‘You’re so dark. Are you sure you’re not from the DC universe?’
I think I’ve pinpointed why I struggle so much with superhero movies. In my normal working life, I might have time to watch one film a week. In order to keep up with DC, Marvel and the X-Men franchises, it feels like pretty much every film I watch ends up coming from that spandex clad triumvirate. Admittedly, I have pretty much let DC go now like that unwanted third child, but I still feel like too much of my precious time is taken up by Marvel movies. It was with a sense of fatigue then that I stumbled into Deadpool 2 hoping that this would be the moment I coulc cut myself loose from the Sony leg of the MCU. Goddamn it, Deadpool 2 is just good enough to keep me watching…
I’m not doing the plot. It doesn’t matter at this point. Let’s dive straight into the acting with the statement that Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool. Perhaps more than any other actor and any other comic book character. In the hands of anyone else, Wade Wilson’s constant asides and juvenile witticisms would become grating, the sheer likeability of Ryan Reynolds keeps the character fresh. Also, if you have ever seen him chopping wood with his shirt off in Amityville Horror you will know what a visually captivating presence Reynolds can be… Elsewhere, Josh Brolin corners the market on Marvel villainy as Cable, a character that is similar to his other Marvel character Thanos but also different enough to justify his presence in both franchises. The supporting cast are all funny and enthusiastic and act as a perfect foil for Reynolds, particularly TJ Miller who apparently wont be returning for any sequels on account of the fact that he is a massive dickhead in real life. Shame.
While this sequel doesn’t feel as personal as the first film, the fight sequences and action set pieces are not just bigger, but genuinely better with some awe inspiring special effects mixed in with Deadpool’s trademark playfulness and breaking of the fourth wall.
Deadpool 2 is probably better than the original and it is also the only interesting thing about the X-Men universe right now. I’ll keep watching em’ while ever Ryan Reynolds keeps making ’em. Love that guy.