In today’s movie landscape, more and more superhero movies are either becoming too predictable or trying to be too hard to be dark and gritty. Which is why it’s so refreshing that every once in awhile we get a film like Deadpool, a film that’s crass, hilarious, ultra-violent, and when all is said and done, will go down in history as one of the genre’s all-time greats like Spider-Man 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers, and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, AKA “Deadpool,” in the leading role. After becoming romantically involved with Vanessa Carlysle (played by Morena Baccarin), Wade is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He later finds out about a mysterious organization which can cure him. Reluctant at first, Wade agrees to the treatment only to find out that this organization is creating super slaves. After being injected with a serum that cures his cancer, Wade is now immortal with the power to heal himself no matter the injury. However, he’s also left horribly disfigured with a face resembling that of Freddy Krueger. After being left for dead, Wade– now know as “Deadpool”– vows revenge and to reunite with Vanessa.

One of the best aspects of Deadpool is just how unconventional it is. Despite being a Marvel property, don’t walk in expecting something akin to The Avengers. This is a hard R from start to finish, filled with profanity, blood & gore, and a dash of nudity to boot. Despite this, the film doesn’t feel out of place in the established PG-13 X-Men universe that the movie takes place in. This is thanks to inclusions of other X-Men characters like Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead which makes the film feel like it’s a part of a bigger universe, and unlike Avenger: Age of Ultron, doesn’t ruin the pacing of the film.

The movie has more going for it than its rating and connection to the X-Men universe. Deadpool as a character is unlike anything you’ve seen before in a superhero movie. He’s constantly breaking the 4th wall, and frequently talks directly to the audience commenting on the film’s plot and the X-Men universe as a whole.

Deadpool is also the funniest superhero movie since Guardians of the Galaxy. Nearly every joke is a home run. While some of the jokes concerning the career failures of main star Ryan Reynolds and previous  X-Men movies might fly over some audience members’ heads, for the most part you will have a permanent grin on your face throughout the movie, from the absolutely hilarious opening credits to the end credits scene.

Probably the most surprising aspect of Deadpool is that it has the best relationship portrayed in a superhero film. Unlike other superhero films where this tends to be the weakest part of the movie, Deadpool manages to make it one of the film’s best aspects. You actually care about these two characters and hope that they reunite in the end.  

If there’s one criticism I could give this film, it is the run time. At an hour and 46 minutes, Deadpool is way too short for a film that’s this good. I’m glad that the film isn’t a bloated two and a half hours like some more recent superhero movies. However, an extra fifteen or twenty minutes would have left me more satisfied.

That being said, Deadpool is still an amazing movie, and one of the few I’ve wanted to see a second time in the theater. If other movies like Captain America: Civil War or Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice are as good as this, then 2016 will go down in history as the best year for superhero movies.  Overall, I would give Deadpool a 9 out of 10, as it’s easily one of the best superhero films of the decade.