So, in a sea of summer blockbusters, including everything from edgy action films, to high-art showpieces and of course, films in which people repeatedly punch each-other, there's been very little that I've enjoyed. Terminator Genisys had a good attempt at butchering the franchise more than Salvation did the reboot of Fantastic Four failed to revitalise the series, and Jurassic World played on your nostalgia more than Bill Nye guest-starring in Fresh Prince. It has been a summer of mediocrity, when it should have been astounding.
That's why one of my favourite things to come from this summer's film scene wasn't actually a film, but a trailer. And not even a great one at that. Deadpool's trailer essentially rehashed a lot of the test-footage which had been leaked previously, so way did I get so excited?
The trailer looks rather promising
I understand that this term has been thrown at many, many motion pictures, and that the trailer is certainly not in anyway representative of the final product. The aforementioned Genisys managed to ruin it's major twist in a trailer, arguably rendering the film pretty unnecessary for a lot of fans, so please don't tell me that trailers are useless, even in this day and age.
Furthermore, if you've managed to have a gander at the test footage for Deadpool from about a year ago, you'll see that very little has changed when you compare it, and the new red-band trailer side by side. The shots mostly remain the same, only the video as a whole has been notably sharpened up. I would call it lazy, but the test footage worked pretty well, building hype for the film. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Furthermore, if you've managed to have a gander at the test footage for Deadpool from about a year ago, you'll see that very little has changed when you compare it, and the new red-band trailer side by side. The shots mostly remain the same, only the video as a whole has been notably sharpened up. I would call it lazy, but the test footage worked pretty well, building hype for the film. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I mean, the fact that both a green-band, and a red-band trailer was made was also great. If you're going to do a Deadpool film, we'll have less of all this kid-friendly business.
It sticks quite close to the source material
This seems to be one of very few comic-book movies which refrains from the temptation to just butcher various bits of source material into something remotely resembling a film. See the latest rehashing of the Fantastic Four franchise, or any other recent X-Men film.
All the key tropes of Deadpool are explicitly present in the above trailer: The almost adolescent wackiness, the not-too-subtle fourth wall breaks, and his prowess with katanas and pistols are all evident. Without going through the Deadpool Wiki-page and cross-referencing it with every single page of Tim Miller's script, this incarnation of Deadpool appears to be the most accurate one to date, certainly in a different league to Renold's previous rendition. It would've been very easy for someone to cut out Deadpool's awareness that he's in a film, in order to fit better in an established cinematic universe, but thankfully, that isn't the case.
And I must say, the very end of the red band trailer bares witness to Deadpool inhaling the smoke from his pistols, and exclaiming directly to the camera, "I'm touching myself tonight," was an excellent finish, bordering on childish, but hitting the nail of the character straight on the head.
All the key tropes of Deadpool are explicitly present in the above trailer: The almost adolescent wackiness, the not-too-subtle fourth wall breaks, and his prowess with katanas and pistols are all evident. Without going through the Deadpool Wiki-page and cross-referencing it with every single page of Tim Miller's script, this incarnation of Deadpool appears to be the most accurate one to date, certainly in a different league to Renold's previous rendition. It would've been very easy for someone to cut out Deadpool's awareness that he's in a film, in order to fit better in an established cinematic universe, but thankfully, that isn't the case.
And I must say, the very end of the red band trailer bares witness to Deadpool inhaling the smoke from his pistols, and exclaiming directly to the camera, "I'm touching myself tonight," was an excellent finish, bordering on childish, but hitting the nail of the character straight on the head.
We need a silly superhero
You know Guardians of the Galaxy, right? The film which knocked Tom Hiddleston out of the way, making Chris Pratt the new Tumblr sensation, making sales of Parks and Recreation go through the roof? That being said, Hiddleston is still pretty top.
Well, my theory, and that of many others, is that the film was popular as it allowed fans a break from a plethora of serious blockbusters. In a summer of serious films, American Sniper, Godzilla, and even a bunch of other Marvel bits, the story of Peter Quill being thrown into a other-worldly adventure was just what everyone needed. I mean, we all wondered what would happen in a final confrontation between good and evil, and Chris Pratt resolved the matter appropriately through non-violent means; a dance off.
In a world which has seen a fair few Marvel films alone, each taking themselves more seriously than the last, it's about time we had a silly one. I mean, I know Deadpool is under Fox, but you know what I mean. Anyway, if you're going to do a slightly silly film, Deadpool's arguably the best character for it.
Well, my theory, and that of many others, is that the film was popular as it allowed fans a break from a plethora of serious blockbusters. In a summer of serious films, American Sniper, Godzilla, and even a bunch of other Marvel bits, the story of Peter Quill being thrown into a other-worldly adventure was just what everyone needed. I mean, we all wondered what would happen in a final confrontation between good and evil, and Chris Pratt resolved the matter appropriately through non-violent means; a dance off.
In a world which has seen a fair few Marvel films alone, each taking themselves more seriously than the last, it's about time we had a silly one. I mean, I know Deadpool is under Fox, but you know what I mean. Anyway, if you're going to do a slightly silly film, Deadpool's arguably the best character for it.
There's tons of opportunity here
I know this is normally the case with every film loosely based off of a previous IP, but Deadpool is once again the exception.
Thankfully, the much awaited R-rating has been confirmed for the 2016 release, which was met with many joyous celebrations from fans of the mouthy merc. Can you imagine attempting to portray the character in a friendly PG manner?
If there's any hope of doing the character justice, it's with an array of strong language and violence that is only possible through a rating which makes it tricky for kids to view. I mean, it's a win-win really. Kids don't have their innocence spoilt, and us adults don't have to endure a half-measured version of Deadpool.
Now that Reynolds and friends have the all-clear to do whatever they fancy, I'd expect one of the most accurate depictions of a comic-book character to date. Take that, Deadpool from that awful Wolverine film. Oh God, the memories...
Thankfully, the much awaited R-rating has been confirmed for the 2016 release, which was met with many joyous celebrations from fans of the mouthy merc. Can you imagine attempting to portray the character in a friendly PG manner?
If there's any hope of doing the character justice, it's with an array of strong language and violence that is only possible through a rating which makes it tricky for kids to view. I mean, it's a win-win really. Kids don't have their innocence spoilt, and us adults don't have to endure a half-measured version of Deadpool.
Now that Reynolds and friends have the all-clear to do whatever they fancy, I'd expect one of the most accurate depictions of a comic-book character to date. Take that, Deadpool from that awful Wolverine film. Oh God, the memories...
The movie represents a lot
Of course, it's great that everyone gets to watch a full feature-length film of their childish gore-filled fantasy. I mean, there will inevitably be a few who pan the film regardless of how good it is, but just think what a successful, or even half-decent Deadpool offering would do.
The leaking of test footage at last year's Comic-Con in San Diego subsequently forced Fox to greenlight this film. It was due to the immense pressure from countless fans, that this film even exists.
Many a sequel has gone ignored, as studios believe they can ignore the excessive demand for certain films. A personal favourite of mine, the petition for a sequel to 2012's Dredd, has gained little traction over it's duration for that very reason. That, and the lack of commercial viability, of course.
So while we won't get our Dredd 2, or sequels to numerous other cult-classics, we can pave the way for a louder voice for future fans. Don't sit back idly and watch the latest Transformers butchering, go and tell people what you want to see, and then tell the people who can make it happen. If future film releases are gauged on fans and interest rather than revenue and commercial success, everyone will be a bit better off. At the very least, you'll see less annoying trailers while you're waiting for Deadpool to come on.
The leaking of test footage at last year's Comic-Con in San Diego subsequently forced Fox to greenlight this film. It was due to the immense pressure from countless fans, that this film even exists.
Many a sequel has gone ignored, as studios believe they can ignore the excessive demand for certain films. A personal favourite of mine, the petition for a sequel to 2012's Dredd, has gained little traction over it's duration for that very reason. That, and the lack of commercial viability, of course.
So while we won't get our Dredd 2, or sequels to numerous other cult-classics, we can pave the way for a louder voice for future fans. Don't sit back idly and watch the latest Transformers butchering, go and tell people what you want to see, and then tell the people who can make it happen. If future film releases are gauged on fans and interest rather than revenue and commercial success, everyone will be a bit better off. At the very least, you'll see less annoying trailers while you're waiting for Deadpool to come on.
