David Pierdomenico
I’m Deadpool, and I approve this review!
Two years ago, Deadpool took the world by storm, outgrossing every other film in its franchise and showing the world that superhero films could be violent and edgy with a hard “R” rating. And like all successful films, a sequel was greenlit almost immediately. Let’s take a spoiler-free look and attempt to answer the question: does Deadpool 2 deliver?
A Production Filled With Behind-The-Scenes Turmoil
Aside from all the usual sequel concerns, Deadpool 2 seemed cursed by misfortune throughout its production. Early in preproduction, director Tim Miller, who had done so well with the first film, left due to creative differences with Ryan Reynolds. This, along with 20th Century Fox still being hesitant to dish out a huge budget, may have resulted in the on-set tragedy which killed stunt driver Joi Harris. Despite being less experienced than other stunt drivers, she performed a motorcycle stunt simply because she looked more like the character, and she was even asked not to wear a helmet since the character does not. What resulted was a devastating fatal crash, which only shut down production for two days.
As if this wasn’t controversial enough, supporting actor T.J. Miller was the subject of a series of sexual misconduct allegations and was even arrested last month for calling in a bomb threat while aboard an Amtrak train. Given that filming was already done, it was nearly impossible to remove him from this installment, but Reynolds himself confirmed Miller would not appear in any subsequent films.
Against All Odds…Again
Delivering a sequel to the monumental juggernaut (pun intended) that was Deadpool was certainly no easy task. However, the production was clever enough not to try and outright mimic the original as so many follow ups do.
The first film is very much a love story disguised as a classic revenge story. This one feels more like a traditional X-Men film with elements of Terminator and Looper. Its greatest strength is its ability to subvert audience expectations about where the film is going. The plot threads take us down one path where we think we know what’s going to happen, just for an unexpected event to occur that completely derails the story somewhere else. In some cases this can be exhausting, but it was quite refreshing to see it change direction so as to keep the audience guessing.
After director Tim Miller, left the project, David Leitch took over. His work on Atomic Blonde is evidence of why this film takes a dark turn into gritty sci-fi, at least for all scenes involving Cable.
“Family” Film?
In the film’s opening, Deadpool himself describes this as a family film, and it is. At least in the same vain that The Fast and the Furious franchise is. Deadpool 2 adds a slew of new characters and lays the groundwork for the X-Force, which has been all but officially confirmed by Fox as the next step for the series. Josh Brolin as Cable adds a much needed dark foil to Deadpool’s constant sarcastic quipping, and the two really play well off each other. Cable’s arrival is one of the main driving points of the plot, and his entire “part machine/part man from the future on a mission” routine gives the film a fascinating dark Terminator-esque vibe.
Zazie Beetz also joins the cast as Domino, a mutant whose superpower is “being lucky.” The film plays around with this by utilizing the Deus ex machina trope of convenience, but chalking it up to her ability to be lucky. We also get more of Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, along with a myriad of cameos that bring a great chemistry to the team and cast overall.
In many ways Deadpool’s X-Force (of which he is proud of the gender neutral name) is the Guardians of the Galaxy to Marvel’s Avengers. They technically exist in the same universe and may crossover, but they are free to be lighthearted and absurd, especially with the “R” rating.
Deadpool 2 boasts an entertaining ensemble dynamic that the first one was lacking in. As much fun as Deadpool is by himself, it’s interesting to see him interact with other personalities.
Too Meta?
Part of the recipe for Deadpool’s immense success back in 2016 was not only the charm and spectacle of what it was, but also the fact that it had wide appeal to generic audiences. Its humor was filled with references but there were enough jokes for casual moviegoers to get that weren’t necessarily familiar with the franchise or genre as a whole.
This film’s humor, however, works to both its benefit and detriment. Deadpool 2 contains many more jokes and references to other films in the series and other comic book films in general, which is sure to delight superfans but runs the risk of alienating those casual moviegoers. It’s difficult to know how this will be received. On the one hand, comic book films are made for the fans, but at the same time, they can’t be too esoteric.
Worth Seeing?
Of course it is – there’s no question about it! It may lack the nuance and excitement the first one had, but it was never going to have that since it’s a sequel. It’s still extremely entertaining and does a great job of blending action and comedy. Brolin and Reynolds work very well together by giving Deadpool a somber counterpart he didn’t have before. Sure, it falls victim to some of the lazy writing tropes that feel contrived, but when Deadpool himself turns to camera and calls these things out, it’s easy to give the film a pass on it.
Much like Robert Downey Jr. was born to play Iron Man, and Hugh Jackman was a perfect Logan, Ryan Reynolds once again demonstrates why he is the ideal Wade Wilson. And with the future of 20th Century Fox on the line, hopefully audiences still get to see the planned X-Force and Deadpool 3 follow ups.
Let’s just all be glad that this isn’t the lasting legacy of Ryan Reynolds.
