Deadpool 2 Review

Deadpool 2

Not quite maximum effort.

Deadpool 2 is the follow up to 2015s breakaway success story which showed Marvel and DC that there is an audience for bloody and profanity filled superhero adventures. The unlikely success in the box office for Ryan Reynolds dream project is quite extraordinary when you consider just how hard Reynolds had to fight to get his favourite superhero justice on the big screen. The original film upon its release was one which I wanted to like but something just felt off. On one hand part of me loved for just how left field it was. I can’t imagine Captain America telling Black Widow that its “Time to make the chimi-f****ing-changas.”.  But something was just missing for me. The film is only 2 years old and already appears to be extremely dated. The CGI on Colossus and some of the references (the constant comparison of Negasonic Teenage Warhead to Sinead O Connor) are just painful to watch. However, I went into this film open minded with high hopes that new director David Leitch would be able to balance the humour, violent action and character arcs in a way that isn’t as sloppy as the first film. My hopes will remain hopes forever because Deadpool 2 is sadly a film that is confused in what kind of film it wants to be.

Without giving too much away Deadpool 2 follows pretty much the same plot of Terminate 2 with Wade Wilson having to protect a young boy from a time travelling soldier named Cable. The thing is however, is that Terminator 2 was so successful in creating a compelling narrative because it focused solely on the protection of John Connor. Deadpool 2 adds forming a superhero team, a revenge story and Dick jokes into the mix which derails the fil. With so many stories in one movie Deadpool 2 adds too many ingredients into the mix and the result is in some ways an oversaturated movie. Its hard to feel emotionally invested in Deadpool’s spiritual journey and obsession with death when he’s cracking jokes at about his love of Dubstep. While many fans will get kicks out of the references to the rival DC universe and the breaking of the fourth wall. For me it takes my investment away from the film because when there is a joke every third line, the stakes of the film are ultimately downgraded.

  Profanity is one of Deadpool’s main sources for humour with the film constant throwing out obscenities for jokes, insults, threats, reactions, compliments and any other version of dialogue. The problem is that after hearing the f word said 90ish times during the film, the word begins to lose all meaning. The believes that the swears are funny on their own just because of the stigma around the words but bombarding the viewer with swears is not a useful use of profanity in film. Take X-Men First Class for example which unlike Deadpool 2 isn’t rated R so doesn’t have the freedom to use profanity whenever it wants. The film has one shot to use a curse and it uses it to create possibly the funniest cameo in comic book movie history.

Reynolds is still the perfect fit for Deadpool. Everything from his body language to his tone of voice makes you feel as if the character has leaped straight off the pages from the comic. My only complaint with his performance is perhaps we spend too much time with Wade Wilson and not enough with Deadpool. The film is at its best when focusing on Deadpool’s relationship with Russel, played brilliantly by rising New Zealand star Julian Dennison, which allows Deadpool to be much more level headed, with his humour evolving from Bart to Homer Simpson before our very eyes. The newcomers Cable and Domino are both portrayed wonderfully by Josh Brolin and Atlanta star Zazie Beetz. Brolin continues his summer comic book success story following his marvellous turn as Thanos in Infinity War. The grizzled time traveller has the most compelling arc in the entire film, with his heart-breaking backstory being the most poignant moment of the film. Unfortunately, a bizarre lack of screen time for both newcomers harms the film with both characters not being introduced until a big chunk into the film. The decision to keep TJ Miller in the film following recent controversies is baffling considering how small of a part Weasel plays this time around, his line delivery especially is the weakest of the entire cast.

The film overall is extremely stop start. The opening is nowhere near on par to the original with the violence feeling like its only there for shock value. The second act of the films picks up the films pace featuring most of the major set pieces. This is when Deadpool 2 is at its most entertaining with director David Leitch showcasing action scenes that made his John Wick franchise such a success. The films biggest weak point is poor writing with the film not being shy to point this out “Well that’s convenient”. I find lines like this not to be as funny as the screenwriters, which includes Ryan Reynolds, to be as its just pointing out the blatantly obvious weaknesses in plot in a way that isn’t as intelligent as it thinks it is. The conclusion of the film especially feels unearned and will leave you wondering just how the film managed to end where it ends. Deadpool 2 lacks the charm and the novelty of the first film but strong performances by Reynolds, Brolin, Beats and Dennison rescues the film and prevents it from being a profanity filled chore. Deadpool 2 contains plenty of moments to keep hardcore fans entertained and pleased but overall the film feels like a bit of a drag that doesn’t succeed in its superhero landing.

Liam’s Deadpool 2 summary

Best moment: Everything about X-Force

Worst moment: The films does not know when to end making the third act feel like an eternity.

Best character: Cable with Peter being a close second.

Worst character: Weasel for being distracting for onscreen and offscreen reasons.

Overall Rating: 2.5/5