Boundary-pushing humour + over-the-top action = another great Deadpool movie.

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2018)

"It feels bigger," runs the tagline for this potty-mouthed sequel. It's a cheeky double entendre that in fact holds very true; there's a massively increased budget ($110m compared to the first's $58m), an A-list co-star (Josh Brolin) to share the publicity burden, and an extra ten minutes on the runtime. But does bigger mean better? Not quite, but it's pretty bloody close. With extra cash to throw around and a director-swap seeing ex-stunts coordinator David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) take the helm, one thing is for sure: the action set pieces are more ambitious and accomplished. The bar is set high early on, the movie opening with a stylish killing-spree montage sequence boasting both an awesome Kill Bill homage and a sensational single-take bloodbath. From there we get a hard-hitting prison breakout (with Brolin's Cable stealing the show), a bonkers melee aboard a high-speed truck, and a finale featuring some slick close quarters combat; all sprinkled with some cartoonish ultra-violence befitting of a Deadpool outing. Adding lead star Ryan Reynolds to the screenwriting team - presumably to bolster the dialogue with his trademark attitude - the subversive fourth-wall breaking and offensive humour is in full swing once again. It doesn't land with the same did-that-just-happen impact of the original because this time it's expected; but a decrease in shock value doesn't lessen the amusement of witty pop culture references (the MCU features heavily) or blink-and-they'll-vanish celebrity cameos. And of course there's Deadpool himself. The charismatic Reynolds plays the Merc with the Mouth with unbridled smart-arse glee, clearly relishing every zinger and barb he gets to unleash. The supporting cast is a mixed bag though: Brolin and Zazie Beets shine as the badass Cable and the very lucky Domino respectively, but Kiwi jokester Julian Dennison fails to ignite as tormented teen Russell and returning cast members T.J. Miller and Morena Baccarin are under-utilised. A sequel that doubles down on its tongue-in-cheek tone, over-the-top action and savage humour, Deadpool 2 is an uproarious superhero ride that offers fans more of what they love.