DEADPOOL 2 (2018) *** ½

There are certain ways to approach a traditional sequel.  Deadpool 2 opts for two of them simultaneously:  Darker is Better and Bigger is Better.  It tries to up the emotional stakes while giving us (much) more of the same.  The results are often uneven, but Ryan Reynolds’ love for the character and his enthusiastic need to entertain prevails throughout, carrying the film confidently over the spotty sections.

Director David Leitch did Atomic Blonde and John Wick, so we know he can handle the action.  Furthermore, the action is clearly filmed, precisely edited, and balletically choreographed.  The Deadpool and Domino team-up is a lot of fun and the battle between Colossus and [REDACTED] is one of the best in the entire X-Men series.  

Leitch just isn’t nearly as consistent when it comes to telling a joke.  The X-Force scene is funny, and the cameos are good for a few laughs, but that owes more to the performers’ wiliness to show up.  Leitch kind of drops the ball when it comes to the potty humor.  He mostly just defers to Reynolds, allowing him to mug endlessly until the scene is over.  Leitch also oversells the dramatic scenes, which fit less successfully here than they did in the first movie.

Sure, the dramatic stuff is incongruent with the film’s irreverent nature, but Deadpool 2 is still enormously entertaining. Zazie Beetz makes a star-making turn as the lucky mutant Domino.  In her short amount of screen time, she proves without a doubt that she deserves her own movie. Josh Brolin is good as the soldier from the future, Cable.  It’s just that his performance suffers from comparison to his OTHER performance as a Marvel baddie a few short weeks ago.  

Reynolds puts in another funny turn as Deadpool.  Whenever he’s wryly commenting on the action and/or making pop culture references, it works.  Again, when it switches gears to dramatic it doesn't quite stick the landing.  Still, it has one of the best post-credits scene ever, so make sure you stick around for that. 

X-MEN MOVIE SCORECARD:

X-Men: Apocalypse: ****

Deadpool: ****
X-Men: Days of Future Past: ****
X-Men 2: X-Men United: ****
X-Men: ****
X-Men 3: The Last Stand: ****
Logan:  ****
X-Men: First Class: *** ½
Deadpool 2: *** ½
X-Men: Origins: Wolverine: *** ½
The Wolverine: ***

2018 COMIC BOOK MOVIE SCORECARD

Avengers:  Infinity War: *** ½ 
Black Panther: *** ½
Deadpool 2: *** ½

Accident Man: ** ½