Deadpool 2 has to be one of the best-advertised films of 2018, but how does the actual film stack up?
Note: some spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.
Released in 2015, Deadpool took the box office by surprise when it became the highest-grossest R-rated film of all time. With great reviews and revenue, it was only a matter of time before we got a sequel. Taking place two years after the plot of the original film, Deadpool is still in the mercenary business, but devastating events take place during his anniversary with his girlfriend Vanessa. The tragedy is what sets the film in motion.
The film manages to improve on the first one, but at the same time introduce a new set of problems. How does a comedy such as this film handle seriousness, emotional scenes, and a dark plot? By making fun of it!
Deadpool 2 is a breath of fresh air after the seriousness of recently released Marvel Cinematic films. The film doesn’t take itself seriously and often makes fun of not only itself but other superhero films. Ryan Reynolds is perfectly cast as the 4th wall breaking, can’t die, 100 jokes per minute mercenary. I can’t imagine anyone else playing this role, and it is very rare an actor was made for a role like this. Reynolds is joined by a great supporting cast including favorites like Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz, Julian Dennison and Terry Crews. Beetz, who plays Domino, is an amazing addition to the cast and matches Deadpool 1-for-1 for witty comebacks. Dennison, who starred in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, plays Fire Fist and makes for great comedy relief as well as giving a bit of social commentary on superheroes. The biggest addition to the film is, of course, Cable, played by Brolin. Cable serves as the biggest conflict of the film and is a reason why Deadpool 2 is more serious in tone compared to its predecessor.
The seriousness of the film and added drama sometimes doesn’t mesh with the crude and crazy jokes presented in the film. Often times we are given an emotional scene and then thrown back into a whirlpool of jokes. The first thirty minutes of the film are probably the biggest offender of this. Melodrama is thrown at the viewer only to be downplayed. Luckily, Deadpool seems to realize the cliches and humor of it all and breaks the 4th wall to make fun of all the seriousness. Speaking of jokes, yes the film delivers on all fronts; the scene where they all jump out of a plane made actual tears flow from my eyes.
I have to give Deadpool 2 credit for managing to recover after the slow second act and actually concluding with an ending that didn’t feel forced. The drama and serious scenes might slow things down, but it actually serves as a break from all the jokes fired at you. I think that is the biggest thing they learned with the sequel: how to break up all the humor in the film and give Reynolds someone to bounce off of. The supporting cast and plot balance things out well versus the first film hammering you with jokes that didn’t always land. If they announce a Deadpool 3 I am actually looking forward to the cast returning.
The film may not win over anybody who didn’t like the first, but for fans of the original, this is a worthy sequel. The action scenes are improved, there are enough cameos and jokes to make a rewatch worthy, and the film makes a lot of callbacks to the first. Even Dmx – “X Gon Give it to Yah” is played throughout the film. This film only reaffirms my belief that Deadpool is the superhero comedy to beat. Oh, and absolutely don’t forget to stay after the film ends for the amazing post-credits.
