Among nerds, Deadpool 2 is arguably the most anticipated film of the year. Sure, we all looked forward to Avengers: Infinity War, but Deadpool holds a special place in our hearts because, in a way, it’s fan fiction come to fully realized glory. Thanks to the wonderful talent of its filmmakers, Deadpool gifted us all with a film created for true fans of the original character and comic.
Deadpool 2, directed by David Leitch and written by the same team as Deadpool continues to honor the style, tone and razor-sharp wit of it’s predecessor. It’s a perfect sequel in the sense that it stays true to the first film, without negating any of the established storyline of the original. You won’t see any crappy cop outs, unless of course they are openly pointed out by Deadpool himself, the infamous Ryan Reynolds, as he breaks the fourth wall with his signature snark.
And be prepared for an abundance of delightful snark. This film goes further than the first in poking fun at other movies in the X-Men universe, adding a more biting edge to the gags. The humor is intelligent, quick and layered, counting on the audience to have a deep foundation in X-Men/Deadpool lore to catch all the licks. Potty jokes are still abounding, although I would say that the sex jokes are a bit toned down in frequency.
Adding strength to it’s consistency is the fact that the filmmakers kept most of the cast from Deadpool and added some top-notch talent in the new characters. Ryan Reynolds is awesome as always. It was lovely to see Julian Dennison, as Russell, a role very similar to his work in The Hunt For The Wilderpeople. Dennison’s character calls for more intensity than his part in Wilderpeople, and he brings the appropriate gravitas for the part. Speaking of, the king of gravitas himself, Josh Brolin, is an absolute treat as Cable. He is a broken man, with little mirth left in his heart. He pounds onto the screen with a heavy hand and it works beautifully against Deadpool’s lighter bounce. Colossus is back, voiced by Stefan Kapicic, along with Negasonic Teenage Warhead, played again by Brianna Hildebrand. They do their best to keep the wily Deadpool reined in, without much luck. There might also be some surprise characters that tickle your nerd bone or maybe not. I’m not much into ruining the fun, but I will say that Zazie Beetz is my new girl crush.
Deadpool 2 is unpredictable without losing a solid and well-paced storyline. Unlike many sequels, the film gains momentum as it goes and never sells out, despite carrying a high-level message at it’s heart. Strangely, Deadpool 2 is about love and friendship. It’s a story of hope for oddball outsiders, reminding us that families and friendships are forged through loyalty, proactiveness, and trust. Sappy, right? It’s true, and yet Deadpool 2 pulls it off without being annoying.
More impressive than the message is how surprisingly sophisticated the emotional cues are in the film. Don’t be surprised if you get a lump in your throat at a few key moments. This movie elicits a deep emotional response despite its nerdy high notes and comedic beats. This powerful connection that one feels for the characters and their plights, prevent the audience from disconnecting when things get silly. Poignant moments seal the deal on the experience and confirm the movie as not only a fun action-packed romp for geeks, but a beautifully crafted, cinematic experience.
Coming to theaters on May 18th, it would be amazing to see this movie knock the box office out of the park! I fully intend to catch it again in theaters and chortle through the jokes I didn’t catch upon first viewing. It’s a fantastic movie and it deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.
Thanks for reading,
The Diva Del Mar
