First I just want to say that the opening scene of this movie is just ingenious! I love the soft music accompanying the violence in slow motion with the funny text and references to things, like Green Lantern card and the small details like the Hello Kitty lip balm :-D Absolutely love it!
Then to the issue: I would like to give it thumbs up... but I don't know if I can.
X Portion of male and female characters
Of all credited, there were 23 men and 11 women.
Of speaking roles, there were 11 men and 8 women.
Protagonist: male
Main female character: his girlfriend
Main villain: male
Villain's sidekick: female
Villain's henchmen: all male
Protagonist's supporters
best friend: male
colleagues: male and female
parent figure: female
Most lines were for 3 men and female lead
The most important female supporting roles had less words than the less important male supporting roles.
Men had about 6 times more words than women.
Speaking time for men and women
About 2/3 of the movie had no women depicted, or in the background saying nothing.
The narrator is male.
The female and male characters are generally speaking equal, considering that 5 of the main characters are sort of mutants, either born or made that way, 3 males and 2 females. The only three of the main characters who are "normal" is the female lead and two of the main males supporters, one male and one female.
Now, one could discuss if that makes the male lead better than the female lead. I think the movie says it is so.
When Wade and Vanessa starts being together, they are sort of equal, Vanessa having a slight edge. When Wade gets sick, Vanessa becomes even stronger.
Then Wade goes through the enhancement and the power balance changes, and the film makers put Vanessa in a position where only enhanced Wade can rescue her, and she needs to be rescued, because she is not equal to her captor either.
So... no.
Director: male
Writers: 13 men (11 of these are comic writers who have worked with the characters)
1 of 10 producers is a woman
In the rest of the production team, there's about 1000 men and about 300 women.
X The Uphold Test
on-set crew: 153 men, 16 women
X The Rees Davies Test
Location and transportation departments don't have at least 2 of the minority gender. Interesting thing here is that the rest of the departments seem to have. Even lighting, camera, electrics and grip.
X The White Test
- Half of the department heads are women: no - 20/3
- Half of the members of each department are women: not even close
- Half of the crew members are women: no
The gender balance and presentation is not equal.
V Gender Freedom:"Boys and girls" get to do the same things.
I would say all women have gender neutral roles, in a way. Now, they are not gender neutral in that all the women are without a doubt women, but the roles could have been played by a male without much difference.
Now, there are a couple of points made that wouldn't have worked if the female character had been male. (Wardrobe malfunction scene, for example. Getting punched on the nuts. And so on.)
Most of what is being said, could have been said by either gender.
There is a lot of talk about love and relationships, but that's kind of the point with the movie. None of the women is IMO a caricature of a woman. None of them is portrayed as a frail and romantic, in need of protection and taking care of, submissive or domestic. (Not that being domestic is wrong, just that it's a stereotype.) None of them seems to be overly concerned about their appearance, clothes or weight. Though I have to say the Negasonic Teenage Warhead has a very strong style, so she obviously cares about her appearance, but it is not your typical cheerleader kind of style. She isn't trying to be pretty, she is trying to be unique individual, and she succeeds.
Also, the whole point with the movie is that Wade is acutely aware of being ugly and disgusting, and it makes him do stupid choices and get into trouble.
Women are depicted as active, go-getters. They take initiative. They ask questions. They answer questions. They don't sit quiet and wait for someone to take care of everything. Women are shown solving problems and making decisions and saving others, men and women.
Now, I don't remember much eating happening in this movie. There is a pizza and a thanksgiving dinner, but not much eating happening...
There is a doctor in this movie and she is an Asian-American woman.
Angel, Al and Ellie are not romantically connected to a male character or not related to one.
Wade is depicted scared, sad, crying, confused, worried, in need of comfort and support. Boys are allowed to cry.
Deadpool and Dopinder talk about Dopinder's girlfriend and love - the classic female discussion.
V Gender Safety and sexualization:
Body image... I think the two main actors are a bit thin... but not overly so. So, perhaps the body image is healthy and realistic. Now, this is Hollywood after all, so there IS a somewhat unrealistic body image present... these are people who work hard to get the body they have, and they play people who do not work out much. I like Arrow because they show him working out all the time.
No wasp waists and boobs pushed into one's face.
Except in the infamous striptease club scene... X-[ So - this movie doesn't pass the "objectification" part. *sigh*
Now, Vanessa is beautiful and sexy, but she is also depicted as "normal" - normally dressed, doing normal stuff, not presented as all dolled up for men to look at. She is usually shown as the male characters are shown, from neck up.
I think all the female characters are beautiful, but all are definitely toned down from the comic book original. Now one could discuss the "demotion" of Vanessa from a shapeshifting mutant into a "normal" person, but - it works. Now, they could have chosen some other character than a named one whom every fan of the comics knows is a mutant.
She is naked in the movie. So is the main male character. This movie would have passed that test without the striptease join scene, which was totally unnecessary. A lot of breasts in that scene.
There is one teenager in the movie and she is depicted fully clothed all the time.
There are no rapes in this movie.
There is one scene where a minor character harasses the female lead, and the male lead tries to defend her and take care of her, and she steps in and takes care of herself, which the male lead finds very attractive. This is one reason why the "damsel in distress" ending irritates me. It is so unnecessary and... sort of out of character.
Then there is A LOT of lewd and obscene language that might or might not pass as sexual violence.
Other than that, I think this movie passes on sexual violence and abuse.
Now... the next part is a bit difficult, and it is even addressed in the movie.
"This is confusing. Is it sexist to hit you? Is it more sexist to not hit you? I mean, the line gets real... blurry!"
There is a lot of violence in this movie. At home Wade is a nice and kind guy. He doesn't hit his girlfriend, he doesn't push her around, he doesn't try to dominate her. But then he doesn't care one bit about doing the most horrible things to the bad guys.
Except when the bad guys are bad gals. Because a real man doesn't hit a woman.
But what about when the woman is hitting you? When the woman is stronger and faster and better at fighting than you, is it then OK to fight back? What if she tries to kill you? Is it then OK to defend you? And if you hit the male henchmen, is it sexist not to hit the female henchmen?
Then we get to Angel and Colossus, and Angel is the active, aggressive, violent, initiating person, and I don't feel at all as if Colossus is being ungentlemanly when he hits Angel back.
I don't think there is much gender based violence here, but the movie itself is very violent. I suppose it glorifies violence, or at least makes it... funny. But it's not depicting men per se as violent and aggressive creatures and monsters, and it is not glorifying or excusing domestic violence or violence against women.
But - there is portrayal of violence against women. That they "deserve" it (being bad guys) doesn't make it anything less than violence against women. That Deadpool obviously isn't OK with it, doesn't make it not happen. But - if there are henchmen, shouldn't there also be henchwomen for the sake of equality? And if he hits the male henchmen, why wouldn't he hit the henchwomen?
I mean... tricky situation.
In general I would say the main male characters treat the female characters with equal respect and open appreciation and as equals.
I would say this movie MOSTLY qualifies for gender safety.
X Social Justice and Equality:
So are there any LBGT characters in the movie? I wouldn't know. People's sexuality isn't much spoken of. Every character could basically be straight, gay, bi, asexual, what ever. Now, the main character is depicted as straight man, but in the comic book he's pansexual. Does that count?
How about POC? That's a little thin here, but there are people of color in the movie whose roles are not defined by their ethnicity, color or heritage.
How about disabled people? There is a blind woman in the movie, who is depicted as very independent and as a supporting character, not someone who needs support.
Now, I wouldn't say the movie talks about other points of equality and social justice.
So perhaps not so good at this point.
V The Waithe Test
I would say this passes. Al is a colored woman, who is in a position of power (she is Wade's landlady) and in a healthy relationship... er... Well, she isn't in an unhealthy relationship.
It passes the Ko test
X Does not pass the Villalobos Test
The Representation Test
I would give this movie a C
Ryan Reynolds is the oldest one here. He was 40 when this movie came out. Morena Baccarin was 37. Ed Skein and Gina Carano were 33. All the main characters were older than generally in movies like this, but none of them was over 45.
Now, there IS a woman over 45 in this movie with a major supporting role.
Also, the "Mama June" joke was not OK. "Mama June" is a real person.
V Passes Bechdel test... maybe. Vanessa and oncologist (not named) discuss about what can be done about Wade's illness
Now, they are talking about the health of Vanessa's boyfriend and he's present, so... perhaps not. But it's not like high school dating talk, it's being concerned about a loved one's health. So - people can make up their own minds about that.
If Breakfast at Tiffany's passes, because one of the girls at the party asks Holly what time it is, then I think this movie should pass.
Now, there are a couple of things to remember here.
Bechdel test isn't to test if the movie is equal. It is to test if there is a realistic representation of female relations existing without men.
Bechdel test doesn't test feminist values, and I think this movie presents strong feminist values. Vanessa is very strong, active and the one in charge here, and she is discussing with a doctor, who happens to be an Asian-American woman. Because of this I'm ignoring the fact that the doctor isn't named (it wasn't a qualification in the original Bechdel test) and interpreting what they are talking about to mean that they are not talking about men.
V Mako Mori Test
No.
Vanessa's story is supporting Wade's story.
Ellie's (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) story isn't even mentioned.
Al's story isn't mentioned.
Now, Angel is the strongest candidate here to having her own story arch, but there isn't much and she is the male villain's side kick.
I think the only person with an own story arch that isn't supporting a man's story is Dopinder, the taxi driver, and he's a man...
V Sexy Lamp Test:
None of the females could be replaced with a sexy lamp without it causing serious damage to the movie :-D
X Sphinx Test:
Hmm... A woman has a primary role, she isn't very stereotypical and she is active, dominant and equal, and she can take care of herself. Her character is compelling, complex and multidimensional.
Now, she is not "driving the action", she is not the main character, her character is still "just" a girlfriend and there to support the main male character. She exists as his love interest.
The movie itself has 8 stars on IMDB and 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. I suppose that says the movie is relevant.
X It does not pass the Peirce test
V The Villarreal Test - now... is Vanessa the "lead female character", or does she have to be the protagonist of the movie to pass? Because if she is the lead female, then this movie passes, as Vanessa is introduced as just a woman at a bar.
X The Landau test: no
What would make it better?
- an individual story arch for Vanessa
- more women in production team. There should be at least half the amount of men. Now it's about 1/3
- a real Bechdel discussion
- more female henchmen. If you are going to just shoot people or drive cars, it doesn't matter how quick or strong you are. Also, one of the strongest, if not the strongest person in this movie, is a female.
- I hate the damsel in distress ending. Wade would have done that for anyone, besides, he wanted to find Francis. There was no need to put Vanessa in distress. They could have put her out of harm's way with Al, for example, and they could have had a discussion about something normal women discuss, to get the Bechdel part done. Vanessa could have put the IKEA furniture together :-D
Also, Francis could have kidnapped Weasel, if there even was a need to kidnap anyone.
- remove the striptease joint and replace it with any bar.
- they could have given some lines to the barmaids
- they should have given more and better lines to Angel, Al and Ellie.
- there should have been more women at the "factory". After all, Angel was supposed to have been made there.
Feminist critique of Deadpool
11 reasons why Deadpool is a feminist hero
9 Feminist 'Deadpool' Moments, From Negasonic's Appearance To Vanessa's Sex Positive Attitude
I should’ve hated Deadpool’s depiction of its female characters…but I didn’t
“Is it more sexist not to hit you?”- The Women of Deadpool
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