It's irreverent and fun, just like its original.
Deadpool 2
Grade: B
Director: David Leitch (Atomic Blonde)
Screenplay: Rhett Reese (Deadpool), Paul Wernick (Zombieland), Ryan Reynolds
Cast: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) , Josh Brolin (Solo)
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hr 59 min
by John DeSando
“You're so dark. Are you sure you're not from the DC universe?” Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds)
Deadpool 2, another Marvel marvel, has no problem referring to its rival DC universe, taking self-referential quipping to the referential and making a pretty good joke at the same time. Typically, Reynolds, as Deadpool/Wade and one of the writers, is foul-mouthed, irreverent, and downright rude, or exactly the opposite of the socially-upright superheroes we’ve grown accustomed to.
That’s the point. To satirize the super-hero convention is what Deadpool 2 and its original do, and they do it well. No trope is safe: from proper, laconic speech to selfless heroism; all are fodder for the foul. As X-Men trainee, Deadpool still has to prove himself worthy of a spot like Wolverine’s, a rival about whom Deadpool is obsessed.
Saving a young boy (Julian Dennison), who has revenge on his mind because of abuse in an orphanage, from becoming a murderer like the rest of the “X Force,” Deadpool gets involved with hunter-from-the future Cable (Josh Brolin, in his second badass Marvel character this year—the other being Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War). These two rival the humorous connections in Butch Cassidy and Die Hard and countless “buddy” films.
Deadpool is not all explosions and wisecracks, for topics such as racism and sexism crop up without hitting the audience heavily. Perhaps the most prevalent motif is the need for family, by now a staple of super-hero flicks, along with the need for love.
Clean as that sounds, this is not a family film any more than Bad Santa. Yet, for adults it's a needed antidote to the dark DC universe and a comic upgrade from regular family-friendly summer sci-fi adventures. Funny and self-referential it is:
“You know what we need to do? We need to build a f*****g team. We need 'em tough, morally flexible, and young enough so they can carry this franchise 10-12 years.” Deadpool
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and co-hosts Cinema Classics. Contact him at JDeSando@Columbus.rr.com
