“Once Upon a Deadpool” is “Deadpool 2” Lite Looking to Grab a New Audience
By Liz Lopez
Rating: C
Are you already a fan of the “Deadpool” character and the films released in 2016 and earlier this year? If you are, then you can save yourself some cash or money from your holiday movie gift cards by skipping the new limited release of “Once Upon a Deadpool” that hits theaters this month. “Once Upon a Deadpool” is an edited version of “Deadpool 2,” to make it PG-13 for an audience the studio may have missed earlier this year. True fans of the superhero character with a dialogue that has obscenities in just about each sentence of the script will certainly miss the many scenes that make the character who he is – which are rated R and rightfully so.
On the plus side of why someone might want to pay to watch the film in the theater is to view and hear how Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) sits and reads the “Deadpool 2” bible- looking book to actor Fred Savage (“The Wonder Years,” “Deadpool 2”). Savage finds himself in a situation not of his own will in a bedroom set from “The Princess Bride,” recreating his role from that 1987 film. The whole time they are trying to keep the film within the new rating and Deadpool uses a device to bleep out the vulgarities. Even that wore thin very quickly. What is entertaining is viewing Reynolds and Savage in great comedic moments as they make comments about the story periodically during the film.
Unfortunately, I started to nod off during a long period of time that “Deadpool 2” scenes ran a bit too long when the two comedians weren’t bantering. “Once Upon a Deadpool” runs longer than necessary. If you have seen a film once, then subsequently see the poorly edited version for network TV, you will quickly understand the problems that lead someone to want to check out of the theater so soon.
“Once Upon a Deadpool” features the same characters as in “Deadpool 2,” among them Deadpool’s love interest, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin); robo-soldier Cable (Josh Brolin); a young mutant, Russell (Julian Dennison); as well as the “lucky” Domino (Zazie Beetz).
“Once Upon A Deadpool” starts today, Wednesday, December 12th and is now playing in select U.S. theaters for a limited run through December 24, 2018. It is 116 minutes long and rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, crude sexual content, language, thematic elements and brief drug material.
Source: 20th Century Fox