More of the same.

Rating: 5/10 (22 May 2018)

When the fourth wall breaking anti-hero Deadpool made his official cinematic debut in 2016, it became quickly apparent that I was in the small minority of folk who just couldn't jump aboard the bandwagon. Deadpool, to me, was a decent one-time watch, but I never felt the desire to revisit the film once it hit the shelves. A sequel was of course inevitable, and due to the originals incredible success, the pressure to deliver a worthy follow up must have felt like a tremendous task for everyone involved. I had hoped that Deadpool 2 would be the film that would finally enable me to understand what makes these films, and the character, so beloved. Somewhat unsurprisingly, it didn't. Two years have passed since the original film, and Deadpool (Reynolds) has found work as a mercenary. His talents in the field are gleefully presented to us in a fun opening sequence consisting of plenty of blood and guts which sets the stage for what's to come. When cybernetic soldier Cable (Brolin) travels back in time from the future (Terminator style), he sets out on a mission to kill young pyromaniac Russell (Julian Dennison) to prevent the death of his family, resulting in Deadpool stepping up to protect Russell before Cable successfully terminates him.
Now packing a much bigger budget than its predecessor, Deadpool 2 ramps everything up to 11. Sure, it's bigger and louder with set pieces they never could have made first time around, but that's not to say it is in any way a step up above the original. If anything, it feels somewhat more like a step down. One of the films biggest missteps is the humanization of Deadpool. My knowledge of his comic book counterpart is slim, but from what I've gathered thus far this isn't particularly something that fits the character, yet strangely it becomes one of the most central points of the film. Saddled with that is the rather naff storyline that feels absolutely all over the place. Cable is never quite as interesting or entertaining to watch as I'd thought he would be, and the addition of Dennison (who is great in Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople) isn't quite enough to rescue the poor cast of characters. Essentially, the film feels more like just a bunch of stuff happening with nothing cohesive to hold it all together to form a sturdy narrative.
Sprinkled within what is mostly an unorganised film is one hilarious set piece, an awkwardly funny conversational moment and a post credits scene that riffs on genius. Yet even with Reynold's still owning the character better than anyone else could, there was still nothing about Deadpool 2 that really struck a chord with me. Unfortunately, it just feels like more of the same, but for those who loved the original that's hardly a bad thing.