An Infusion of Fun New Characters Makes DP2 better than the First

Rating: 6/10 (6 June 2018)

The first Deadpool received much acclaim for being bold and unique. Viewers loved that it did and said things other movies were not willing to do or say. That's an issue for Deadpool 2 because it's a sequel and, by definition, cannot be as bold or unique because it is, by definition, similar to the original.
Many fans raised this concern about Deadpool 2. They worried it would be a rehash of the first film. I'm here to tell you that those fans are wrong. And they're also right.
Sure Deadpool 2 hits many of the same beats as the original. Hearing the notes a second time ring stale in some situations, but other times the writers tweaked the gags just enough to make them feel fresh.
One of the simplest and best ways to make a sequel feel fresh is to add fun and interesting new characters. Mission accomplished. Domino (rising star Zazie Beetz) announces her arrival loudly with a scene-stealing performance. The movie cleverly pokes fun at her possibly fake superpower, luck, while still empowering her enough for her to easily be the coolest character in the movie.
Josh Brolin also joins the cast for the sequel, making this his second villain role in a major superhero blockbuster this summer. Once again, he's terrific, settling once and for all the debate over "can Josh Brolin succeed as an actor without a fake purple chin?" Yes, yes he can.
The weak link among the actors is Julian Dennison. He plays the powerful and troubled teen, who call himself firefist. It's a terrible name and a mostly terrible character. It's not all Dennison's fault. He is not given much to work with in this part. The best thing he does in the whole movie is point out that no superhero or sidekick or remotely powerful person in a superhero movie is anything except exceptionally fit. He's right. Why not include one chubby friend who happens to have psychic powers? Or something like that. Be creative.
Firefist's relationship with Deadpool, along with some other event that I won't mention, provide the emotional stakes of the movie. My question: why is a Deadpool movie creating emotional stakes? Deadpool's entire gimmick is making fun of superhero movies and all their silly tropes, yet Deadpool 2 falls face first into those tropes.
This is supposed to be an action-comedy about a smart-mouth anti-hero. It doesn't need emotions. It rolls its eyes at emotions. The entire effort felt disingenuous.
The determining factor in this whole equation of movie's effectiveness is Ryan Reynolds. If you like the guy and find him charming and funny, you'll like this movie. If his schtick wears you out after a while, this movie will do the same. He rattles off what feels like nearly ten jokes per minute. Reynolds brand of comedy is an acquired taste and a potent one. A little goes a long way.
Overall, this movie works. It has just enough humorous moments, new material, and truth in its characters to accomplish the goal. It's a funny, self-aware, different type of superhero movie. It manages to match, or perhaps even exceed the level of the original. That's an achievement.