Check out our Deadpool 2 review as the Merc with the Mouth returns to tea bag his way through another movie…
By Damon Martin — Editor/Lead Writer
It’s not easy to top a truly creative and original movie with a sequel.
Sure Empire Strikes Back managed to do it and some would argue (myself included) that Aliens was superior to Alien, but the majority of the time, a sequel rarely out does the original.
Thus is the case with Deadpool 2, which opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.
The original Deadpool movie was so outrageously original that Ryan Reynolds and the producers behind the film basically had to gamble on its success because the budget was kept so low it could barely be called a superhero film based on the gaudy money pumped into these features each and every year. Still the risky move paid off as Deadpool because a monstrous success for Reynolds, 20th Century FOX and pretty much anybody else who decided to get on board for an ‘R’ rated comic book film heavy on the four letter words and blood letting.
So it’s understandable why the expectations are so high that Deadpool 2 lives up to its predecessor — in face Reynolds was so protective of the franchise he founded that he ended up splitting with director Tim Miller, who wanted to up the ante in the second film while the man behind the Merc with a Mouth wanted to keep the low budget feel that made the first movie such a success.
Let’s just say Reynolds was right to keep Deadpool 2 smaller than say Avengers: Infinity War and he still managed to stick in plenty of dick and fart jokes that will keep fans of the original laughing throughout the movie. Of course, Deadpool 2 isn’t without its flaws — the central problem being a rehashed time travel story that’s been done to death — but thankfully the new characters introduced coupled with Reynold’s over the top delivery make this movie worth seeing and probably worth watching multiple times just like the first one.
With that said, let’s review Deadpool 2…
Plot
Since the first movie ended, Deadpool has gone international as he’s cleaning up mobsters and gangs in bloody fashion around the world and then scurrying home where his loving girlfriend Vanessa is always there waiting for him with a kiss and some frosting covered toaster pastries.
Unfortunately, Deadpool suffers through another tragedy — one that doesn’t involve him being tortured to transform into a mutant — and it leaves him feeling hollow inside until the X-Men decide to give him a second chance at becoming one of them.
And he blows it.
Thankfully Deadpool gets a third chance at redemption when he tries to save a mutant kid who was growing up in a facility that is essentially attempting to get them to pray their powers away. In the midst of all this, a time traveling mutant named Cable shows up from the future dead set on putting a bullet in this kid’s brain for reasons unknown and Deadpool is determined to stop him.
Acting
Let’s just move past Ryan Reynolds because he is the living embodiment of Deadpool so he’s spot on in the sequel just like the original.
Josh Brolin gets his second straight superhero role after playing a motion capture Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War but his stoic stance and constant grimace don’t play as strong in this movie as he managed to pull of with just his voice in his previous role. Brolin is a phenomenal actor but truth be told, he doesn’t have much to work with as Cable other than brooding and getting involved in a lot of action scenes.
The real stand out in terms of the new additions would have to be Zazie Beetz as the lucky mutant named Domino, who joins up with Deadpool when he’s looking for backup to deal with Cable. Beetz is best known for her role in the Donald Glover created series Atlanta and she really gets a chance to shine in this film.
As far as the returning players, T.J. Miller is back but his performance is basically on par with the last movie but perhaps the standout is Karan Soni, who comes back as Deadpool’s personal cab driver Dopinder and he manages to steal a few scenes this time around as well.
Directing and Writing
David Leitch didn’t have an easy job to step into Tim Miller’s shoes following the work he did on the original Deadpool but the co-director of the first John Wick movie definitely understood how to get the action beats right in this movie while incorporating plenty of comedy throughout.
The dialogue is just as funny with a volume of pop culture references that will have your head buzzing when the movie’s done.
The look and feel of the sequel are very similar to the first film, although there are some gorier scenes this time around that may have theater goers wincing a bit more than expected with a superhero movie and that’s saying a lot considering how graphic things got in the first Deadpool movie.
Overall, Leitch does a solid job and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick put together an admirable script, albeit a little light on the plot.
What’s Wrong with the Movie?
As previously mentioned, the plot for this movie is painfully thin at times only because the central story in Deadpool 2 is one that’s been done a thousand times before in a million different science fiction/fantasy/superhero films, television shows and books.
It’s no secret that time travel plays a part in Deadpool 2 but the film lacks in using that tool for anything more than the standard old plot machinations rather than coming up with something truly original like what Rian Johnson imagined when he created Looper.
As weak as the plot might be, Deadpool 2 is still chock full of hilarious moments and incredible action sequences that nearly make you forget about the played out theme that serves as the central story.
Final Verdict
As the title of this article says, Deadpool 2 is like the leftovers of a great meal that you shove in the refrigerator and then heat up the next morning for breakfast. It’s never quite as good as the first time it’s on your plate, but it’s still quite delicious. Deadpool 2 is an admirable yet flawed follow up to a really ingenious original. Completely watchable, very quotable and a story that’s still somewhat forgettable.
Deadpool 2 gets a four out of five rating on the Skolnick Scale.
