A lot of sequels try to do too much in order to differentiate from the original film. Some sequels try too hard to mimic the first film in hopes of replicating the same success. Whatever the plan of approach is, delivering a quality sequel that appeases fans of the original is a difficult task. Enter Deadpool 2, where the original director, Tim Miller, was ousted because of a creative clash with star Ryan Reynolds. After a viewing of the soon-to-be-released sequel, it’s clear that Reynolds simply wanted more of the same, and that ended up being a perfect choice. Join us as we dive deeper into our Deadpool 2 review.
The original Deadpool caught everyone by surprise. It was an R-rated superhero movie with a character who continually breaks the fourth wall while chopping off limbs and cursing up a storm. Deadpool 2 offers the exact same experience, only there are more characters for Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) to play around with, and far superior cinematography thanks to the switch from a visual effects artist (Tim Miller) to a bona fide action film director, David Leitch (John Wick).
It’s the little things that make Deadpool 2 a success when compared to the first film. The jokes are about the same, only without the shock value, which for me resulted in not quite as many laughs, but the audience I saw the film with was thoroughly entertained. Either way, the jokes are mostly on par with the original film. Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Dopinder (Karan Soni) all return with very similar roles, although Negasonic has a considerably smaller role to play this time around.
New to the series are Cable (Josh Brolin), Domino (Zazie Beetz) and Firefist (Julian Dennison). While there are a few others that you’ve undoubtedly seen in the trailers, these three take up a bulk of the screen time and interact with Deadpool the most. As Cable is a time traveler, we seen glimpses of the future here and there, an occasionally see an older version of Firefist. This older version is a badass character that begs to be included in future X-Men or Deadpool films, but the adolescent version is extremely divisive. Dennison plays the role well, but it’s written to be annoying and borderline stupid. If that’s your type of humor, you’ll love him. If not, he’ll just come off as annoying.
While Cable is a presence anytime he’s on screen and brings a lot to the film, he’s toned down by the muted appearance Fox and frequently X-Men producer, Simon Kinberg, have plagued nearly all X-Men movies with. Cable in the comics is battle-hardened and stern, but his attire is still bold and somewhat colorful. He sports blue and yellow outfits more often than not, similar to what Cyclops wears in the comics and X-Men animated series of the 90s. In Deadpool 2 he’s confined to a drab, dark bodysuit, with the only flare being his cybernetic implants and flamboyant use of firearms. It fits in with many of the X-Men films but feels out of place in the colorful world of Deadpool.
Domino is easily the highlight of the film. Most of the cast of Deadpool 2 seems to be having a good time, but Zazie Beetz is clearly enjoying herself more than anyone else. While this is a unique take on the character compared to what is seen in the comics, it works from every aspect, and Beetz embraces the fun of a luck-based mutant power. Domino gives Deadpool a run for his money in terms of both attitude and smart-mouthing. She pairs with Deadpool just as well, if not better than Negasonic did in the original film.
On paper, Deadpool 2 is bigger and better than the original film in every way. However, in practice, it comes off very similar to the first film, and that’s not a bad thing. There’s just enough here to make it feel fresh and new, while still retaining everything fans know and love about the original. The bar isn’t raised much, but it’s enough to warrant seeing this one in theaters, especially if you enjoyed the first film.
About Deadpool 2
Synopsis:Â Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy of supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling mutant, Cable.
Director:Â David Leitch
Writers:Â Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Stars:Â Josh Brolin, Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin
Rated: R
Runtime:Â 1 Hour, 59 Minutes
Bryan Dawson has been writing professionally since the age of 13. He started his career as a video game writer and has since worked for Random House, Prima Games, DirecTV, IGN, AOL, the British Government, and various other organizations. For GNN, Bryan taps into his passion for movies.
