'Deadpool 2' Review

Deadpool 2 follows a disfigured cafeteria chef who struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste after surviving a near fatal bovine attack. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor - finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

You may now be thinking to yourself "What in the world did I just read?" Well, you've now had the genuine pleasure of reading the first official synopsis released for Deadpool 2. Since this is a spoiler-free review and Deadpool is such an unconventional character, I figured it would be best to include an interesting synopsis instead of describing the actual plot because there are a surprising amount of spoilers I'm going to have to tip-toe around for the duration of this review.

I've been fairly excited for Deadpool 2 for quite some time since I enjoyed the first film so much, but my anticipation erred on the side of caution and waned as time went on for a few reasons. First of all, the marketing behind the first film felt very unique and inventive which is something I think Deadpool 2's marketing lacked till about two weeks ago. There were occasionally some creative teasers, but none of it was quite on the level of what 20th Century Fox's marketing department cooked up for the first Deadpool. I began to grow worried that Deadpool 2 might also lack the creative spark that made the first film such an unexpected and unprecedented success. Adding to this concern was the fact that Tim Miller cited creative differences and left the project, resulting in David Leitch taking the franchise's reigns.

Leitch's previous directorial efforts have been hit-or-miss for me as I found Atomic Blonde to simply be an okay espionage flick with a few great action sequences while John Wick (which Leitch co-directed) is one of my favorite action films to be released in recent years. Considering Leitch's extensive background as a stunt coordinator, I figured Deadpool 2 might at least be able to up the ante in regards to action sequences, but I wasn't sure if Leitch would have a good reign on the humor, tone, and story since he hasn't quite dealt with a film of this nature previously. 

Fortunately, Leitch delivered as I found Deadpool 2 to be even more enjoyable than the first film thanks to entertaining, well-choreographed action set-pieces, a surprisingly heartfelt story, and a huge dosage of meta-humor poking fun at the current state of comic-book movies and a great deal of other things. For all intensive purposes, Deadpool 2 is a fitting example of the conventional sequel which aims to be bigger and better than its predecessor. 

Just how Deadpool informed audiences right away that it would also be a touching love story, the titular Merc with a Mouth lets you know right out of the gate that Deadpool 2 is an endearing family film (although not in the traditional sense). While I certainly don't think the film is suitable for families because of the hard-R rating, it's undeniably about family. Now with those semantics out of the way, it's worth noting that star Ryan Reynolds received a writing credit alongside the Deadpool screenwriting duo of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. If I were to guess, I'd say Reynolds had a huge contribution to not only the humor, but the story as well because he's also credited as a producer. Reynolds has really taken ownership of this character recently and seems to be very passionate about the direction of this franchise so I can only imagine he wanted a larger role in shaping the character's future wherever possible.

Anyways, as I alluded to earlier, fans of the first film will walk away with a lot to love, as Deadpool 2 doubles down on everything which worked previously while adding new characters and story elements to keep things fresh. Unfortunately, issues occasionally arise as the film's story can feel a bit scatterbrained at times. While this is certainly true to the character, it would have been nice if these particular story-beats had been polished a bit more. I also could have used a little more development to flesh out a few members of the supporting cast (namely Domino and Cable). 

Another thing that was very bothersome was that there really wasn't any excuse for the production to not have replaced T.J. Miller in the film as he's had some very negative publicity lately involving sexual assault and a fake bomb threat. He has a relatively minor role in the grand scheme of things and could have been easily swapped out ala Kevin Spacey in All the Money in the World. They could have cast Christopher Plummer and had Deadpool reference it in a quick fourth wall break to top it all off, but alas, that's not what happened. It's at least reassuring to hear Reynolds say Miller won't be involved in the franchise's future so hopefully his character will be left out or recast for X-Force or Deadpool 3.

On a much more positive note, Ryan Reynolds is once again exceptional in the role of Wade Wilson. Reynolds brings the character to life in such a unique way that I'm not sure I can envision anyone else  playing Deadpool for the time being. Reynolds' brand of humor and line delivery is simply well-suited to the Merc's exploits and I can't wait to see future onscreen adventures involving this current incarnation. Following his lead, returning characters from the first film include Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Vanessa, and Dopinder who each are proficiently-portrayed by Stefan Kapicic, Brianna Hildebrand, Morena Baccarin, and Karan Soni respectively. In the realm of franchise newcomers, there are lots of additions to the cast, but three stand-outs in particular who I believe to be well-deserving of a mention. 

Of all the X-Force members introduced in Deadpool 2, Zazie Beetz's Domino is easily the most memorable for an abundance of reasons I can't quite get into right now. When all is said-and-done though, Beetz makes for a cool supporting presence and the I found the cinematic depiction of her mutant ability to be quite interesting. 

Josh Brolin killed it as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, so naturally I had high hopes he'd have the same luck as Cable. While Cable's character wasn't fleshed out as much as I'd have liked to see, Brolin really leans into the rough and gruff nature of the character to stand out as a formidable foe for Deadpool to face. 

Last, but certainly not least, I must commend Julian Dennison on another job well-done. Between this and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I've gotta say that this kid has a bright comedic career in Hollywood ahead of him. Dennison displays some interesting range as Russell, putting his comedic chops and more dramatic acting abilities to great use. 

On the whole, Deadpool 2 is one of the few comic-book movie sequels that sticks the superhero landing as a second entry that's irrefutably bigger and better than the first in just about every regard. If you can stomach the raunchiness, Deadpool 2 is a solid sequel which is well-worth watching and surprising in all the right ways. Also, keep your eyes and ears peeled for plenty of cameos and references if you're a big fan of any ongoing or extinct comic-book film franchises. Oh, and be sure to stay in your seat afterwards for what may just be the greatest mid-credit sequence I've ever seen (split into two scenes). I can guarantee that you'll regret missing it if you run to the restroom instead. 

Film Assessment: A-

'Deadpool' Review

From the fact this was even green lit by 20th Century Fox to its viral marketing, this film astounded me again-and-again. The brilliant marketing campaign for this film is probably one of the best marketing campaigns ever that seemed to perfectly match the character of Deadpool and promise an enjoyable experience. Deadpool totally delivered. 

Director Tim Miller knows how to handle the character as Deadpool kicks the gates wide open, immediately tearing down the fourth wall with a brutally honest, hysterical opening credits. This was shortly followed by an action scene on a bridge that either had me laughing or left my mouth agape in amazement. Although, most of the film had that effect. 

The action is pretty front-heavy due to the lower budget, with little tid-bits sprinkled through the remainder of the film leading to the finale, but it certainly hits the mark. From there we jump back and forth between the present narrative and flashbacks to explain Deadpool's origin and I loved the non-linear storytelling that transpired as it allowed the entire film to be interesting instead of a buildup to the superhero origin, a tendency of most superhero origin films. 

Oh, and by the way Deadpool is by no means a hero, but rather a anti-hero since his methods are quite violent. And what makes the film so entertaining isn't the plot but rather the character of Deadpool. 

Ryan Reynolds was born for this role, embracing the looney personality of the Merc with a Mouth. Reynolds offers not only a great performance in terms of line delivery, comedic timing, and action, but also shows some acting chops for the emotional heart of Wade Wilson. Reynolds also seems to have fallen in love with the character and will ensure he's given the respect deserved to ensure fans will be happy. 

Moreno Baccarin plays Wilson's love interest, Vanessa Carlysle, and she works so well bouncing off Ryan Reynolds. The two provided a very authentic, romantic chemistry. 

T.J. Miller portrays Weasel and makes a great comedic actor to play comedic tennis with Reynolds, hitting jokes and gags off one another with lightning speed. 

Brianna Hildebrand brings Negasonic Teenage Warhead to the big screen for the first time, and she was awesome in the action sequences and I loved how her character configured into the comedy as Deadpool would chastise her. Colossus was the other X-Men (X-Man?) in the film and I think that this film's interpretation is the best version of Colossus we have seen in the X-Men film universe. I loved how his character was connected to the narrative and how Deadpool would ridicule Colossus and the X-Men, even managing to point out that the studio couldn't afford another. 

The antagonists, Ed Skrein and Gina Carano who portrayed Ajax and Angel Dust respectively, were generic villains for Deadpool to fight with Angel Dust as the muscle and Ajax as the skillful, brains of the operation. But both filled the respective roles with a refined and edgy takes on the characters. 

Deadpool was the perfect adaptation of the source material that made for the funniest movie I've seen in a very long time. I would also daresay that I'd rank it in my personal list of the Top 10 comic-book films made to this point. To be totally honest, I'm amazed at the fact that I enjoyed this movie as much as I did given that I'm not "crazy" about the character of Deadpool. Don't fret Deadpool fans, this is the movie you've long awaited and it remains perfectly in synch with the source material. 

A brief disclaimer, though the character of Deadpool can certainly appeal to children, I would highly advise against bringing a child to see Deadpool because this film is not just rated "R." It pushes the limits and boundaries of that rating, making for a very hard "R" film filled with blood, gore, edgy violence, sexual content, and inappropriate humor. But in all fairness, that is perfectly in character for Deadpool and I seriously doubt this film could have been made with as much respect for the character if it had gone with a "PG-13" rating. 

Now to all my female readers, take your man to see this movie on Valentine's Day. I promise you won't regret it as I think it actually makes for a great date movie that has something everyone can enjoy, energized action sequences, meta-comedy, and romance. 

Film Assessment: A B+