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Deadpool 2 - Review

The best X-Men stories are about the family and community we create for ourselves. As Deadpool states at the start of the Deadpool 2, this film is a family movie. The fact that Deadpool 2 actually explores these themes as its emotional core is admirable. What’s even MORE admirable is that not only does the film stick the landing, but also improves on the original Deadpool in every conceivable way.
 
Deadpool 2 opens with Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds – WME) a.k.a. Deadpool living in romantic bliss with his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin – UTA|Seven Summits). Through various plot machinations (which I won’t get into as that’d be a spoiler) Deadpool finds himself trying to protect Russell (Julian Dennison – LINK Entertainment),  a dangerous young mutant who goes by the name Firefist, from Cable (Josh Brolin – CAA), a cybernetic soldier from the future who wants to kill Russell for mysterious reasons – no matter the cost! To protect this kid, Deadpool comes to the conclusion that he has to put together a team of mutants he’ll call “X-Force” in order to stop Cable. To say anything more would spoil the fun.  
 
I admire more than actually like the first Deadpool. While the emotional stakes of the first movie carry it, and I enjoy the fun subversion of the tropes of the superhero origin story, a lot the humor annoys me because it relies on crudeness that has no real purpose in the story. Furthermore, outside of the opening freeway chase, the first Deadpool’s action sequences feel fairly pedestrian.
 
So, it pleases me to report that the sequel doubles down on everything that made the first film work (strong emotional core, fun subversion of comic book movie tropes) and jettisons the annoying frat boy humor. Don’t misunderstand, Deadpool 2 is still raunchy as hell, it just feels more cohesive and character based this time around. On top of this the action is more stylish and more engaging – thanks to the direction of David Leitch (WME), director of John Wick and Atomic Blonde. Leitch brings a clear sense of geography to the action, and even though there’s a ton of it, it never feels like too much. There’s also a sequence in here that involves an X-Men villain that this longtime X-Men fan has always wanted to see. I had no idea that this character was even in the movie!
 
I don’t want to give the impression that the film is perfect. The inciting incident that pulls Deadpool into the story is an annoying action movie and comic book cliché that maybe doesn’t belong in a movie this irreverent. Ultimately, Deadpool 2 pokes fun at this choice, but it’s still creaky and annoying.
 
However, the fact that Deadpool 2 doesn’t completely become a tonal catastrophe is in thanks to returning writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (WME), who are joined by Reynolds himself. They anchor the film around the themes of family and community, and what we’ll do (both good and bad) to keep a family together.
 
Performances across the board are good. Credit goes to Reynolds who continues to throw everything he has into Deadpool, playing the manic jokester with glee, but also playing the character’s pathos. I find Reynolds an underrated actor and his work here is a nice showcase for him. He switches between dramatic moments and more comedic shenanigans effortlessly. Brolin adds a lot to the role of Cable, who is mostly played as a badass mysterious figure. But he plays the character with a lot of pain, and is a fun foil to the silliness of Deadpool. Of the members of Deadpool’s new team is Domino (Zazie BeetzGersh). She’s a standout of the film and steals every scene she’s in. Her mutant power of luck adds lots of fun to the action sequences – particularly a truck chase with Domino at the wheel, where her facial expressions as all this insanity goes on around her are hilarious. There are also several great cameos (a couple blink-and-you-miss-them) and several comic book easter eggs.
 
Deadpool 2 is a heartwarming story about family, which puts it in the top tier of the X-Men franchise (the best being Logan) – not bad for a goofy, irreverent hero.
 
Stick around for the end credits as its one of the best these movies have ever had.
 
3 out of 4 stars