Delivers the same laughs as the first + some fun action set-pieces

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2018)

Well, I laughed and I certainly did not cry. Which probably wasn't the point. The "John Wick" co-director David Leitch takes command of the direction after Tim Miller left. You can tell the action sequences have been geared into a better level with more interesting scenarios and set-pieces. What I love about the humor is how self-aware it is. Deadpool pokes fun and satirizes the X-Men films and the genre as a whole. At times it can go a little too far with them overplaying some jokes or making others really obvious. It's OK to play hard to get, you can hold back at some moments. But I get it, the character is foul-mouthed, unfiltered and loves to let the audience know he's in control of this movie. I know I enjoyed the full speed ahead farce that it was. But I'm gonna have to process weather I like it more than the first one. Some elements for sure, but the bigger picture? Hmm.. Perhaps the freshness was gone, but that doesn't mean it's bad.
New characters were a well welcomed addition. And by that I mean welcomed with big open arms. Domino had lots of sympathy to bring but she was also a great fast thinking fighter. Josh Brolin is perfect for Cable. I liked the brutal intensity that transmitted across the screen whenever he busted through the walls. He made a great serious counterbalance to Ryan Reynolds' jokey, spandex, anti-hero man. It sort of felt like another "Terminator"-like science-fiction movie when it was just a scene featuring Cable. Which reminds me that there are plenty of serious parts as well. By that I mean actual dramatic parts where there are no jokes. Which was a little problematic for me at first because it had been so full of jokes/meta-humor for the entirety of the run-time up until that point. So I wasn't sure how seriously I was to take a certain scene. Since I was sure it was gonna lead up to a joke that would ease out that tension. But, nope! The jokes didn't return until after they were done with the serious bit. A drastic tonal change from "funny/poking fun at movies times" to "dead serious, no joke, drama where the hero cries". So, there you go. My nitpick.
The mid-credit scene is fantastic though, be sure to stick around for that. It's worth it and it only makes me believe that Reynolds was born to play the role even more than before. So that really elevated the entire movie for me. Lots of in-jokes, so I don't know if everyone's gonna get it. It's pretty much a crowd-pleasing movie that doesn't hold back with the references. But only really to those who have seen the other X-Men or Marvel movies. That's a reason why it might not be so funny to everyone. And to be honest I did laugh at plenty of things. Especially at what the X-Force storyline leads up to. Did not expect that... At all! Oh, and also, You know not to bring the kids. It's R-rated for a reason. If the first one didn't do it for you in the joke department and you prefer the more serious work in the comic book film catalogue; Then this will not be so funny to you. Even though I prefer a more emotional and motivational superhero tale, I do appreciate the weird variety of character traits that Deadpool brings to an already crowded genre.