Reviews

'Deadpool 2' Review: A Gleefully Gory, Action-Packed And Surprisingly Heartfelt Sequel

By nicholas | 21 May 2018

An even better sequel to the first, this R-rated piece is gleefully gory, well-paced and even has the heart to embrace its viewers.

Rating: 3.5 stars / B+

“You're no hero. You're just a clown, dressed up like a sex toy.”

“So dark. You sure you're not from the DC universe?”

The first Deadpool (2016) was quite the charmer and game-changer for R-rated superhero movies, scoring almost US800 million in worldwide grosses, paving way for the same studio to have the confidence to bankroll Logan (2017), also R-rated, and grossing a respectable US600+ million.

With such stellar showings at the box-office (case in point: both Kick-Ass (2010) and Kick-Ass 2 (2013) had a combined gross that did not even exceed US160 million), there is no surprise that Deadpool 2 was put together this fast. It is also an even better sequel, retaining the charm of the first, while giving us material that is a solid notch more subversive and satisfying.

Ryan Reynolds is back as the titular character, and he has never been better in what could be one of his finest performances to date. Amid all the violence and vulgarities, Reynolds manages to give us a Deadpool who is irredeemably crass yet has a heart of gold. That is not easy, and a testament to Reynolds’ performance and some excellent screenwriting.

As the film so proudly proclaimed in its opening act, this is a family movie, about caring for one another, and believing in the good of people. Deadpool is thrusted into the limelight when Russell (Julian Dennison, fresh from a starring turn in Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)), a mutant boy who can’t control his anger and powers, escapes an institution and becomes the assassination target of a time-travelling human cyborg called Cable (Josh Brolin).

Narratively, Deadpool 2 is interesting insofar as it isn’t content with traditional storytelling and stock characters. Apart from the meta-filmic gags, of which there are aplenty, the film wallows in an off-kilter pool where characters seem integral and trivial at the same time. It also doesn’t care if a segment is in excess to the narrative. A mid-sequence involving the audition of a band of mutant rogues to their first mission with Deadpool best captures this self-important yet nonchalant spirit.

All these, and more, make it a gleeful ride, not to mention the film’s generous servings of gore, plus the most NSFW things you will ever hear in a mainstream blockbuster, give us two hours of non-stop entertainment. It’s not just the spectacular action, but everything else, including that rare heart to embrace its viewers amid the bloody carnage.