Director: David Leitch
By Alex Watson
Deadpool proved that when played purely for laughs, that Marvel universe still had life in it. Deadpool 2 shows that this character is the funniest weapon in its arsenal. Again its storytelling does present certain flaws, but these are all happily overlooked. New director David Leitch (one of the two filmmakers who gave us John Wick) proves adept at finding a good balance between entertainment and violence. The marketing campaign alone deserved an Oscar and the finished product will have you ribs firmly tickled.
Still happily settling scores and making his usual brand of jokes, Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is living the good life with fiancee Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). Soon afterward though, his life begins to get turned upside down and the emerge of vengeful future warrior Cable (Josh Brolin) doesn't help matters. There's also the matter of an angry abused teenager Russel (Julian Dennison) who has quite a temper and seems to like playing with fire.
With a blood splattering introduction soundtracked to Dolly Parton's 'Nine to Five', the tone is set immediately. Deadpool 2 has lost none of its original's black humour and still isn't afraid to poke fun at the X-Men universe. Though the tone does wander slightly from the path as Wade Wilson finds himself in a very difficult place emotionally (spoilers to be withheld) and spends the movie in limbo. During this movie, the notion of having a family is continually put forward and as a loner, Wade is not used to considering others. Cable has come from the future to avenge his own families murder and he proves to be a thunder busting nemesis. With his metallic arm and continually moody scowl, his motives remain wonderfully ambiguous (though there is a wonderful Thanos joke thrown in for good measure).
Russell on the surface appears to be little more than a minor sidekick. Cleverly, his importance to the story becomes more and more significant. Introducing himself in a blaze of fire, you can literally see the fury in his eyes. Abused by his carers and branded an abomination, Russell has more than just attitude problems. Wade proves to be the catalyst here again as an offhand comment will set this young man on the road to ruin. For a movie that prides itself on lower humour, the emotional core runs deep in this one. Our hero spends the movie pushing away any sense of family, but his gradual realization sets about some truly touching moments. Also, this picture finds room to introduce more vital players to the Deadpool saga such as the wonderfully sassy Domino (Zazie Beetz) who finds a way onto the team as she's 'lucky'- something she constantly proves despite Deadpool's gripes. Plus keep an eye out for a blink and you'll miss it cameo from an A-list star!
Deadpool 2 might be the funniest picture of the summer, but sometimes these laughs can distract from the story. As Deadpool mentions at one point "that's just lazy writing!" and in places, this is likely true. While Cable is a vast improvement over the poor villains of the first piece, you feel the story perhaps wastes too much time over his bickering with Deadpool. Several minor characters are written in for laughs only to be killed off minutes later. The comedic touch, for the most part, is gold, but certain jokes just feel too drawn out- the Basic Instinct sequences where Wade 'full shirt cock's it' is funny but ultimately ends up feeling like one of those overly long Family Guy gags. However, when you so richly rewarded for your time, these gripes feel meaningless in the long run.
Ryan Reynolds is clearly having the time of his life playing this character. Happy to mock his first outing as the silent variation of this character, Reynold is becoming the master of self-parody. Even when matched against big-budget veteran Brolin, Reynold's somehow always comes out on top. He also proves excellent at handling the movies tear jerker moments too. Josh Brolin is also a welcome addition as the grizzled Cable and skillfully has found his way into yet another Marvel franchise. Kiwi actor Julian Dennison steals the supporting honors though. So memorable in the hilarious 'Hunt for the Wilder People', Dennison transforms from being a moody teen a wounded tiger in short measure and slowly becomes the future villain everyone fears.
Deadpool 2 is likely to become Marvel's flagship for comedic gold in future. Stay tuned as well for possibly the most hilarious post-credit sequence yet.
