sequence that substitutes phrases like "God's Perfect Idiot," "Asshats" and "An Overpaid Tool" for the names of its star, producers and director. All this while Deadpool (Reynolds) puts his trademark brand of hurt on an SUV full of bad guys, as tongue-in-cheek sight gags like a People Magazine cover and a Green Lantern trading card (both featuring Reynolds' smiling mug) float into frame.

It sets a sly wink-and-a-nod tone for the picture, which director Tim Miller and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick comprise of two major action set-pieces: a freeway battle sequence that's intercut with flashbacks detailing Deadpool's backstory, and a final act that sees Deadpool teaming up with X-Man Colossus (a CG creation voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and X-Men trainee Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrande) to confront his mutant nemesis Ajax (Ed Skrein) and Ajax's super-strong henchman Angel Dust (Gina Carano).

The film also features Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller and Leslie Uggams, but if you're hoping for a Hugh Jackman cameo, don't hold your breath. In every other regard, however, Deadpool satisfies, delivering all the slick action, fourth-wall breaks and pop culture references you could ever hope for from a movie starring "the Merc with a Mouth." The result? Undoubtedly one of the most unconventional superhero films out there. But seeing as how Deadpool is just about the furthest thing from your conventional superhero, it's hard to demand much more.

AUDIO & VISUALS: 
Deadpool may be "the Merc with a Mouth," but Deadpool's Blu-ray presentation is more than just empty talk. Picture quality is sharp, enhanced by a layer of subtle film grain, and fine detail and colors are spot-on, bringing out the texturing of Deadpool's comic-authentic suit, as well as the contrast between its crimson red and coal black hues. Likewise, the aural experience provided by the movie's the primary DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix is equally spectacular, creating a satisfyingly chaotic listening space comprised of gunfire, hand-to-hand combat and all-around general destruction, not to mention the sound of Deadpool's katanas slicing through his enemies.

EXTRAS: 
Fox's two-disc Blu-ray release includes an iTunes/UltraViolet digital copy, a DVD and the following Blu-ray extras:

  • Deleted/Extended Scenes (19:14) - 10 scenes, with optional audio commentary by director Tim Miller ("Prison: The Raft," "Cancer World Tour," "Extended Freeway," "Extended Workshop Fight," "Morgue," "5 Year Montage," "No5 Bathroom," "Extended Angel/NTW Fight," "Extended Rubble Pile: Gratuitous Worth It" and "Alt Coda").
  • Gag Reel (6:12) - A collection of outtakes from the set.
  • From Comics to Screen... to Screen (1:20:00) - A five-part documentary that looks at Deadpool's comic book beginnings and the making of the film, with a focus on the characters, the costume, makeup and production design, the stunt and camera work, the visual effects and the score by Junkie XL.
  • Audio Commentary with "Wade"/"Deadpool"/Producer Ryan Reynolds and Screenwriter Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick - The trio talk about everything from the concept behind the film's opening titles sequence to the makeup effects and the jokes, with a few anecdotes about the production along the way.
  • Audio Commentary with Director Tim Miller and Deadpool Co-Creator/Comics Artist Rob Liefeld - The pair talk about the characters , the action sequences, the stunts, the nods to the comics, the music and more.
  • Gallery - 22 pieces of "Concept Art" ("Freeway," "X-Mansion Hangar," "Workshop" and "Shipyard"), 19 images of "Costumes" ("Deadpool," "Ajax," "Colossus," "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" and "Angel Dust"), 643 "Storyboards" ("Freeway," "En Route to Shipyard," "Shipyard - Mercenary Fight" and "Shipyard - Aftermath"), 2 "Pre-Vis" sequences ("Freeway Sequence" and "Bullet Sequence") and "Stunt-Vis - Shipyard."
  • Deadpool's Fun Sack (23:54) - 19 promos, trailers and TV spots ("April Fools' Rating Announcement," "Fantastic Four Deadpool Teaser," "Trailer Trailer," "Theatrical Trailer 1," "Red Band Trailer 1," "Happy Halloween," "Brazil Comic-Con Greeting," "#12DaysOfDeadpool," "Experience Me in IMAX," "Deadpool's Trailer's Eve," "Theatrical Trailer 2," "Red Band Trailer 2," "Blatant Bachelor Baiting TV Spot," "Australia Day Greeting," "Touch Yourself Tonight," "Gentlemen, Touch Yourself Tonight," "Ladies, Touch Yourself Tonight," "Chinese New Year Greeting" and "Superb Owl TV Spot") and 7 promo images and posters.

Deadpool is available from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment as of May 10th, 2016. The Blu-ray features English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1, and English Dolby Digital 5.1 Descriptive Audio tracks. The film is presented with English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles. The total runtime is 1 Hr. 48 Mins.





* Reviewer's note: Portions of this Blu-ray review were adapted from my original review of the theatrical release, published on February 8th, 2016.



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