--Deadpool, Deadpool 2
For the second time in less than a month, Josh Brolin has starred in a Marvel superhero film--and each movie has been a very competent offering! Deadpool 2 takes everything that was successful and popular about the first movie and amplifies it in this installment: this one has more effects, expands the excellent humor the first one is known for, and tells a more complex story, all while allowing the titular character to display a wider range of emotions and letting the supporting cast members bring hilarious life to their roles.
The first Deadpool used its budgetary limitations as opportunities for jokes (lack of CGI funds led to the weapons being left on the taxi near the end, for instance). This time, important action set pieces are more plentiful, and the action benefits from the larger budget. Expect fight scenes that, though not having the enormous planetary stakes of many recent superhero films, carry definite urgency and personal stakes for key characters. Though one of the trailers mocked a CGI-related problem, the effects are never poor in quality. The grandness of them is particularly on display in several action sequences.
Thankfully, the acting is splendid, with some characters fluctuating between making relentless jokes and sharing personal trials very effectively. Ryan Reynolds, like Hugh Jackman with Wolverine, acts Deadpool so well that it is difficult for me to imagine anyone else so expertly handling the role. In a natural evolution of the character, he shows a broad range of emotions, never losing his signature sense of dark humor, always remaining in character, whatever the nature of the scene. He even takes some verbal shots at last year's Logan, highlighting the fact that, despite both movies being R-rated takes on beloved Marvel characters, they are tonally different, though the popularity surrounding a certain "Pulverine" (to reference a comment by Deadpool from the first movie) is certainly the basis for multiple jokes throughout the movie . . .
The time traveler Cable is masterfully realized by Josh Brolin, hardened yet reeling from pains of his own. Domino, Colossus, Teenage Negasonic Warhead, and a young mutant who becomes a central character are also played very well by their respective actors and actresses. The appearance of a surprise X-Men character adds another figure familiar to knowledgeable comic enthusiasts--but I won't spoil the identity of this person here!
Story
(SPOILERS BELOW!)
Wade Wilson, otherwise called Deadpool, acts as a vigilante with a knack for comedy, hunting down and killing particular criminals. This leads to disastrous personal consequences, as one of his enemies locates his apartment and kills his significant other, Vanessa. After a failed suicide attempt, Colossus brings Wade's remains to Xavier's X-Mansion, persuading him to train as a future member of the X-Men. Deadpool, Colossus, and Teenage Negasonic Warhead try to defuse a situation with an angry mutant boy named Firefist. It turns out that the boy has been abused by the anti-mutant staff of his orphanage, and Deadpool impulsively kills one of them publicly. Both Deadpool and Firefist are given collars that disable their mutant abilities and brought to a prison for mutants.
While in the prison, a time traveling cyborg named Cable tries to kill Firefist, though Wade protects him at the expense of his own safety. At first it is unclear why he wants to kill the boy, but he later reveals that Firefist, if left alive, will eventually kill someone in an act of vengeance, and eventually develop a habit of killing, which results in Firefist killing Cable's family. Circumstances bring Cable, Deadpool, and members of Deadpool's spin-off X-Force group together as allies. All of them intend to stop Firefist from killing, but the methods differ; Cable wants to kill him first and Deadpool wants to redeem him. The rest of the story is a wonderful amalgam of dark comedy with legitimate character development.
Intellectual Content
Deadpool is not a particularly intellectual series, but Deadpool 2, like Brolin's other recent Marvel film Infinity War, does touch upon the utilitarian reasoning behind doing something morally wrong to prevent another wrong. Is it wrong to kill someone who will commit an atrocity in the future if they haven't actually committed the deed yet? Deadpool recognizes that it cannot be just to do so. At the very least, Deadpool 2 does touch upon some themes with serious moral substance, like how parent-child relationships (or relationships that resemble them) can motivate both parties to choose to become a better version of themselves. The film rarely, if ever sacrifices humor for the sake of thematic issues, but the story is a more personal, existential one than what came prior. I still wish it explored the mechanics of time travel a bit more!
Conclusion
Like many movies I have reviewed, Deadpool 2 is not for everyone. But those who love the style of comedy from the first one and who can handle the violence should give it a try. It is darker, yes, but it is also funnier and has far more heart. The credits scenes also have massive potential to please Marvel fans, especially those who are familiar with earlier Marvel films . . . I hope X-Men and general superhero fans make this movie a financial success!
Content:
1. Violence: Deadpool 2 has more gore than either the first Deadpool or Logan, and the violence tends to have a larger scale, involving more expansive environments.
2. Profanity: Unsurprisingly, there are alot of f-bombs and other assorted expletives.
3. Nudity: In one scene Wade's genitalia are briefly made visible, and in another scene a character's buttocks are exposed.
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