Exquisitely careless

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2018)

Deadpool 2, much like the first film in the series (which will no doubt become a trilogy) is very clearly a passion project for Ryan Reynolds. His sheer dedication to portraying what we see in the source material and putting it to film is something that unlike other super hero blockbusters can only be achieved through a sense of cairlessnes from Director David Leitch and writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. This is due to the nature of the title character himself, the Deadpool that readers know from the comics doesn't care about studio rivalry, copyright infringement or timeline consistency. This is a character that says and does what he wants, when he wants and it's because of this that the Deadpool films have secured and maintained their own unique brand of humour that simply couldn't be achieved by any other character. Of course all humour is subjective though and one could make the argument that Deadpool 2 has an over reliance on pop culture references which is especially risky territory when it comes to comedy as anyone who is not as pop culturally aware as the common geek will be left wondering why everyone else in the theatre has tears of joy in their eyes while they're sat quietly wondering what the hell just happened. It's clear that the writers aren't going for mainstream appeal when they reference obscure 90's comic book trivia and why should they when this brand of humour worked so well in the first one? The plot keeps things simplistic and somewhat relatable, it's a semi unorthodox family tale with a revenge plot woven into it which is the motivation for Josh Brolin's mercenary from the future "Cable". The title character's emotional journey isn't anything we haven't seen before but it is a refreshing change of pace from the gorgeously gory action sequences we've all come to expect from this character. Deadpool's healing abilities are incorporated into the action in far more more interesting ways than what we've seen from Hugh Jackman's "Wolverine". There is no over use of shaky cam and the chase sequences are top notch and easy to follow. Overall "Deadpool 2" is a sequel that has an excellent blend of humour, action and emotion. It's certainly not something that will appeal to more traditional viewers who value immersion above all else but if that's what you're looking for then why would you even consider this film? 8/10