‘Deadpool 2’ not only hits the mark but is better than the original. This is due to the irreverent humor and stylish action sequences. Ryan Reynolds is perfectly cast and feels right at home as Wade Wilson aka Deadpool, the Merc with the Mouth. The rapid-fire dialogue once again mocks the comic book universe that always seems to take itself too seriously. That’s part of the fun with Deadpool. The film breaks the fourth wall and laughs at itself with the audience. The opening credits introduce filmmaker David Leitch as “Directed by One of the Guys Who Killed the Dog in John Wick.” He also directed Atomic Blonde with Charlize Theron and his skill at shooting fight sequences elevates the film to another level. ‘Deadpool 2’ is a fun thrill ride.
The story deals with personal tragedy. To cope with his loss, Wade (Reynolds) joins the X-Men as a trainee. With the help of Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildrebrand), Wade meets a young Kiwi mutant named Russell (Julian Dennison) who likes to go by the moniker “Firefist.” This gives him a renewed sense of purpose to save the boy. To compound the problem, the mutant Cable (Josh Brolin) time travels to the present with the mission to murder Russell. Needless to say when Wade calls him Thanos, it’s pretty hilarious. Brolin is a welcome addition to the franchise and his seriousness plays off well with Reynold’s tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. In order to protect Russell, Wade assembles a ragtag group he coins as X-Force. Domino (Zazie Beetz) whose superpower is luck asks, “Isn’t that a little derivative?” Her character becomes a tremendous asset to Deadpool’s team.
The one-liners keep flying around as quickly as Deadpool’s Katana swords. Some of the noteworthy movie references are ‘Yentl,’ ‘RoboCop,’ ‘Logan,’ ‘X-Men’ and ‘Say Anything.’ The opening even includes Celine Dion belting out a song titled ‘Ashes’ which pokes fun at the James Bond soundtracks. So how bad is the violence? Make no mistake about it, it’s intense. There are numerous decapitations, impaling and gunshot wounds that leave blood everywhere in its wake. The campy aspect of Wade’s superpowers as Deadpool is that he cannot die. No matter how mangled his body gets, he always manages to wake up as good as new. There is a hilarious scene in Blind Al’s (Leslie Uggams) apartment where his legs are regenerating.
The chemistry between Dennison and Reynolds is good. The young boy was a scene stealer in the New Zealand indie film ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople.’ Here he plays an orphan with anger management issues and fire-throwing powers. He wants to destroy the headmaster of the orphanage where he’s being held. It’s up to Wade to stop the boy from murdering his first victim before he goes down the path as a violent criminal. Wade and Russell end up sharing a cell in a maximum security prison named the “Ice Box.” The prison scenes are quite funny. The film clocks in at 2 hours long but it never feels that way. The introduction of the new characters Cable and Domino give the franchise fresh blood and an opportunity for an X-Force sequel. Reynolds helped out with co-writing the screenplay and he feels even more comfortable in the lead role the second time around.
Sure, ‘Deadpool 2’ is gimmicky and lampoons superheroes but that’s why it’s fun. Reynolds is poking fun at himself too. Even though the story introduces a frequently used trope, the characters seem more developed than the original. Bringing in director David Leitch was a brilliant move. His action sequences are exciting to watch and breathe new life into the franchise. For those that are still reeling from the grim outcome of ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ grab that bucket of popcorn and enjoy the escapism of ‘Deadpool 2.’
