Review of Deadpool 2 (2018) by Russell C — 22 May 2018

The first Deadpool did the perfect amount of the self-aware-meta-winking at the camera...like a gambler playing blackjack that took a hit on 18 to get to 21--it played a dangerous game, but it paid off. Deadpool 2 took a hit 19 and was dealt a jack by the dealer. It was like death by a thousand paper cuts... 75 minutes in I had bled out without even knowing it.

Looking back, this movie will be viewed as nothing more than the bridge that got Reynold's character from origin story to reluctant team player--all so they could start their version of the Avengers (which admittedly, I'm actually way more keen on than the actual Avengers).

At the end of the day, there are plenty of writers who could have gotten Wade to that position, while actually introducing a villain (yes my sentence is over. There wasn't even a villain in this movie. Sorry, some 55 year old stereotype doesn't count).

It also must be said, that in Deadpool 2's quest making sure everyone knew how socially progressive it was (this was by far the most cringe worthy of the meta elbow nudges) they killed off Vanessa--a strong, badass woman with uniquely jaded-yet-uplifting personality, and one who was begging for more screen time--simply for the purpose of using her as the tried and true plot device to get Wade to go on his version of the hero's journey. And they couldn't even do it without some terribly out of place dream (for lack of a better word) sequences.

It's just entertaining enough to see for the sake of being caught up, with the hope the inevitable X-Force movie will be better.