Deadpool 2

By: Arlene Allen

Can Deadpool 2 live up to all of the hype? Can it possibly top the absolute killer film that is the original Deadpool film? And will Pete W. save the day? I’m happy to report the answers to one and two are a resounding yes. The jury is still out on Pete W.

I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you that Deadpool 2 is even better than its predecessor.  The story itself is so different and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) himself allows himself to change just a little bit. Not where his potty-mouth, snarky sense of humor is concerned (thankfully), but I do believe he has actual character growth. A pinch, but it’s there. I don’t want to get too spoilery, so I’m not going to give up too much about the plot. What I’m going to mention though has been seen in the numerous trailers out now. This is one of those movies you want to walk into fresh and unspoiled.

The basic plot is that there is a fourteen-year-old boy with devastating fire powers who is threatening the school for mutant training where he is being held. This is no Professor X vibe here; it’s apparent something is amiss. Deadpool tries to help the kid and you know when Deadpool gets involved things will go south…but this time they go north. Russell (Julian Dennison), the kid, and Deadpool find themselves wearing mutant power blocking collars and sent to the mutant prison known as the Ice Box.

Enter Cable (Josh Brolin), a part human and part terminator looking hunk of badass (to quote Deadpool). Don’t bother looking up his back story as it is all kinds of convoluted.  For the sake of this film, he’s from the future and he’s here to end a mutant who becomes a super villain in the future who will kill Cable’s family. He is here in Deadpool’s time to have his vengeance on…Whoops! Wait, no spoilers.  The only thing Deadpool knows is that he has to stop this guy.

When an Average Joe named Peter (Rob Delaney) offers his assistance, he is granted admittance by Deadpool. Peter tells Deadpool’s right hand mand Weasel (T.J. MIller) that they are going to become their own team, a legion if you will. In one of the funniest sequences in the film, Weasel and Deadpool conduct a casting call, if you can call it that, in order to get more hands on deck. They get Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgard) who has snot powers, The Vanisher (Brad PItt) who is invisible, Domino (Zazie Beetz), with luck powers – who nearly steals the show for me and Shatterstar (Lewis Tan) undisclosed with alien powers. Oh, and Pete W. fans, here’s where he gets his big break. Watch this scene as closely as you can as you laugh because there is an Easter egg in it.

Returning favorites Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) are on hand, but as usual only to ready to let Deadpool get his tighty-reds kicked in to teach him a lesson. Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) is back as well and so are Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and Dopinder (Karan Soni). Dopinder, having been inspired by Deadpool, now wants to be a contract killer. I’ll leave you to guess how well that goes over.

Despite all of the fall out of your seat laughter there are, surprisingly, genuinely touching moments as well. It’s a film with all of the feels and this is what makes it even better than its predecessor.  You can tell that the Deadpool movies are labors of love and all of the actors are fully buying in to Ryan Reynolds’ vision. It leaves the film with an “honest” feeling, not just a superhero cash grab veneer.

There is enough action, special effects and lots of things going boom to keep you glued to your seat. There’s enough profanity to remind you why it’s rated R and the film wouldn’t be complete without all of Deadpool’s sexual innuendo. There’s a great soundtrack to accompany all of this. At times the cinematography is almost poetic, in a Deadpool kind of way.

Be sure to stay through the credits as there are some nice little stingers. If you’re a superhero fan, and in particular a Deadpool fan, this is a film you won’t want to miss.