Deadpool 2 shows what happens when you let Ryan Reynolds and company do what they want to do – like in the first film – and actually put the studio’s support behind it.
Following the events of Deadpool, Wade Wilson is back to his mercenary ways, and living happily with his sweetheart Vanessa. But when Cable, a time traveler with a metal arm, arrives from the future to kill a young mutant, Wade decides to step up and protect the kid.
Real talk: the story here is just ok. The first Deadpool‘s plot was more interesting. This one is basic and straightforward. It’s a traditional antihero arc and pretty predictable. It’s not bad, just average. But honestly, the story isn’t why you’re going to see this movie.
You’re going to see it to see Deadpool be Deadpool, and he’s FAR more Deadpool in this movie than he was in Deadpool (did you get all that?).
Where the first flick broke the fourth wall, DP2 demolishes it. From literally the first line of the film, the meta jokes and cultural references come flying at you at breakneck speed. This is what makes DP2 so damn fun. It’s everything fans have come to know and want from the character. The jokes are great, and they hold nothing back. No one – no character, no film, no real life cultural icon – is safe.
The references aren’t only packed in the dialogue either; they’re everywhere. The sets are full of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter eggs and visual gags. You’ll have to watch the movie multiple times to catch everything crammed in here, and you’ll be happy to do so. The filmmakers truly went above and beyond to make this movie fun for the fans. (Especially comic book fans. There are a ton of jokes that are just for those of us who know why a car is driving down “Gerry Duggan Boulevard”.)
And while the story is average, it too benefits from this rapid fire writing. There’s no fat in this script. It’s not weighed down by the overstuffing that most sequels suffer from. Good on director David Leitch and writers Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Ryan Reynolds for crafting such a tight, engaging follow-up. The time just flies by, and before you know it the movie’s over and you want to watch it again.
It’s not all fun and games, however (just mostly). The filmmakers again do an excellent job exploring the tragedy of Deadpool. He’s not all dick and fart jokes (again, just mostly). He uses that humor to mask something deeper, and sadder. And it’s that something that makes him such a compelling and interesting protagonist.
Speaking of compelling and interesting characters, Deadpool 2 introduces some great new members to the team. Josh Brolin’s Cable and Zazie Beetz’s Domino in particular are standouts. They’ve got great chemistry with Reynolds and do their comics counterparts justice. It’s their addition that makes the future of this franchise look bright.
There are a few times throughout the movie where the visual effects look shabby and unfinished, unfortunately. The more traditional action sequences are great. There’s a montage at the start of the film and the fight choreography is top notch. But then, during larger, more explosive chase scenes, the green screen and CGI is downright painful if you notice that sort of thing. So if you watched the Final Trailer and thought, “I guess they still need to clean up the effects before it’s released,” just know that no, what you see there is what you get.
Deadpool 2 proves that this series is in the right hands. Reynolds and his crew of dazzling degenerates know what makes this character tick, and they’re intent on putting the fans first. Now that they’ve gotten the studio’s support behind them, there’s no stopping them.
Deadpool 2 opens everywhere this Friday, May 18th.
Here’s the actual Final Trailer if you fell for that other link.
