Review of Deadpool 2 (2018) by Andrewburge — 21 May 2018

Stuntman turned director David Leitch's 'Deadpool 2' starts with a bang... literally. Among the very first scenes our hero lies on top of a bunch of fuel canisters and blows himself up in glorious slow-motion. The result of this is the loss of his lover, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and with that said, this film is more absurd but at the same time more emotional that the first one... well, sort of, this is Deadpool after all, a vulgar anti-hero who cannot die.

If the first 'Deadpool' was about introducing the 4th wall breaking elements and intelligent and burning references to popular culture, this film takes it to a whole new level. Seriously, rather than listing the moments which contain these smart and witty comments, it is actually easier to list the moments which do not. This is, of course, incredibly funny, and the lines are delivered with perfect timing and tone by a Ryan Reynolds which I think it's safe to say lost his mind after playing this character (in a good way, of course). Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword. You see, this film takes a pretty serious plot about a troubled and abused mutant child, a ruined family and a tragic death; themes which are often parodied in an offensive but incredibly funny manner. The problem is not here though.

The problem starts with the way this film treats itself. Starting even from its marketing campaign, it does not want to be taken seriously, nor it wants appreciation. Is almost as if it has no trust upon itself. But again, no problem here, as its self-deprecating humor is so good that it really does not matter. The tingle comes when it attempts to actually take something seriously - like the relationship between Deadpool and Vanessa, and Wilson's regret of not being able to save her. After ridiculing every single serious element and throwing continuous roast comedy rounds at everything, you do not want anything else. Is like living in a dark room for weeks. When you get out, the light is unbearable and you could not care less about it.

But, 'Deadpool 2' hits where it matters, delivering perfect dark humor, masterfully breaking the 4th wall; its biggest achievement though is the way it uses comedy to advance its serious plot, even though some hiccups are occasionally noticeable. But, as Deadpool said: 'lazy writers'.