Deadpool 2 review

DEADPOOL 2:

RYAN REYNOLDS KEEPS THE LAUGHS AND GORE COMING IN THIS SATISFYING SEQUEL!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

20^TH CENTURY FOX AND MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT

(From left to right) Domino, Deadpool, and Cable showing the Avengers how it’s done in Deadpool 2

            The Merc with a Mouth of Marvel Comics returns in the highly anticipated sequel to the 2016 blockbuster hit that breathed new life into the R-rated superhero movie genre, Deadpool. The film broke numerous box-office records upon its release, earned positive reviews from critics (Becoming the first February superhero movie release to do so…as far as I know), unintentionally became the highest-grossing X-Men movie of all time, and saved the superhero movie career of Ryan Reynolds (National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Mississippi Grind, The Hitman’s Bodyguard).

            Naturally a sequel was in the works, which had a lot to live up to after the huge success of the first film. I was both excited to see Reynolds portray Wade Wilson/Deadpool again and to see some humorously over-the-top manslaughter, but also worried that it would be much of the same with little variety.

            Well, the studio that killed Wolverine (Yeah, little spoiler from Logan), the comic book company that killed almost everyone (I’ll just stop there), and Tim Miller, the director of the first film passing over the directing task to David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) managed to deliver a satisfying follow-up with Deadpool 2. It delivers all the gory, over-the-top, 4^th wall breaking goodness that the first film offered and introduces some new characters without ever feeling like a retread of the first movie, though there are familiar jokes put in, but they put a new spin to them.

            After a successful two years of working as the mercenary, Deadpool, Wade Wilson finds himself being roped into becoming an X-Men trainee by Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapičić-Larin izbor, The Brothers Bloom, Big Miracle) in hopes of turning him from a vulgar, wise-cracking, killing machine (You know, everything that made him cool) to a real hero (And by that I mean a spandex wearing tool, what’s next, are you gonna give Deadpool a f*cking shield or something?). Unfortunately, Wade’s first day as a trainee doesn’t quite go over well as he must protect a mysterious young mutant named Russell/Firefist (Julian Dennison-Paper Planes, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) from the time-travelling mutant soldier, Thanos, er, I mean Cable (Josh Brolin-True Grit (2010), Men in Black 3, Marvel Cinematic Universe) who is out to hunt him down.

            To even be able to stand a chance against Cable, Wade must put together a team (and I ain’t talking about those Avengers d-bags!) of people with extraordinary gifts…and the ability to hold a franchise. I am of course talking…about the X-Force consisting of luck manipulating, Domino (Zazie Beetz-Atlanta, Easy, Wolves), brain scrambling, Bedlam (Terry Crews-Starsky & Hutch, The Boondocks, Sorry to Bother You), alien from Mojoworld (I would make a Powerpuff Girls joke there but…I don’t want to!), Shatterstar (Lewis Tan-NCIS: Los Angeles, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Iron Fist), acidic vomit spitting, Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgård-The Divergent Series: Allegiant, Atomic Blonde, It), The Invisible…Vanisher (Brad Pitt-Fight Club, Inglourious Basterds, Moneyball), and...some guy named Peter (Rob Delaney-The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s Dumbest, Key & Peele, Catastrophe), and with the help of Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand-First Girl I Loved, Tragedy Girls, The Exorcist (TV series)) Deadpool will be ready to face Cable and give him a good T-bag.

            The film also stars Morena Baccarin (Firefly, Stargate SG-1, V) as Vanessa, T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley, How to Train Your Dragon, Big Hero 6) as Weasel, singer, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni (Safety Not Guaranteed, Other Space, Ghostbusters (2016)) as Dopinder, Shiori Kutsuna (Unforgiven (2013), Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, The Outsider) as Yukio, and Reynolds as the voice of X-Men 3: The Last Stand villain, Juggernaut.

            Overall, Deadpool 2, like its predecessor is a zany, fast-paced, and outrageous departure from the traditional superhero movie genre, while still maintaining plenty of the genre’s elements that make comic book movies popular in the first place. Luckily the flashy superhero movie tropes don’t get in the way of all the gory, raunchy action that Deadpool is known for, and you certainly get plenty of that in the sequel (After all, some of the best family films start with murders).

            Even with all the violence and insanity going on, Deadpool still remains a likable character, despite his comedically over-the-top and at times annoying antics and attitude. He enjoys what he does but he’s never made out to be a bad guy and he has moments of humanity and heart, though not quite as much as someone like Iron Man or Thor.

            The humor is…I mean, come on, it’s Deadpool of course it hits in all the right places, literally from the opening credits parodying the James Bond franchise to the mid-credits sequences I was laughing and having a great time all the way through. Sadly, there is no Ferris Bueller ending this time around, so don’t bother waiting for the credits to end here.

            I can’t really decide whether or not Deadpool 2 is better than the first movie, but I will say it’s as good as its predecessor. It doesn’t rehash the same plot or jokes but delivers more of what people loved in the first movie and adding more variety to it.

            Deadpool 2 is a return to feel-good superhero movies after Avengers: Infinity War depressed us all to death a few weeks prior. If you loved the first one (Like I did), then you’re sure to enjoy the sequel just as much…but make sure you don’t bring the kids with you, just saying.