A Reel Review: DEADPOOL 2

In 2016, the superhero film DEADPOOL, the origin story about the wise-cracking, self-healing mercenary, arrived as one of the most unique entries in the massive superhero film genre. With its foul-mouthed, juvenile-humored, blood-splattering, fourth wall-breaking (speaking to the audience), and constant self-awareness (the character is always aware that he’s in a movie based on a comic book), it was something new for the genre…but at the same time took a one-note joke and stretched it into an entire film. There was certainly room to grow, improve, and evolve…and that is the mission of DEADPOOL 2.

After a personal tragedy, Deadpool/Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), crosses paths with a dangerous young mutant teen (Julian Dennison), who is being hunted by Cable (Josh Brolin), a time travelling cybernetic mutant soldier. With the odds against him, Deadpool recruits other mutants from the street, and from the famed X-MEN to form his own X-FORCE team.

In his comic origins, Deadpool is the one character who always knows that he is in a comic book. In a natural transition to the screen, the character is always aware that he in a film; drawing attention to the more cliched tropes in action films, and taking a timeout now and again to say hi to the audience. The first film put most of its weight on that unique angle, but this time around, director David Leitch gives the character a lot more to do by throwing in a personal tragedy and something for the character to strive for. The stakes are somewhat low, but for Deadpool they are high…making this sequel a personal story more than a typical super-shoot-em-up.

DEADPOOL 2 has all the characteristics of an Old Western. Our main character is on a path of revenge while being lost, and by finding a young mutant who is dangerous but still being hunted in the worst ways, he finds a path of redemption. Things get even better when Deadpool begins to assemble his team, and the character finds even more ways to grow.

The humor is still packed with 15-year-old boy moments, but it lands and lands well…although a few gags go on way too long. The references to other superhero films and clever cameos are a blast and clever, and never distract from the bigger goings-on. Visual effects for the most part are quite good, although a few still look rough. The action sequences are a thrill, and the score by Tyler Bates is excellent.

Ryan Reynolds is once again wonderful as Deadpool, and he gets more to do this time around than just quip and curse. Josh Brolin is gruff and mean, which he always does so well, but it works and his chemistry with Reynolds is fantastic. The film is packed with a lot of surprise cameos, and the rest of the supporting cast including Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison, T.J. Miller, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, and most especially Zazie Beetz are all superb.

DEADPOOL 2 is packed with laughs, but the last 20 minutes are guaranteed to generate some tears. For an R-rated superhero film with toilet humor and blood splatter, it has a surprising amount of heart and story, and that elevates it well over its predecessor. This is a superior sequel and the type of entry that proves the superhero film genre is a long way from growing old and stale.

BOTTOM LINE: See it