Deadpool’s entry onto the big screen in 2016 was a welcome shift for the self-important superhero genre. It came out swinging with its R-rated self referential style where nothing and no one was safe. I often equate the first Deadpool with American Pie. It was so shocking, that your inner rebellious teen couldn’t help but guffaw. While the humor doesn’t quite hold up on repeated viewings, the initial shock value of the experience left a mark and was an incredible financial success.
It’s now been two short years and recent comic book movies have veered heavily into comedy territory, taking away much of the original punch of Deadpool. Yet, that won’t stop Ryan Reynolds and crew from trying.
Every American Pie needs an American Pie 2.
Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is trying to find a purpose. Both in this movie and for the character. Yet, purpose finds him as he finds that he must protect young firestarter Russell (Julian Dennison from The Hunt for the Wilderpeople). A time-traveling mutant from the future, Cable (Josh Brolin) has come back to take him out of existence, and it’s apparently Deadpool’s job to save the kid. In an effort to stop Cable, Deadpool enlists a new team of mutants, the X-Force, as backup.
Deadpool 2 takes the plot of 2012’s Looper, but adds in its unfair share of potty humor and a few slow-motion montages to boot.
I was happy to see Deadpool move on from the standard origin story we saw last time around, but his continuation is the furthest thing from original. Not only that, but the character is showing clear signs of Jack Sparrow-itis. He was great the first time around, but with every subsequent sequel, he seems to be forcing jokes that have a 1/20 success rate.
Deadpool 2 takes a lot of risks with its core audience. The reliance on humor is absent, or at least the humor is largely gone. Instead, there are moments that focus on actual drama. Deadpool is somehow able to stop talking about one obvious organ for a few minutes to focus on another one – the heart. The inciting incident here feels like a cheap stunt, but it ends up giving Deadpool a reason to change. The tonal shifts are all over the map, but you can’t fault the movie too much for trying to add a few gallons of emotion to a kiddie pool that only holds an inch of stagnant water.
While nearly every line Ryan Reynolds speaks falls flat, there is some incredible humor found elsewhere in the movie. Instead of relying on the main character’s one-liners, the humor comes in the form of sight gags. Two notable gags being the utilization of the X-Force. There’s so much focus and seemingly wasted time spent on the team, but the payoff delivers a kidney punch of hilarity. Also, while the conclusion of the movie leaves you with a shoulder shrug, the closing credits nearly redeem the entire movie and raise the score a half letter grade.
The focus of Deadpool 2 seems to shift away from the merc with a mouth in an attempt to create an ensemble. The acting/side characters are a real mixed bag. The best addition to the cast is that of Domino (Zazie Beetz). Her character, whose powers are luck, is given no reason to exist. However, every action scene built around her has a real spark to it. Josh Brolin’s Cable doesn’t inspire much confidence in future buddy movies with he and DP. He was basically told to act “gruff” and that’s it. Previous scene-stealer Negasonic Teenage Warhead get a few cameos, but makes no impact. Julian Dennison is more stunt casting than anything. It’s difficult to root for DP to actually save him from the justified vendetta of Cable.
The Deadpool franchise should quit while its ahead. It’s difficult to imagine where the character can go from here and if it’s even worth trying. There’s some solid laughs to be had in this sequel, but you’re gonna have to be patient to find them. Even with everything working against it, Deadpool 2 is worth watching once (if you can handle the content), but only once. C+
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