As the superhero movie expanded into its own distinct genre over the last few years, its versatility increased tenfold. James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy movies and Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok mixed wacky comedy with operatic space action to great effect, James Mangold's Logan operated in the realm of gritty westerns with a dash of existential drama for good measure, and the Avengers movies have transcended their origins to become epic cultural events. But perhaps the riskiest variation on the superhero movie arrived in 2016, when Ryan Reynolds roared back into theaters with his new and improved rendition of Deadpool. Whip-smart, overtly satirical, and unabashedly R-rated, Deadpool was widely considered to be a risk for 20th Century Fox at the time. That "risk" ultimately made $783 million at the worldwide box office, becoming one of the few bona fide cultural phenomenons of the year. The Merc With a Mouth may have made it his duty to lampoon the superhero genre in all its silly glory, but even Deadpool couldn't resist the cliche of a sequel, thanks to the guarantee of more cold, hard cash.
Deadpool 2 is a traditional sequel in many respects- it's far bigger, badder, and zanier than its predecessor. It's a natural extension of the original, following Wade Wilson's personal journey as he struggles with his mutant powers. But at the same time, this follow-up is also tasked with establishing the X-Force, a foul-mouthed superteam that basically serves as the Avengers of the R-rated X-Men universe (a film that will later be tackled by director Drew Goddard). Throw in major new characters like Josh Brolin's Cable, Zazie Beetz's Domino, and a whole mess of additional mutants, and it's clear that Deadpool 2 has a lot on its plate. While the elongated runtime and occasionally clunky setup result in a messier approach, the second installment in this budding franchise is an absolute delight. It's the Guardians of the Galaxy of R-rated X-Men movies, and it works like dynamite. Director David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) delivers the spectacular action, the humor is downright riotous, and by the end, I almost had a tear in my eye. It's another great adventure with our most iconoclastic superhero.
When we last saw Wade Wilson, he was reunited with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), the love of his life, after getting his revenge and saving the day. But at the start of Deadpool 2, the indestructible Wade is trying to kill himself. Is he just trying to outshine Wolverine after his dramatic death last year? Or is there something else going on? Always the meta, fourth wall-breaking maniac, Wade takes us back to the beginning of the story, recalling his recent escapades as a fast-talking mercenary. When tragedy strikes, Wade begins to feel completely aimless. Despite the pleadings of Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and the relative indifference of Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Wade simply refuses to adhere to the rules of the X-Men. But at a crucial moment, Vanessa's advice pops in his mind- kids give us a chance to improve ourselves.
Troubled young Russell (Julian Dennison), also known as Firefist, is having something of a rough time. As an uncontrollable young mutant, Russell unleashes his fiery abilities on a regular basis, often using them against the staff and headmaster (Eddie Marsan) of his superpowered foster home. Oh, and it just so happens that time-traveling cyborg Cable is hunting him down, hoping to stop Russell from committing a future atrocity against his family. While the prickly kid initially rubs Wade the wrong way, the motor-mouthed merc eventually develops a soft spot for Firefist. In order to stop Cable and save Russell's life, Wade will have to join forces with Weasel (T.J. Miller) and Dopinder (Karan Soni) to form a new super group, a team able to keep this franchise going for the next decade. Along with Domino, Bedlam (Terry Crews), Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgard), and the powerless Peter (Rob Delaney), Deadpool will have to do whatever it takes to save the day- even if things get a little messy along the way.
The original Deadpool walks a fine line between parody and earnestness, which became much more apparent when I rewatched it last week. Amid all the self-referential mayhem and gratuitous comic violence, there's some real brutality and emotional poignancy in the Merc's film debut. That tricky balance is even more obvious in the sequel, if only because everything in Deadpool 2 is intensified to astonishing new highs. First and foremost, this is a symphony of comedic lunacy, loaded with jokes that will appeal to comic book fans and general audiences alike. At my preview screening (mainly attended by fans), this movie nearly brought the house down. The Bond-inspired opening credits (with music from Celine Dion, of course), the clever visual humor and superhero in-jokes, the downright brilliant post-credit scenes- the laughs in Deadpool 2 are just relentless. This sequel may even be funnier than the original, which is no small feat considering the raunchy genius of that outing.
But if the sheer volume of humor in Deadpool 2 took me by surprise, the film's emotional weight emerged as perhaps its greatest shock. Deadpool is an undeniably sweet movie, but there's absolutely nothing in there that would make you shed a tear. I can't say the same this time around. Director David Leitch and screenwriters Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Reynolds build the emotional core throughout the entire film, but after nearly two hours of self-aware jokes and insane action setpieces, the filmmakers drop an unexpected bomb of pure heart that made me choke up a bit. The madness of Deadpool will always be the prime appeal of this character, but the ability to be genuine and serious when necessary is really the distinguishing factor that makes this goofy franchise special. In this case, the filmmakers are channeling a bit of that Guardians of the Galaxy spirit, finding family ties and hope in a group of outcasts and misfits. Of course, this is a much more R-rated and violent version of that story, but something about it just feels so right. While pretty much the entire film is amusing and entertaining, I found myself deeply invested during the bonding moments between X-Force team members, a sign of good things to come for this series.
While I wouldn't dare spoil how the X-Force comes together, it's safe to say that Fox's growing franchise is in good hands with this group of actors. Reynolds is funny as ever as Wade, rattling off a barrage of perfectly-timed jokes and even delivering some understated moments near the finale. He may be the most violent superhero, but Deadpool has heart and soul. Cable emerges as the perfect foil for Wade, a grim and straight-laced assassin with just the right dash of gruff charm. After bringing depth and pathos to the Mad Titan in Avengers: Infinity War, Josh Brolin is in fine form here once again. And even though we learn very little about Domino over the course of this film, Zazie Beetz's portrayal of the lucky mutant is downright marvelous. I can't wait to see more of this character (and her awesome powers) in the coming years. Julian Dennison is hilarious and even a little terrifying as Russell, Karan Soni and the other returning cast members add even more laughs, and Rob Delaney is clearly having a ball as the sequel's most useless character.
But in the end, the balance between irony and genuine emotion is still what makes this movie click. A tad overlong at nearly two hours, it was almost inevitable that Deadpool and friends would end up running into more issues in this bigger, more expansive sequel. And yet, thanks to the devotion of Leitch and the screenwriters to these characters and this world, Deadpool 2 is every bit as wildly entertaining as the original- and maybe even more emotionally moving. An ingenious tonal mix and a brilliant slice of spectacle, this is pretty much everything X-Men fans could want. Wade Wilson and his ragtag crew are still the perfect antidote to the self-serious superhero fare that dominates multiplexes. If Deadpool announced the arrival of a fearless new character on the big screen comic book scene, this sequel gives us the birth of a gleefully violent and wonderfully funny family of weirdos. Let's hope that Disney and Bob Iger keep this thing going once the merger is finalized. And if they don't, I'm sure Wade will have plenty to say about that.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (8/10)
Images courtesy of 20th Century Fox
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