Deadpool 2 Review
Due to Deadpool being a huge success, mainly because of the unexpected nature of the film, it was only a matter of time before a sequel was to follow. I was a fan of the first film, but have always said that it walked a very thin line between comedy and being outright annoying. Luckily, for me, the film didn’t cross that line, making it an enjoyable experience. However, it did create a huge amount of doubt when it came to Deadpool 2, as more often than not, sequels are usually just more of what made the original good, rather than an evolution, making them a bit too much. With Deadpool walking that thin line, trying to cram even more of the positives into the sequel would make the film inevitably cross that line.
I went in to see Deadpool 2 with reservations, but came out surprisingly impressed, even more so than I was with the original. Not only did I find this film funnier, I felt it was more sentimental. There were parts to this film that made me feel other emotions than just extremely amused. With the first film, it was a very basic story, with a guy inheriting superpowers in someway, with said person then having to use those powers to save someone they love. Whereas this movie focused on more on character depth and that decisions you make can define you going forward.
Deadpool 2 focusses on Deadpool crossing paths with a mutant child named Russell, played by New Zealand actor Julian Dennison. Russell has the ability to project blasts of fire from his hands, but is unable to control his anger, which stems from the torture he has been put through whilst living in a orphanage due to being a “mutant freak”. Russell, for me, was the only character I wasn’t overly fussed by. He was a great plot device, but I am not too bothered about whether I see him again. Due to Russell’s lack of control over his anger, it ended up sending him down a path which crosses Josh Brolin’s character, Cable, in the future. Russell causes Cable a great deal of tragedy, so Cable travels back in time to stop him, whilst Russell is not at his strongest. Because Russell is only a child, Deadpool takes it upon himself to protect the boy, believing that his path isn’t set in stone and can be changed if someone were there for him.
The dynamic between Cable and Deadpool is great, seeing a deadly serious Cable trying to get round Deadpool’s strange sense of humor. I’ve not really been a massive Brolin fan generally, but of late, he has really turned by head with his performances as Thanos, and now Cable. Cable isn’t the only character we see Deadpool annoy, the movie also stars some familiar faces in Morena Baccarin, Deadpool/Wade Wilson’s girlfriend, TJ Miller, Wade’s best friend, Weasel, and Dopinder played by Karan Soni, our heroes trusty sidekick. Not only is Deadpool joined by familiar faces, he is also met by some new ones, such as Zazie Beetz as Domino, a fellow mutant whose power is being the luckiest person alive and a member of Deadpool’s hero team to help save Russell. Domino was a really fun character, making me enjoy seeing her get out of the most mental situations just by pure luck.
One of the highlights of Deadpool 2 for me though, was how it felt like a really good X-Men movie. Even though none of the major X-Men were in it, it still dabbled in the struggles of being a mutant, and also what it meant to be a member of the X-Men. This is enforced by the two lowkey X-Men, Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. There is also a surprise, classic X-Men villain which appears, that was the icing on the cake to this mutant driven film.
Now onto the score by Tyler Bates. Boy, did he not disappoint. The score was perfectly composed for this film, only adding to the comedic nature of the movie. The score isn’t one I would listen to casually, but it was certainly a positive part to the film, with some real hidden gems in it, that if caught, would have you laughing. Towards the end of the film, they also pull a track from the Logan score, which was nicely done, with it being no secret Reynolds is obsessed with Jackman and his take on Wolverine, constantly asking for them to be in a film together.
Even though there are many great parts to this film, the credit truly goes to Ryan Reynolds. He really has found his perfect character to play, like Robert Downey Jr has in Iron Man. It is as if the characters were made for them. I really couldn’t see Deadpool being played by anyone else and I, for one, look forward to seeing more of what Reynolds has to offer where Deadpool is concerned, as he has shown in Deadpool 2, he is well aware of what makes the character enjoyable and that it wasn’t a fluke the first time.
