Deadpool

Regardless of its reluctance to accept the branding, Deadpool is a superhero movie, and with that comes plenty of baggage along with its box-office potential.

That’s especially true when dealing with the latest Marvel Comics adaptation, which means that cross-promotional goals are as important as distinguishing yourself in an overcrowded cinematic landscape.

Still, for a film obviously positioned as a franchise starter, its sardonic antihero takes a new path during his origin story, and his big-screen debut stands capably on its own.

The title character is actually the alter ego of Wade (Ryan Reynolds), a wisecracking loner and former Special Forces operative who hangs out at a dive bar, where he begins a romance with a cynical prostitute (Morena Baccarin).

Things turn serious for the free-spirited Wade when he’s diagnosed with a terminal illness, causing him to seek out a Russian doctor named Ajax (Ed Skrein) who promises to keep him alive. However, the sadistic procedure leaves Wade with a deformed body to go along with his invincible fighting ability. So he adopts a superhero persona, teams up with a pair of clumsy X-Men trainees (no, really), and seeks revenge on Ajax in hopes of reuniting with his oblivious girlfriend.

A buffed-up Reynolds conveys charisma and resiliency with a character that’s just charming and sympathetic enough to endure his obnoxious tendencies. Many of the rapid-fire one-liners offer big laughs, with an edgy abundance of self-deprecating jokes and clever pop-culture references in the repertoire (along with an awesome soundtrack of cheesy ballads). It’s certainly not kid-friendly.

The screenplay by the tandem of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland) gets carried away, however, with all of the in-jokes and self-awareness that seems to find its way into just about every new Marvel film. The aggressive attempts to squeeze another new character into the company’s big-screen universe detracts from the originality of its concept. Just because you poke fun at genre clichés doesn’t excuse you from indulging in them.

Yet from a broader standpoint, it’s a slick and stylish action movie that’s more emotionally grounded than some of its counterparts. Visually, rookie director Tim Miller uses slow motion and swooping camera movements to capture a thrilling car-crash sequence that forms the film’s centerpiece.

Deadpool should appeal both to fanboys familiar with the source material and outsiders who crave a fresh approach to stopping world domination.

Rated R, 108 minutes.