Deadpool 2 (2018)

 

Damn, it's tough to capture lightning in a bottle twice. Not that this sequel to the surprise R-rated comic book adaptation is bad. Far from it, in fact. But as with all things, the novelty has worn off and somehow, somewhere, this one is just slightly less funny than the previous one. Sure, it has some more focus on the characters, but it's tough to like this one as much as the first. 

Yes, that absolutely is nitpicking. But that's why reviews exist: to be complete arsehats. Opinionated arsehats, to be exact.

Things are rough for Deadpool/Wade Wilson. In fact, he's down in the dumps, as the love of his life Vanessa is alas now dead. 

Great, another film with a fun love interest that felt the need to get rid of her. What the actual? 

So at the start, our merc with a mouth is finding different ways to kill himself, which is pretty hard when you're basically unkillable. Things don't get any easier when he sort of joins up with Colossus and they have to subdue a teenage mutant that almost burnt down an orphanage. It gets even worse when it transpires that the kids there are molested and tortured, but Wade escalates the situation and both he and the kid are sent to the Ice Box, a supermax prison for mutants where they have to wear collars that suppress their powers. Sucks doubly for Wade, who is now once again dying of rampant cancer. 

In comes Cable, a mutant from the future who want to kill the young boy, because later on he turns into a killer and he has actually killed Cable's wife and child. Wade sort of wants to rescue the boy as he believes that this will be his redemption. 

So who will get the last laugh? Will Cable succeed or will Deadpool? Bets are on, now. 

This film does benefit from some excellent casting and fun characters. Josh Brolin is always wonderful, but it feels as though he was tailormade to play the gruff Cable. It suits him like a glove, as he is the perfect antithesis to Ryan Reynolds' loudmouthed character. No surprises that Reynolds still has that ridiculous swagger and pottymouth that feels second nature to him anyway. Let him loose and this is what you get and it works for Deadpool as it feels enormously close to the comic anyway. You get a lot less of Weasel and Blind Al, but the introduction of Zazie Beets as Domino was a golden choice. Het mutant power is luck and they work it into the film in such a way that it actually feels believable. Add to that her charismatic performance and voila! 

Is this film less focused than the first one? Yes. I get what they were trying to do with Russell, the kid who is supposed to become this remorseless killer, but it does feel a bit shoehorned into the plot, as does the inclusion of Juggernaut. Granted, his depiction here makes more sense than Vinnie Jones in 'X-Men: The Last Stand', but still. He is merely here to be the foil to Colossus, just like Angel Dust in the previous one. 

Also: it might be me, but this one is less funny than the first iteration. I get that Wade is grieving for Vanessa, but the first one is laugh out loud funny whereas this one is teetering more towards seriousness. 

A little tough when you have a fourth wall-breaking character, but hey. 

Is it still highly enjoyable? Yes, absolutely. But one does hope that a possible third installment would go back to the more irreverent take of the first one, as that seemingly works best for the character and the franchise.