Review of Deadpool 2 (2018) by Joshua S — 27 Jun 2018

It should come as no surprise that Deadpool, a shocking hit that came out of nowhere, got a sequel. What is surprising, is how clever and successful it is. Comedy sequels are usually terrible - the nadir of popular cinema and all that. Deadpool 2 defies this trend and improves upon the original, making it either on par with or superior to its predecessor. I've said before that Deadpool was always Ryan Reynold's gambit to lose. Needless to say, he owns it and every other line he spouts is quotable, allowing for multiple intoxicated viewings with your friends. Josh Brolin shows up as Cable and it works better than you'd think. Cable is a bit maligned these days by comic book purists as a hangover from the 90's - an edgelord anti-hero that overstayed his welcome. But then again, he was always so much damn fun. He's a perfect foil to Deadpool and yes you can insert your Thanos joke here, as does the Merc with the Mouth. (Seriously Brolin is in GODDAMN everything this year, and I'm okay with that!) There are some other great newcomers, such as Julian Dennison as a new teenage mutant and the focus of the plot. His interplay with Deadpool rides the line between absurd and tragically insightful. Zazie Beetz won me over on her take as Domino. Yes, she does play the sexy superhero, but her comedic timing comes off as more cute than ribald - another foil to foulmouthed Wade Wilson.

Morena Baccarin returns for a smaller role but leaves a mark. Yes, that most dreaded and dated trope of "Women in Refrigerators" returns here. But Deadpool 2 parodies, subverts, and then undoes it in dramatic fashion. And you see, that's the trick about this movie. Deadpool always seems to be in on the joke and makes sure you are too. It never quite becomes the thing it parodies, unlike Kick-Ass 2. David Leitch applies the same sure and brisk direction that he gave John Wick and Atomic Blonde. It succeeds as an action movie almost as much as it does as a screwball comedy. Odds are you've probably seen this, but in case you haven't, it's time to drop those drawers and get busy. Whoa. Did I just say that?