'Deadpool 2' Review

Image from Coming Soon

By Darian Scalamoni

            When Deadpool was first released, no one believed that an R-rated meta, fourth wall breaking, explicit hero would rule the box-office. $783 million later, the modestly budgeted, comic book romp led by Ryan Reynolds was a slobber knocker for Fox and a sequel was thrown into production as soon as possible.

            We pick up in Deadpool 2 where the first film leaves off with Wade Wilson being a superhero under his own set of rules. Cursing off anyone in his path before putting a bullet in their brain. While everyone expected this going on, and trust me, it does hit all those marks, the movie tends to lack a true story that moviegoers would care about.

            Just minutes within the film, we see Deadpool being a depressed former version of himself searching out for a true family, thus forming the X-Force team to go after a young boy named Firefist and Josh Brolin’s Cable. While the latter does a great job building on the promise that many had for his popular X-Men character, it’s Zazie Beetz’s Domino who sticks out among a ragtag group that is mostly men.

            Yes, the action sequences are punched up to 11 and there are tons to laugh at in the film, some jokes run their course a bit. While a specific Basic Instinct spoof and post-credit scenes get the biggest laughs, T.J. Miller’s Weasel seems lost in the shuffle at times and the X-Men references seem to be shoehorned in. While the end of this film aims us towards an inevitable X-Force movie, it seems that David Leitch didn’t have the same handle on this character as Tim Miller did.

            The movie is filthier and entertaining yes, but while the former director of John Wick brings us even better action, there are things that I would fix. I walked away entertained, but I was expecting more from the Merc with a Mouth.

            All in all, Reynolds is back to top form as Deadpool and Brolin and Beetz are worthy and welcome additions to the team. As for Julian Dennison’s character, he lacks what I wanted out of a child that Deadpool wants to save. There is not much more to know other than a vague “he’s been abused” plot line. The movie doesn’t seem to have a true focus as the original which gets it a lower score than I thought I would be giving it.

7.5