When the first Deadpool film landed, it was a fresh blast of air in a very popular genre. Fast forward two years and that genre is still going strong with even more coverage across cinemas and Deadpool 2 still manages to feel fresh, all the while gently prodding the superhero genre – with a huge electrified stick.
No spoilers will be forthcoming.
With the pesky origin story out of the way, Deadpool 2 can really play with the story and play they do. Deadpool is more of the same except he has a softer edge than the first film (which falls in line with the plot) but it is still the Deadpool you fell in love with in the first film. The adding of characters from the X-Men really helps film – a bunch of hilarious cameos aside – with returning Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead and a few new additions seen in the trailers, Shatterstar, Bedlam and Domino. Deadpool 2 feels like a side X-Men film (and a better X-Men film than half of them) and they make use of these characters to great cinematic and comedic value. Oh and of course, there is Cable.
Deadpool was a dream project for Ryan Reynolds and when he delivered on the first film and the audience responded then Deadpool 2 was always going to be a big thank you to the fans. Reynolds is Deadpool and clearly loves the character but through the writing and Reynolds’ acting he pushes Deadpool to be a bit more than just a one line espousing, crude talking assassin. In Deadpool 2 he has a real heart and dare I say some character growth in this film. If all that sounds a bit too much like a dulling of Deadpool’s characteristics and behaviours – don’t worry – he is still just as rude and lewd as he ever was. Josh Brolin is unbelievable as Cable. Committing to the role fully it is one of the few comics to screen character adaptations that is just about spot on and he and Reynolds get that Cable/Deadpool dynamic just right. It makes you want to see a whole bunch of Deadpool and Cable buddy-cop, love/hate and even just hate/hate films. Speaking of other characters that need to be in more films…hello Domino. Zazie Beetz just nailed her character, playing Domino as a low-key personality that accepts that things will probably work out for her (for obvious reasons) with a really cool, free and easy attitude – I loved this character and certainly need more of her and the way her powers are shown on screen. Julian Dennison doesn’t get a heap to do in the film but this kid can act and in the amount of screen time that he has, he certainly makes the most of it.
David Leitch directs this film with flair excelling in the hand to hand combat action parts, not a great surprise given how well he handled them in Atomic Blonde. However, Leitch manages to shoot the emotional scenes (and yes despite this being a Deadpool film there quite a few) with a real intimacy.
Deadpool 2 is less action heavy (not by much) than the first film but it is gorier and funnier. An insane mix of fourth wall breaking, immature humour, the blackest of black comedy, positive LGBTQIA characters and a bunch new sayings that will no doubt end up in the popular vernacular – Deadpool 2 is just a great fun film and is probably even a touch better than the first film. Oh – and stay for the BEST (yet unimportant to any future films) after credits sequence you are likely to see.
Ryan Morrissey-Smith
