EW | ‘Criminal’ Review

Entertainment Weekly

Ryan Reynolds is having a very blessed 2016. His alter ego, Deadpool, is only a few million dollars away from topping Jesus in The Passion of the Christ as the titleholder of the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. And in the ugly, inept, lifeless thriller Criminal, he merely appears for the opening five minutes before being killed via electroshock torture wands in the mouth. Not a bad way to go. The above-the-title star power of the sarcastic actor might draw a few fans to the theater on opening weekend, but his sullen presence only intensifies the solemnity and tedium of the nearly two hours that follows. Even during the electroshock sequence, you might imagine Deadpool saying, “Don’t tase me, bro” to give the film some spark or imagination.