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Two years ago Deadpool introduced audiences to a completely different superhero: a bitter, sarcastic, and gleefully foul-mouthed hero with absolutely nothing to lose. And in the sequel, he’s back with more over-the-top violence, more bitterness, more wildly self-aware comedy, and a new crew.
Deadpool 2 finds Ryan Reynolds’s reluctant hero battling bad guys around the globe in his own, larger-than-life style. But when tragedy strikes too close to home, he wonders whether it’s worth going on. With a little help from the X-Men, though, he finds a new mission: saving troubled young mutant Russell (Julian Dennison) from a vengeful warrior from the future named Cable (Josh Brolin). Knowing that the mission won’t be easy, Deadpool decides to put together his own motley band of heroes with questionable ethics to find Russell before Cable does.
It’s no surprise that the resulting adventure is bloody and outrageous and loaded with both f-bombs and irreverent humor. While other superhero thrillers may take their action, their stories, and their characters at least somewhat seriously, Deadpool 2 throws all of the seriousness right out the window. Deadpool is the hero who mocks the other heroes while happily crushing the fourth wall time and time again to bring audiences in on the joke.
With his darker storylines and not-for-kids misadventures, though, this irreverent antihero can be a breath of fresh air in a summer blockbuster season that’s sure to be loaded with more grand heroics. This guy isn’t altruistic and self-sacrificing; he’s no role model. He’s selfish and merciless, often taking great pleasure in the pain of others—and, unlike with other heroes’ stories, not everything goes his way. And if you sometimes feel just a little bit cynical about the usual heroes, Deadpool is your guy.
Still, while the irreverence and self-awareness of the first Deadpool made it an overwhelming success, the novelty of it starts to wear off in the follow up. This time around, it’s bigger, more frequent, and more blatantly obvious, filled with jokes about Marvel movies, the X-Men, and other superheroes, referring to the actors, box office numbers, and more. At times, it can be hilarious, but it ultimately wears out its welcome. Instead of feeling fresh and fun, it feels more like a toddler who got laughs for his bad behavior once and decides to take it up a notch or three to try for more laughs. It’s enjoyable for a while, but it eventually feels a little too proud of itself.
Deadpool 2 is definitely bigger, crazier, and even more self-aware than its predecessor—but that might not be such a good thing. It’s another amusingly irreverent adventure, but it simply doesn’t feel as innovative.
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