Review of Deadpool 2 (2018) by Glenn G — 26 May 2018

MASK-I-DON'T-CARE-A: My Review of DEADPOOL 2 (3 Stars).

By now, I must sound like a broken record when I communicate my aversion to superhero movies, Marvel, DC, or any other "Halloween Costume Pageant" disguised as a movie. Now, the original DEADPOOL broke the mold somewhat by being truly funny before descending into the usual CGI fight sequences and explosions. The opening credits sequence alone was worth the price of admission, and Ryan Reynolds clearly had a good time taking the piss out of these blockbuster monoliths.

So, I don't begrudge anyone for being excited about the sequel. In fact, if you loved the first one, you'll likely love the second. It's very funny most of the time, has another hilarious title sequence, this time skewering James Bond films, and it undercuts the usual comic book crap with meta-jokes which at times, literally tell you they're making fun of the very movie they're making. It takes real smarts to do this, and I commend director David Leitch (ATOMIC BLONDE) for finding that balance between satire and involved storytelling, along with the able work of ZOMEBIELAND screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Ryan Reynolds also shares a writing credit, and it's easy to see his contributions thanks to his career-long ability to make hay out of smarmy material.

I even enjoyed there performances here, with Reynolds having a blast and ably supported by the likes of Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison (the breakout star of HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE), ATLANTA's Zazie Beetz, who has that cool Pam Grier as COFFY vibe down pat, Brianna Hildebrand wonderfully holding down the queer element of the film, Leslie Uggams once again kicking ass as Blind Al, and last but not least, Morena Baccarin giving fun zest to the thankless part of Deadpool's wife. I love watching her banter with Reynolds as there's a spark there that feels special.

BUT.....and here's the rub...I literally forgot everything about this film as I was exiting the theater. So little of it stuck with me. I remember some of the gags, especially in the last few minutes, which break an already broken fourth wall. I loved when Reynolds announced a CGI fight. The humor combined with the shocking amount of violence works because the tone is just right.

Still, the DEADPOOL films remind me of a combination of LAUGH-IN mixed with THE MASK with a sprinkling of the late Robin Williams during one of his stream of consciousness routines. All were funny in the moment, but just didn't find a permanent spot in my brain. Ok, I take that back when it comes to LAUGH-IN with the indelible contributions of Lily Tomlin, Ruth Buzzi and Artie Johnson, to name a few, but let's be honest, that show missed more than it hit.

DEADPOOL hits its targets more often than not, and more often than most, and I'm sure there are supporters of it who can defend this film and win. I admit I am so not the target audience for it, but readily admit it's skilled at what it sets out to do, whatever the hell it did!