1. Deadpool (Fox, 3,558 Theaters, 108 Minutes, Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity, Rotten Tomatometer at press time: 82% Fresh [135 Reviews]): Deadpool’s rise in popularity came during a lull in my comic book buying. I own his first appearance, which will I’m sure will pay for my daughter’s college someday, but I missed pretty much everything that came after that.
So I am not one of those who were hooting and hollering for a film version of the character done right. Not that I’d say that I was satisfied with his appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but I wasn’t that much of a fanboy of the character that I welcomed a great version of the Merc With a Mouth.
However, this might be a first–a film version of a comic book character that might make me a fan of the character itself. The reviews have been fantastic (you can read FBOL Head Honcho Rich Drees’ take on it here) and it has been lauded as one of the best comic book films to date.
The film follows Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a mercenary who undergoes a special treatment to cure his cancer. The process works, but leaves him scarred physically and mentally. He escapes and becomes a hero to pass the time until he is able to find a better cure.
2. Zoolander No. 2 (Paramount, 3,394 Theaters,102 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, a scene of exaggerated violence, and brief strong language, Rotten Tomatometer at press time: 21% Fresh [96 Reviews]): This film, like Deadpool, had an arduous trek to the screen. It arrived 15 years after the original, and the reason for that was that it took a while for people to realized they wanted another Zoolander adventure.
In the film, beautiful people are dying with Zoolander’s signature look, Blue Steel, on their faces. Naturally, this draws the supermodel’s attention. However, Zoolander has become irrelevant over the years, and he might not have the swagger to solve this crime.
The film is loaded with stars, mostly in cameos, so it might be worth a viewing just for star watching.
3. How to Be Single (Warner Brothers, 3,343 Theaters,110 Minutes, Rated R for sexual content and strong language throughout, Rotten Tomatometer at press time: 53% Fresh [43 Reviews]): Savvy counterprogramming, or sacrificial lamb? Only time will tell!
This film wants to find out how to be single in New York City. Part of the answer involves sleeping around, a lot. But not every hook-up is the same–one person’s sexual liberation is another person’s trying to find a mate. The film details a bunch of unmarrieds as they navigate the landscape the best they can.
On the one hand, the film seems like a more diversely cast Sex and the City. On the other, if this is an honest look at the sexual mores of the day from a female perspective, it could say a lot about our culture.
