DEADPOOL

Ryan Reynolds     Ed Skrein     Morena Baccarin     T. J. Miller     Stefan Kapicic     Brianna Hildebrand

          This latest Marvel Comics production is sure to please the fans.  Loaded with heroics and physically impossible altercations and gun battles, it mixes in plenty of humor, excitement, and pathos.  Wade Wilson (Reynolds) was a Special Forces operative who was experimentally treated for cancer by Ajax (Skrein), which left his face woefully disfigured, although he is given super powers that seem to compensate very well.  He has taken the name of Deadpool, and is out to wreak revenge on the perpetrator, while as a mercenary, he dispenses with bad guys. 

         Meanwhile, he has fallen in love with the beautiful Vanessa (Baccarin) and plans to get right back to her after he has taken care of his enemy.  He will need to have help, primarily from the Colossus (Kapicic), who is still trying to persuade Deadpool to join the X-Men, and Colossus’ sidekick Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Hildebrand) who can transform herself into a fiery cannonball, leaving violent explosions in her wake.  Moral support comes from Deadpool’s old friend and barkeep, Weasel (Miller). 

        Director Tim Miller and his colleagues have used special effects to great advantage in the action scenes that in addition to countless hand-to-hand combat also involve screeching car crashes on freeways, explosions, and huge buildings taking a giant slide down the hill.  Composer Junkie XL has provided a musical score that blends well with the action scenes and tender moments—sometimes with a little humor.

     Reynolds holds his own in the lead role, and Ed Skrein makes a fearsome evil counterpart.  The love scenes between Reynolds and Baccarin have just the right mixture of sexy and funny to keep up entertainment value.  Kapicic and Hildebrand as the Colossus and partner provide extra color and interest.

Marvel Comics fans will consume this concoction with relish.

Grade:  B+                                                 By Donna R. Copeland

THE TRANSPORTER REFUELED

--> Ed Skrein     Ray Stevenson     Loan Chabanol     Gabriella Wright

-->

           Fast-paced action and full of special effects, wild gunfire, and spectacular car chases, Transporter Refueled doesn’t contain much that is surprising, but it is done with style, sometimes in the most elegant of places.  (It was filmed in France, including Paris.)  Although this is the fourth in a series of Transporters (referring to one who transports packages for unknown clients), it stars for the first time Ed Skrein as Frank Martin reprising the role made famous by Jason Statham.  The terms of the transporting contract are succinctly spelled out:  No changing the deal, no opening the package, and the identities of the players are withheld. 

            In this feature, Frank takes on a job that involves highly skilled attractive women out for money and revenge.  All he knows is that he is supposed to transport two packages and take them in his car to a certain destination.  Little does he know what he is getting into, nor that it will also involve his father, Frank Martin senior (Stevenson).  The two had been looking forward to some father-son bonding for the weekend, but that will be delayed.

           In addition to hand-to-hand combat and firing weapons, the action includes a car driving up airport loading docks and through the lobby, eventually flying through the air and landing on all four wheels upright.  This is in addition to two people who have to escape from a plane while it’s rolling down the runway.  Skrein steps into the hero role with ease, carrying just the right amount of iciness, muscle power, and passion to be convincing.  Of course, typical of this genre, the hero can do away with four, five, six bruisers all by himself.  Frank’s humanness comes through especially when he is with his father.  He cares so much about him, he’ll risk his life for him, and still, they have arguments and digs at each other that are typical father-son exchanges, slightly aggressive, impatient, and sometimes funny. 

           The group of women, led by Anna (Chabanol), have interesting back stories, and perform actions that in the past were mostly reserved for men, e.g., combat, electronics, and bank heists.  Chabanol (Fading Gigolo, Third Person) is early in her acting career, but she has other talents too in modeling, art, and writing.  In Anna, she fits the role well in its requirement that she be mysterious, crafty, physically tough, AND beautiful. 

“Packages” get delivered; revenge is bittersweet. 

Grade:  C+                                                                        By Donna R. Copeland