Deadpool is the latest superhero franchise, based on the anti-hero mercenary from Marvel Comics (who was actually a rip-off of the anti-hero mercenary Deathstroke from DC Comics).
Released in 2016, “Deadpool” was a huge success despite its R rating. With practically a cult following, a sequel was bound to happen.
Ryan Reynolds not only stars as the title character, but worked behind the scenes as a co-writer and producer. “Deadpool 2” is directed by David Lietch, who previously co-directed “John Wick.” So, naturally, the movie has good action sequences.
In this movie, Deadpool must protect a teenage mutant from being killed by a new enemy, a time traveler named Cable. To do this, he will have to assemble his own team: X-Force. That too is a rip-off. Cable is played by Josh Brolin, who is currently playing Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and a joke is made about this.
Now, the plot of a flawed hero trying to save a kid from danger does sound a little familiar – kind of like “Logan,” maybe? More on that later.
A trademark of Deadpool is that he breaks the fourth-wall. This is when characters in a story acknowledge they are in a story. In the comics, he looks at the reader. In the movies, he looks at the audience. Granted, breaking the fourth-wall in movies is nothing new. But the style in which the Deadpool films do it is similar to the style of people online, especially on YouTube. It’s almost as if the filmmakers took direct inspiration from people on the internet and tapped into what they wanted to see in a Deadpool movie.
It’s hard to point out what’s wrong with the Deadpool movies, because Deadpool himself points out the flaws while onscreen. Still, there is room for some criticism.
I’m not a huge fan of gross-out humor. There is plenty of gross out humor to be found in “Deadpool 2.” One joke revolves around Deadpool’s nether regions, and I could’ve lived a happy life without experiencing that scene – trust me, you’ll know it when you see it. This goes without saying, but viewing discretion is advised.
I do love a good fourth-wall break and “Deadpool 2” has plenty of funny scenes with Reynolds addressing the audience; however, there are almost too many. They border the line of being excessive.
But not all of the laughs come from fourth-wall breaks. The rest of the comedy is hilarious, and relentless; even if a joke doesn’t work, plenty more are on the way. I wish I could go into more detail, but that would be ruining the fun. I will say Brad Pitt has a great cameo. He appears for literally a second.
Before watching “Deadpool 2,” you should probably watch the original, but should probably also watch “Logan.” “Deadpool 2” goes out of its way to satirize other movies, especially Wolverine’s latest movie. One reason for this is “Logan” had an R rating, unlike most superhero movies. And “Logan” was able to do this because of the success of “Deadpool,” which came before it. Not only is the plot based off “Logan,” but there is a direct scene from “Logan” that is completely parodied – again, you know it when you see it. And as someone who found “Logan” to be a great superhero film, the parody was very funny. In addition, “Deadpool 2” takes shots at other movies, especially from Marvel and DC.
Another aspect I enjoyed was that both the sequel and the original address that this is not Ryan Reynolds’ first time playing Deadpool. The first time Reynolds played the role was in the bad movie “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which happened to star Wolverine. Reynolds would later star in another bad superhero film, playing the lead role in “Green Lantern.” The first “Deadpool” blatantly poked fun at these movies and “Deadpool 2” took it a step further. Stick around during the end credits – there’s only one end credit scene, by the way.
I liked “Deadpool 2” more than “Deadpool.” To be honest, I wasn’t a super big fan of the original. I thought it was a good movie, I just didn’t fall in love with it like other people I know did. The reason I liked the sequel more is because “Deadpool 2” is not only funnier and more entertaining, but it has more heart to it as well. Beyond making jokes about movie franchises, “Deadpool 2” has some genuinely emotional scenes – also similar to “Logan,” but I digress. “Deadpool 2” has heart to it, making the film a little deeper than the common blockbuster.
Of course, the “Deadpool” franchise isn’t for everyone. If you’re not into fourth-wall breaks, vulgar jokes and violence, I understand. But if you were a fan of the original, you might like this one just as much.