Deadpool 2 Review

5/21/2018

Written by Rick Warren / gfn21

In basically every way imaginable, Deadpool 2 is what you expect it to be. The action is fast and gory, the humor is as crude and fourth-wall-breaking as it can get, and the cast is just as lovable as they were in the original. It’s a sequel that doesn’t try to be anything but a Deadpool movie, and it finds success because of that. Ryan Reynolds and the rest of the team behind the film saw what people loved about the character, and they turned it to 11 for this movie. While that move does lead to a few missteps here and there, it’s a choice that ultimately pays off and leads to a sequel that is on par with its predecessor. For fans of the character, this is a must-see.

* For a more spoiler-heavy look at the movie, read on *

LAST WARNING! SPOILERS BELOW!

More Deadpool

It does a lot well, but Deadpool 2’s greatest strength might be its ability to pull off the same jokes twice. Those who saw the first film won’t have any trouble remembering the baby hand scene, something that is taken to new levels of disturbing and hilarious when Wade regrows his legs. Vanessa delivers another line about Star Wars, Wade gets loopy when stabbed in the head and the opening credits poke fun at the film’s writers and director. Deadpool 2 even opens with another fourth-wall breaking joke about Wolverine. It’s all very familiar... but somehow, that doesn’t matter. These jokes work just as well as they did the first time (and a few gags deliver even more laughs than the original versions), which is such a rare occurrence in comedy. It shows just how skilled the writers are and how charismatic Ryan Reynolds is in the role.

If they’re not repeats, the jokes are the typical Deadpool fare: nonstop breaking of the fourth wall. Deadpool is constantly looking at the camera and commenting on the script or comparing characters to other Marvel heroes. Calling his taxi driving friend Dopinder “Brown Panther” or saying “I’m as useful as Hawkeye” got a chuckle from me every time. The references are nonstop and Deadpool is always wisecracking, making for a movie that is incredibly accurate to the source material and the character. While this is entertaining, it does lead to some hiccups too. The movie has a habit of going from a dark, emotional scene with Wade and Vanessa to instant joking, and it’s hard to make the transition as a viewer. The same occurs with Cable, whose dark and serious story doesn’t help this pacing issue.

Still, this is a Deadpool movie. Even though it bounces from serious to fun too quickly and too often, it’s a blast. The movie also has way more surprises than I expected. Cameo appearances from Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and the entire X-men team from the main films all deliver huge laughs, and the strongest moments of the film are complete surprises. Seeing a comic-accurate Juggernaut (also played by Ryan Reynolds) rip Deadpool in half is unbelievably cool, as is watching Wade and Cable fight back-to-back. These moments were kept completely hidden, as were the movies two best jokes: the post credits sequence and nearly every member of the X-force dying. I haven’t seen an audience laugh harder than they did at these two scenes and leaving them out of the trailers was a brilliant move.

Cable and Crew

Similar to the first movie, Deadpool doesn’t carry the movie on his own. Though it’s still very clear Reynolds was born for the roll, every member of the supporting cast does their part. Vanessa is likable, Blind Al is lovable, and Weasel still delivers an endless supply of comparison jokes. Colossus is hilarious and really shines in the third act, and Deadpool’s combative relationship with Negasonic Teenage Warhead is still great. In Deadpool 2, though, it’s the new additions that deliver the most.

While Brolin’s take on Cable is great from an acting standpoint, I wanted more of him. He has scenes sprinkled throughout the movie where he grieves for his family or prepares for a fight, but his post-apocalyptic future is barely explored. His origins are skipped over, and worse, he doesn’t have many chances to banter with Deadpool. They have two fun fights before working together in the last twenty minutes of the movie, and that’s about it. Watching Deadpool call Cable a racist is hilarious, and all the interactions like these are brilliant... so much so that they leave me wanting more. I can’t wait for X-force, because I need to see more of Cable... sadly, I don’t feel satisfied with what we got here.

Thankfully, though, the other supporting characters were used right. Russel works, largely thanks to his relationship with Wade, and he has a cliché but believable motivation for being the way that he is. Yukio, Negasonic’s new girlfriend, is hilariously cheerful. Peter is as funny and out of place as he was in the trailers, and Shatterstar is great as the team douchebag. All these characters bring plenty of entertainment in the handful of scenes they appear in. The real star of the show, though, was Zazie Beetz’s Domino.

Aside from a gag that goes on a bit too long where she argues with Deadpool about her power, every scene Domino is in is extremely enjoyable. She’s funny and incredibly badass, as her action scenes are just as ridiculous as they are in the comics. While she appeared in quite a few scenes, I still would have been fine with seeing more of her in action. Along with Cable and Deadpool (obviously), Domino has gotten me super excited for X-force.

Final Thoughts

In many ways, Deadpool 2 is the Iron Man 2 of its universe. It’s a sequel that is used primarily to set up the big crossover film, and it does succeed in that regard. There are some noticeable pacing issues, and I would have liked to see much more of Cable’s past, but overall the movie is still a blast. Sharing the strengths (and weaknesses) of the original makes it an equally good movie, which is where it differs from the second Iron Man. I’m happy to say that Ryan Reynolds and the team have pulled it off yet again, delivering a Deadpool movie that is incredibly comic book accurate and so much fun to watch.

Deadpool 2 doubles down on all the strengths (and some of the flaws) of the original.

Huge surprises! +2
Deadpool is still incredible... +1.5
and so is Domino! +1
Cable is good... +.5
...but underdeveloped. -.5
Pacing issues. -.5

FINAL SCORE: 4/5

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