Not fresh, but a mighty fun time...

Rating: 8/10 (31 May 2018)

Truthfully, I'm really on the fence on whether I consider Deadpool 2 better or worse than the first film. This sequel does contain elements that improve greatly over its predecessor, yet its one key factor hasn't necessarily aged well. However, what Deadpool 2 gets right is it's surprisingly thoughtful story. The film follows Deadpool attempting to set a hate-filled young mutant onto a better path despite already reeling from a personal tragedy. Instead of going berserk and slaughtering everyone in sight out of grief (something you'd probably expect him to do immediately), Deadpool sees something of himself in Firefist and wants to defend him from Cable and change his future into a brighter, less tragic and destructive one similar to his own. This was an unexpected character turn for Deadpool, it was quite refreshing to see him display remorse and go to such lengths to instill hope into Firefist (something Colossus had faith in for Deadpool), despite a few needlessly mean-spirited moments where he weirdly broke that character arc for no foreseeable reason. At the heart-rending center is Julian Dennison, who does a brilliant job portraying a spunky, yet emotionally broken teenager that calls back to his breakout performance in Taika Waliti's indie film The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which I highly recommend watching. It's funny, original, and GANGSTA! But, I digress...
With gun fights, swordplay, and bucketloads of extraneous gore splattering the walls, the action didn't disappoint, it lives up to the R-rating and it's a lot of fun to watch, especially when both Domino and Cable are thrown into the mix. In my opinion, Domino's mutant power is pretty ludicrous, but in an amusing way. She is able to survive potentially fatal events and change her opponents chances of gaining the upper hand instantly with just her presence. She can even twist a conversation to her advantage effortlessly like a Jedi mind trick or something out of Looney Tunes. It's absurd, but it results in some fast-paced, wildly entertaining action, and even some decent laughs to spare, namely Deadpool's confounded reactions to her success in combat. Cable is just a scary brute and some of the more grittier set-pieces involve him. When he strikes somebody you almost feel the weight and excruciating pain that comes with it, much like Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War (who Brolin also portrayed). It's quite astonishing to watch. I've never read any Deadpool comics that included Cable but I think I can say with firm confidence that the filmmakers really nailed the cyborg's beastly, intimidating figure and demeanor. Moments involving Cable really had me catching my breath (and in a good way, like a healthy work out).
Deadpool 2, like the first film, is the marathon of joyously ultra-violent action and flippant humor you'd pretty much expect, but I personally think it outshines its predecessor in terms of heart. I must say that the weakest element of the film was the comedy. The humor was hit-and-miss this time around for me, I mostly smiled at the gags, very few scenes had me audibly laughing, and I felt some jokes were a bit overplayed and try-hardy; the scene following the climax serving as a huge example. Brace yourself for some overlong, cringy, eye-rolling sentiment that could've been easily cut. Despite that massive personal setback, I was nonetheless stirred by the set-pieces and charmed by the characters. Deadpool 2 is not the freshest experience, but it's a mighty fun continuation. Make sure to stick around for the mid-credits scenes, they were quite a treat, especially if you despised X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern.