Deadpool 2 - movie review
Deadpool 2
Plot: Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy of supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling mutant, Cable.
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin
Director: David Leitch
Certificate: 15 (strong bloody violence, sex references, very strong language)
Runtime: 1hr 59 mins
Release Date: Tuesday 15th May 2018
As Ryan Reynolds will tell you, the story of Deadpool has been a ten year saga. In a recent YouTube video, Reynolds candidly explains that ever since Deadpool made his controversial appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Reynolds has been a mission to give the comic book anti-hero the representation he deserves. The breakthrough came in 2016 when, after a test footage conveniently leaked giving 20th Century Fox the much needed kick to give the greenlight, Deadpool hit the screens and the world was born anew. I will never forget seeing Deadpool for the first time and I would rank it incredibly high on my favourite films of all time. As Reynolds goes on to say, spawning a sequel proved that they had finally nailed the character and created what they had always wanted to. Deadpool 2 is bigger in every way. More jokes. More action. More fourth-wall breaks. However, whilst this is still an undeniable blast at the movies, Deadpool 2 can't help but pale in comparison to the original and fall slightly short of my expectations.
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| Maybe signing Blind Al up for the Army was a bad idea. |
An argument could be made that my super high expectations are to blame for my lack of overwhelming enthusiasm about Deadpool 2. Please do not mistake this review for disappointment or dislike. Deadpool 2 is a very good film that will elicit every emotion out of you, but when the bar had been set so high with its predecessor, I expected the sequel to at least match or raise it even higher. Getting the negatives out of the way, my biggest issue with Deadpool 2 is that the story isn't a compelling as it should be. The first played it very safe with a simplistic revenge story running in tandem with an endearing central romance. However, despite the simplicity, it was executed with near perfection. This time round, as most sequels usually do, the stakes are increased and the whole film appeared a lot bigger in nearly all aspects. Without giving too much away, Deadpool (Reynolds) is caught in a fragile state of mind and is stuck having to protect a young mutant (Julian Dennison) from time travelling grump, Cable (Brolin). Once again, the movie has a strong beating heart pushing the theme of family and unity but it lacked the thunderous pace of the first. I think that had something to do with the loss of Tim Miller as the director. Miller departed the project citing creative differences and David Leitch was hired as his replacement. Leitch has previous credits including last year's Atomic Blonde and co-directing John Wick so intricately choreographed action is his wheelhouse. Therefore, the action featured in Deadpool 2 is a lot more stylish than before. Personally, as much as I appreciate the technical vision Leitch brings, the vacancy of Miller was sorely felt. Miller treated the first film as a video game come to life and blistered through the movie at an extreme pace. It captured who Deadpool was and is with the action scenes perfectly representative of the comics. Miller presented an attitude of zero fucks given and treated the film as a celebration that they finally managed to get it made. Deadpool 2, now realising that it now has to have a reason to exist, treats itself a little more seriously (only a little). The jokes aren't as boundary pushing (no more unicorn masturbations) and the action is a bit more commonplace with car chases, final confrontations and a prison sequence that could have featured in any superhero movie. My only other issue with Deadpool 2 is that the villain isn't as impactful as the movie had hoped. They're more complex than Francis was in the first but underneath the message of restraining violence (something quite ambitious for a Deadpool movie), they can never find the correct angle and it comes across as an underwhelming choice. Those are my only negatives. The story isn't as smart and snappy as we had hoped and the villain misses the intended mark but otherwise, if you loved the first Deadpool, I see no reason as to why you won't love the sequel.
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| Cable was willing to do anything not to miss that bus. |
FACT: The sequel was announced 3 days before the release of Deadpool (2016).
If there are still a small number of you out there who aren't convinced that Ryan Reynolds completely embodies the character of Deadpool on and off the screen and is, without a doubt, the single greatest portrayal of a comic book character we've ever seen, then you're just lying to yourself. Double entendres, innuendos and flat out dick, poop and fart jokes fly at the audience directly from Reynolds' latex covered mouth. As can be expected, a huge number of laughs emanate from Mr. Pool and they do not disappoint. There was rarely ever a time where I wasn't laughing. If a joke didn't land as it intended, then you can be assured that one would follow on immediately that will have you rolling in the aisles. As for the pop culture references and countless fourth wall breaks, no one or no thing is safe. However, what I didn't expect in Deadpool 2 was the particular angle Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick take Wade Wilson. In the first film, Wade is a broken human being but he can rely on his sense of humour to carry him through. This time, Wade is faced with a heartbreaking personal struggle that pushes him into unexpected and moving territory. I won't lie when I say that a couple of moments in Deadpool 2 got me choked up (partly due to an unplugged rendition of Take On Me).
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| As he was about to find out, it hurts to get hit in the face with a brick. |
As for other returning faces, Leslie Uggams is back as Blind Al and she is as blind and sassy as before. Morena Baccarin returns joining Reynolds in one of the sweetest and oddly most authentic relationships in the comic book genre, and Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are on another mission to recruit Deadpool and rid him of his violent ways. And of course, the trusty taxi driver, Dopinder, returns as the chauffeur Deadpool and his pals use to get from place to place. However, with it being a sequel, there's a lot more to introduce and with that comes a whole host of new characters dug out from the Marvel Comics pantheon. Josh Brolin, having the summer of a lifetime (Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2 and later in the summer, Sicario 2) ditches the purple skin and Infinity Gauntlet for a cybernetic arm and time-travelling capabilities. Whilst I would have liked Cable to appear earlier on, Brolin is captivating in the role and shares brilliant comedic chemistry with Reynolds. Plus, he is the ideal depiction of the badass I remember from the comics. Another new face is Zazie Beetz as the happy-go-(incredibly)lucky, Domino. Beetz makes for a wonderful screen presence and steals a considerable chunk of thunder away from Reynolds. She gives as good as she gets in terms of comedy and her powers, whilst constantly critiqued by Deadpool, make for a brilliant cinematic spectacle. There are a plethora of other characters that help make up X-Force but it's better to see their appearances as a surprise. All I will say is to be on the lookout for the gentle soul that is Peter who steals every single scene he's in. Finally, and I say this with 100% confidence, Deadpool 2 has the greatest post-credits scene in the history of post-credits scenes. The scene had me laughing so hard that I'm convinced that I broke a rib in the process.
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| When someone says the first Deadpool is overrated... |
Despite not being as strong as its predecessor and having trouble with its narrative, the fun factor is through the roof. Deadpool is perfectly portrayed once again and he is joined by a terrific ensemble who all gel in the best way imaginable. The villain is a bit of a jumbled mess and the loss of Tim Miller was felt throughout but if you're looking for a great time at the cinema with a host of characters you love, then Deadpool 2 is the film for you.
My Verdict: 7.5/10
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