Deadpool 2 is hilarious, as raunchy and action-packed as the original. The film is loaded with plot twists. Some of them are fantastic, truly surprising, while others fizzle from lack of exposition. The reveals add quite a bit of depth to our hero. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) continues to be an ass-kicking, wise-cracking buffoon. But in a major upgrade to the character, he shows a lot of heart and compassion. There’s a tender, soft side to the indestructible killing machine.
Deadpool 2 opens with Wade Wilson and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) settled comfortably in domestic life. He’s a killer by day, devoted boyfriend at night. Everything is just peachy at first, but Deadpool has a tendency to attract conflict. A time traveling super soldier (Josh Brolin) arrives from the future. He’s hell bent on finding a young mutant (Julian Dennison). Deadpool needs to understand why, but he doesn’t have the firepower to face this new threat. Colossus (Jack Kesy) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) are stalwart allies, but the X-Men don’t play dirty enough for this fight. Deadpool decides to recruit his own team of bad asses. A good idea in theory, if Deadpool had any leadership skills.
Ryan Reynolds continues to be in his element. His sarcastic delivery and zippy one-liners never gets old. They are humorous and deliciously offensive, what you would expect in a sequel. The big difference is the character growth. Deadpool has a lot to deal with in this story. He goes on a journey that serves up serious introspection. Wade Wilson, gasp, becomes endearing, a thoughtful person. Deadpool gets a dash of maturity and it fits perfectly.
The new supporting characters are fantastic. They add to the amazing ensemble that carries over from the original. Julian Dennison has a pivotal role as a powerful, angst-ridden teen. He almost steals the movie from Ryan Reynolds. Dennison is very different from what we’ve seen in the superhero genre. Zazie Beetz will have you cheering out loud as Domino. To say she’s lucky is an understatement. Her repartee with Deadpool is knockdown funny. She and Ryan Reynolds have excellent chemistry. Josh Brolin, is there any actor in Hollywood who plays a tough guy better than him? He is an absolute beast as Cable, providing the much needed straight man to Reynolds’ antics. Brolin is on quite a macho roll this summer. Thanos in Infinity War, Cable here, and the upcoming Sicario 2, the dude is like chewed leather on film.
While Deadpool 2 is tremendously entertaining, it has multiple issues. There’s way too much going on. The script by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Ryan Reynolds takes a bite from every dish in the buffet. They bring in a host of new characters and situations, but don’t fully explain them. Case in point, Cable, the character shows up with very little exposition. You’d think a cyborg from the future would have a more developed back story, but he doesn’t. My guess is that the inevitable X-Force movie will explain his past, but it leaves a gaping hole in this film. Also, Reynolds breaks the fourth wall continuously by directly addressing the audience. It’s clever to a point, but becomes distracting when combined with his voice over narration of the film. It’s Deadpool overload. Let the actual acting dictate the flow of the story. We don’t need Reynolds commenting on everything, all the time.
Deadpool 2 has several end credits scenes. They are absolutely ingenious, some of the best parts of the film. My theater was rolling with laughter. They are the perfect Deadpool digestifs. Fox may have one-upped Marvel Studios with these gems.
Deadpool 2 is a spectacularly hard-R film. It is insanely violent, much more bloody and graphic than the original. It’s also filled with crass humor and language. Everything salacious from the first film is pretty much injected with steroids here. Deadpool 2 is a worthy sequel for sure. Not to be missed.