Ryan Reynolds is back and as snarky as ever. He is joined by a new crew of anti-heroes. Or semi-heros. Or just Peter (Rob Delaney), as the case may be. Our favorite smartass has really screwed the pooch this time. After making a fatal mistake, Deadpool has fallen into an emotionally dark place. Okay...maybe it wasn't that far to fall. But he has hit a new low, even by Deadpool standards. I mean, think Air Supply and Celine Dion desperate. Yeah, the soundtrack has a lot to say about his mood. And it is not good.
Part of what makes Deadpool so damn lovable is his willingness to address us directly. He is not afraid to look straight into the eyes of the audience (what fourth wall?) and admit that something is derivative. Or lazy writing. He is kind of honest that way. And derivation is a hallmark of this franchise. We get a healthy dose of it in the opening credits. An unashamed ripoff of the latest installment of James Bond complete with some self-depreciating humor aimed squarely at those folks who the credits are intended to recognize. In typical fashion, it is all downhill from there. In Deadpool fashion...which means, that is not a bad thing. You are in for a wild ride.
As Deadpool tries to piece his life back together (literally, at times), he is faced with a mission and a daunting task. All while struggling with his own existence. He needs to save a kid (Russell/Julian Dennison), fight/team up with a menace from the future (Cable/Josh Brolin), make amends with the second tier X-Men and assemble a new team of super anti-heroes. Deadpool has never been much of a team player. But his short-lived teammates include Vanisher (Brad Pitt), Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgard), Bedlam (Terry Crews) and Shatterstar (Lewis Tan). And of course, the ultra-lucky Domino (Zazie Beetz). And yes, luck is a super power. Together, they will fight for peace, justice and the American Way. Or, at least, attempt to help Deadpool derive some sense of purpose in life.
There are so many movie and cultural references in Deadpool 2 that it is easy to get lost. Of course, you can always count on Deadpool to point some of them out. The writing didn't feel quite as crisp as the first iteration of the franchise, but the sequel is strong enough to stand alone. The film has an action-packed set up, a distraction-laden narrative arc and a high-stakes resolution. The resolution even bleeds over into the Easter egg where plenty of loose ends get cleaned up, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. In a fun Deadpool sort of way. The snark and sarcasm ooze and seep from every pore of this film. No opportunity for wisecracks seems to have been wasted.
There was a lot to like in this film. It was packed with talent (for a film where the main character likes to comment on the lack of funding and his "second rate" treatment by the studios). The film had some great CGI action. The soundtrack was eclectically awesome. The film effectively deploys the soundtrack to support the cultural references or to offer direct commentary on the script. It is a fun way to incorporate the music. And, of course, the music is often cued by Deadpool himself. The role of deadpool could not have been cast better. Ryan Reynolds owns the role. I like Josh Brolin as Cable. He has the right combination of badass and likeability for the role. Julian Dennison irritated the hell out of me in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. He was brilliantly abrasive in that film. He seemed a bit typecast in Deadpool 2, but I kind of like the kid. He carried the Wilderpeople film, which had a cult-like explosive reception. He fit in well in this film. I also enjoyed Zazie Beetz and hope we get to see more of her going forward.
Deadpool 2 received an R rating from the MPAA. If you are thinking about bringing young children, don't. The film is violent, vulgar and filled with innuendo. Sexual situations and humor are abundant in the film. The violence goes as far as seeing the title character ripped in half. There are countless deaths, innumerable f bombs and quite a few references to pedophilia. We also get a look at Deadpool's CGI baby-junk in an overt Basic Instinct reference. The film is filled with enough objectionable material to warrant consideration even for younger teen audiences. Which I am sure will be seeing this film en masse. Deadpool 2 is a minute short of two hours. But it didn't feel like a two hour film. Great work with the writing to keep the pacing of this film up tempo.
I liked Deadpool 2. It was a great follow up to the first film. The disrespect for the fourth wall is a Deadpool trademark that is effectively deployed yet again. It adds a bit of fun to the storyline. The writing was sharp, the action intense, the plot interesting and the characters engaging. Even the throw-away characters were interesting in their cameo roles. The soundtrack was as brilliant as it was weird. The film is violent and vulgar, which is to be expected from this franchise. Although they seem to be striving for a record of some sort. As much as I liked this film, it had some room for improvement. I think the fanboys have driven the ratings at IMDb to 8.3. I think it may settle to 8 or slightly below by the time all is said and done. As a fan of the franchise, I am at 8/10. It was definitely worth seeing at the theater.
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