Once Upon a Deadpool

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Once Upon a Deadpool does something I never thought would ever work. It actually makes a genuinely believable way that Deadpool could be PG-13. Much of Once Upon a Deadpool is just the PG-13 version of Deadpool 2. It’s the wraparound story that makes this movie work better than it probably should. In case you don’t know, the wraparound for this movie is that Deadpool has kidnapped Fred Savage in an attempt to retell Deadpool 2 by reconstructing the bedroom set from The Princess Bride. In many ways, Savage acts as every fanboy with nitpicks, and he actually addresses a lot of the complaints that came out with Deadpool 2. I do have to admit that Once Upon a Deadpool is inferior to the original version of Deadpool 2. The reason is because, while this movie proved that Deadpool could work in PG-13 form, he’s still better served with an R rating. Sometimes, the trimming feels a little distracting. When it comes to the swearing, they find a clever way around it (Deadpool personally uses a bleeper that he just happens to have). But, the more violent moments are where things get distracting. It always comes across as though they are trying to cut corners. At times, it feels like these moments lose some punch in my opinion. Nowhere did I find this more evident than in the X-Force scene. Do I think Once Upon a Deadpool is worth a watch? Yes I do. Do I think you absolutely need to go out and see it in theaters? No I don’t. One of the sentiments I have heard about this movie is that it might have been better served as a special edition on Blu-Ray, and probably didn’t need to be a theatrical release. While I am glad I saw this film, I do have to echo those sentiments.

6 / 10