Deadpool 2 Review
The original Deadpool hit the movie going public by surprise, quickly becoming one of the biggest super hero films in recent years. Ryan Reynolds took the disaster of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and flipped the character on its head, embodying the sarcastic, quippy nature that defines the merc with the mouth. With Deadpool 2, all it took was the first trailer and everyone was hooked. At this point, the marketing campaign is its own animal. Give us some Bob Ross Deadpool and a Celine Dion music video and we’re set.
It’s undeniable how clever Ryan Reynolds and his team are in regards to the marketing and development of these films. They took something that few had any faith in and turned it into a cultural phenomenon. Plus, they’ve led possibly some of the smartest and most effective marketing campaigns in Hollywood history.
However, the original Deadpool really did nothing for me. I saw what many praised as being extremely funny and revolutionary, as having a generic and weak story with humor that rarely payed off. It didn’t help that I’m not the biggest fan of Reynolds but a majority of the jokes fell flat for me. It came off as trying way too hard to be funny. To me, the writers only thought they were being extremely clever.
With all that said, Deadpool 2 is a different story (at least for me). I still don’t think Reynolds interpretation of the character is as funny as some seem to think but the humor was much more effective in this installment. Right away, I even appreciated the opening credits sequence far more than I did with the original. Where Deadpool fell flat, Deadpool 2 succeeds. Unlike its predecessor, the irreverent humor is just one piece of the puzzle. The action is phenomenal(that’s to be expected from the director of John Wick). The movie also has a well-thought out and interesting story with some pretty emotional moments. No Deadpool film can ever get too deep but this one tows the line pretty seamlessly. Certain characters and plot points have some surprising connections that add a lot to the plot’s complexity. Overall, it felt much more memorable and entertaining. Coming out of the original, I could’t recall any parts that I grabbed onto. After walking out of the theatre for Deadpool 2, I had a whole list of scenes and one-liners I couldn’t wait to repeat and talk about. It always stays fresh, moving from one thing to the next whether it be the X-Men mansion, a mutant orphanage, the future, or skydiving with the X-Force. There’s never a dull moment and while that's also a trait of the first Deadpool, this one had much more variety and flair.
On the other side of things, a bold movie like this that takes so many chances, isn’t without its flaws. There’s not many but there’s definitely a few. As I alluded to before, a good portion of the jokes still seem like the writers are trying too hard to be funny and original. The humor that lands feels effortless so the rest sticks out even more. There’s also the worry that Deadpool 2 is a movie that’s almost too much of it’s time. It’s so dependent on specific references to today that the jokes may not land or seem relevant in 10 years. My last and biggest complaint with the film, is its ending. Without giving anything away, the heart and emotion that was a welcome surprise for most of the movie gets stripped away. I guess it’s what you have to expect with Deadpool but it’s still a disappointment.
Like most, I think Deadpool 2 deserves the praise. What’s great about a movie like this is that it’s a ton of fun and endlessly re-watchable. I’ll definitely be revisiting this one and if you haven’t had the chance yet, give yourself a fun night out and see Deadpool 2.
