Film review: ‘Deadpool 2’

“Deadpool 2” is a continuation of Marvel Studio's grand experiment on its hypothesis that self-reflexive, fourth-wall-breaking jokes are the highest form of humor at the movies.|

“Deadpool 2” is a continuation of Marvel Studio’s grand experiment on its hypothesis that self-reflexive, fourth-wall-breaking jokes are the highest form of humor available at the movies. The fast-healing mercenary Deadpool is played again by Ryan Reynolds, who co-wrote the film with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick - their relentless focus on the anatomical challenges even “Sausage Party” for continuous scatological crudeness.

This sequel is a fan service film from nose to tail, with many of the jokes seemingly written by giggling Reddit ironists at /r/MarvelStudios. Regarding the villainy of one antagonist, Deadpool asks, “So dark - you sure you’re not from the DC Universe?”

After a series of operatic assassinations choreographed to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” Deadpool returns home to his beloved, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). They’re in the middle of a very romantic conversation about the removal of her IUD and imminent baby-making when she takes a stray bullet to the chest. She is - failing the extremely possible use of time travel in “Deadpool 3”- dead, while Deadpool is yet one more Marvel character who cannot die.

In grief, he busies himself by protecting the soft mutant boy Russell (Julian Dennison), who has the power to shoot flames from his hands. He’s worth saving, though he needs a better superhero name than Firefist, his laughable first draft. Dennison is a charming New Zealand actor who might be the first plus-sized X-Person to make it big.

Thanks to Deadpool’s ennui and Russell’s violent tendencies, the pair are captured and put in a maximum security “icebox” - the detainees there are separated from families in black sites - with collars that rob them of their superpowers. While they’re imprisoned, a dude from the future breaks in, but not to save our heroes.

His name is Cable and he’s played by Josh Brolin with his signature steeliness - he has a large CGI arm that holds a large CGI gun (but hopefully that’s a real nipple we see in one of Brolin’s many shirtless moments). Cable has traveled back in time to stop Russell from growing old (and evil) because the adult Firefist goes on to kill Mrs. Cable and Cable Jr.

It’s a neat trick for the story that both Deadpool and Cable have the cover of avenging dead loved ones to mask their real passion: killing sprees. Director David Leitch, of “Atomic Blonde” and “John Wick” pedigree, knows how to pile up bodies and sets characters slicing and dicing to songs from a range of musicians, AC/DC to Celine Dion.

Though he’s dismissed as too much of a rogue by the X-Men, Deadpool still needs a crew to defeat Cable. He decides to form the X-Force, a name that’s a little derivative but, as he notes, less gendered. Several members - Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgård), Bedlam (Terry Crews), Peter (Rob Delaney) and Vanisher (played by a blank space) - are quickly introduced and dispatched in the most amusing sequence in the film.

The X-person who sticks around the longest is Domino (Zazie Beetz), who has the interesting superpower of luck. She is African-American and referred to as, in one of the film’s sharpest Marvel Universe references, “Black Black Widow” (putting her in contrast to Scarlett Johansson’s snooze-inducing character in the “Avengers” franchise).

Additionally, Deadpool has long-term sidekicks Dopinder (Karan Soni), Weasel (T.J. Miller), and Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) around to tee up Reynolds for winking jokes. Despite the time spent tearing down that fourth wall, it’s absurd to believe the “Deadpool” films are transgressive in any way. The narratives are sentimental and schematic - under the skin of ultraviolence, the two chambers that drive the heart of Marvel are still snark and schmaltz.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.