Deadpool, a Perfect Valentine’s Day Treat

Coming to theaters this Valentine’s Day, a former special forces operative, Wade Wilson, is faced with a new kind of battle when he is diagnosed with cancer. He and his heartbroken girlfriend, Vanessa, grapple with what could be his last few months on this world. In desperation, he finds a brief glimpse of shimmering hope in a dangerous experimental cure. With this new found chance to reclaim his future with Vanessa, the brave young fighter goes forth into the fight of his life. This all sounds like a nice heartwarming romantic movie for a Valentine’s Day date, right? Well, it may very well be a great date idea, however, this summary describes the beginning to the movie DeadPool, a movie that can’t be much further from a stereotypical Valentine’s Day movie.

Featuring none other than Marvel’s now iconic “merc with a mouth”, Ryan Reynolds will star as Deadpool in his very own R rated antihero adventure full of ultra-violence, crude humor, course language, and saucy remarks. While some recent advertisements might suggest differently, by simply viewing the Deadpool trailer in the link above, any potential moviegoer would pick up on the offbeat sarcastic tone of the film. Deadpool is a character loved by fans for his ability to break the fourth wall and to satire the more stereotypical super hero movies.

It is only fitting, therefor, that the movie’s advertisements are equally self aware. By jokingly advertising itself as a romance and by opening on Valentine’s Day, Deadpool is humorously showing the audience the style of comedy they are in for. The character, Deadpool, is notorious for breaking the fourth wall, thus he can directly address the movie going audience in his trailers, allowing for such commercials as this. Aired during The Bachelor, Deadpool appears holding a rose while talking seductively to the audience about how his story was actually, “a love story”. This satiric take on The Bachelor’s iconic rose is contrasted by the action scenes and comedic remarks that immediately follow, showing that while, yes, romance does play its role in the movie, romance definitely does not define the movie’s genre.

    While it is certainly not a typical Valentine’s Day romance, but instead an action packed comedy of sorts, many couples will likely be including this interesting piece of cinema into their Valentine’s Day schedule. These ironic advertisements seem to be hitting their mark as Deadpool’s interesting “charm” appears to be making quite the impression.

-Lane, Austin, and Allen