Deadpool most complained about film of 2016

Marvel superhero film Deadpool was the UK's most complained about film in 2016, according to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

There were 51 complaints about the movie, in which Ryan Reynolds plays a foul-mouthed superhero on a revenge mission. Most people focused on the violence and sexual references.

Fellow superhero flick Suicide Squad followed in the BBFC's annual list, totting up 30 complaints, while Tim Burton's dark fantasy Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children garnered 20.

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Deadpool was released with a certificate 15 in the UK, denoting "strong bloody violence, strong language and sex references”. In comparison, it was given an R rating in the US, for "strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity", says The Independent.

The BBFC justified its rating, saying that while the violence was bloody, it "often occurs during fast-paced action sequences with little focus on detail". Deadpool's comic tone and fantastical setting "further distances it from reality", added the censors.

As for the strong sex references, these were mostly in the form of "comic verbal quips or innuendo".

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw agrees, saying that while the film can seem "horribly violent" and "macabre", it's also "very entertaining" and an "innocent pleasure".

Ironically, most of the complaints about DC Comics' Suicide Squad, also rated 15, came from parents unhappy it hadn’t received a 12A rating, which would have allowed their children to see it. The BBFC ruled the violence was too strong to justify the certificate.

In contrast, those concerned about Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, in which Eva Green plays the headmistress of a home for children with paranormal abilities, thought that it was too scary for a 12A rating.

However, the BBFC said that while the film had elements of horror, the overall tone was not disturbing enough to warrant a higher classification.

Other films that ruffled feathers included Jason Bourne, which 19 people considered too violent for its 12A classification, and Sausage Party, which also gained 19 complaints for its strong language and strong sex references.