Deadpool 2 brings the noise, as well as the pathos

Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool 2. Image courtesy 20th Century Fox.

The interesting thing about Deadpool 2 is the darkness behind the jokes. Although it doesn’t quite qualify as a black comedy, the subject matter for the irreverent sequel is bleak for a movie featuring a plethora of crotch shots and lewd behavior from its eponymous figure. Lurking underneath all the fun and sight gags is a strong debate concerning how much control a person has over their faith, along with the existential tragedy of a being who cannot die. No matter how much the movie tries to avoid those topics, it’s the seriousness of the underlying subject matter that holds the movie together.

Deadpool 2 is about what a viewer would expect a sequel to the impressively popular Deadpool would be. Ryan Reynolds comes back as the eponymous hero-ish figure, trying to get in the good graces of the random X-Men he comes across. The film expands its cinematic universe with the addition of a few new characters (Josh Brolin as the time traveling mutant Cable, Zazie Beetz as Domino, Julian Dennison as Russell) and blends them in with a few characters from the original (Morena Baccarin’s Vanessa, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Karan Soni as Dopinder, and T.J. Miller as Weasel). And the mix, for the most part, works. Cable and Domino are great additions to the franchise, with both serving as strong, necessary foils to Deadpool’s shenanigans. The plot is less reliant on the superhero tropes that drove the original, and the action sequences are engaging and shot well enough. 

 

There are holes to be found (Miller being one of them), but Deadpool as a franchise is inherently difficult to criticize, as the plethora of fourth-wall breaks serves as its own meta-criticism. Deadpool 2 is aware of, and actively points to, the clichés it indulges in and the holes that plague many superhero movies. Essentially, it means the decision to have a character comment on a problem the viewer picked up on as well means there is an intent to having that issue in the first place. It's difficult to call something a flaw when it is ultimately turned into a joke. But at the same time, the need to have that joke is something of a problem itself, reflecting minimal creativity from the writers. If the joke is about how the filmmakers are in on the joke, it doesn't make it that good of a joke in the first place. 

 

Even with that somewhat existential problem, the humor in Deadpool 2 is pretty good for viewers who are in on the joke. The movie targets everything, from Logan and star Hugh Jackman, to the continued absence of a majority of the X-Men, to Deadpool's comic creator's inability to draw feet. The humor the movie has going for it is equal parts sharp and silly, hitting very easy targets and some more interesting ones along the way. The humor, both meta and visual, are often brutal and gory, but never truly mean-spirited or cruel. For all the potshots and woodchipper incidents, the film's tone is more often than not goofy.

The overarching silliness masks the movie’s underlying pain and tragedy. Deadpool 2 has an unexpected philosophical bite, with a notable strong debate about fatalism. On the one hand is Cable, who has the ability to travel through time and alter history, making it appear as if he is in control. Yet then there’s Domino, a character whose superpower is good fortune, allowing fate to have full control over her actions. Deadpool is trapped between those two forces, controlled by the time traveler’s actions and Domino’s reliance on fate. There is a logic to an embodiment of chaos lacking control over his fate, and the lack of control often comes at the expense of his happiness. No matter how close he comes to some level of joy, fate pulls him away.

When the sadness hits, it hits really hard, and it ultimately keeps Deadpool 2 from sinking into self reference. The movie knows when to drop the schtick and allow the necessary emotionally heavy scenes to shine. The number of opportunities for the movie to be heartfelt are minimal, but the few that do show up are granted the solemnity they require to at least allow for some growth for the titular mercenary. Even if the motivation for the introspection is a little weak (and, again, something the film makes fun of), the emotional payoff in the third act is worthwhile and deserved. Viewers see just enough of Deadpool's arc without the jokes to respect the moment when it comes to fruition.

Review: Four out of Five Stars

Click here to see the trailer.

Rating: R

Run time: 119 minutes

Genre: Action

Ask Away
 
Target audience: The unending onslaught of superhero fans, especially those who are really in love with Deadpool.

Take the whole family?: Oh lord no.

Theater or Netflix?: It's good enough for a theater trip.

Watch this as well?: The original Deadpool is pretty fun, if somewhat slight in comparison. The X-Men franchise is hit or miss, with X-Men 2 and Days of Future Past the highlights. Also worth watching is last year’s Logan, which fits more in line with the Wolverine spin-offs.

Meet Deadpool, America's stabbiest superbeing

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in, well, "Deadpool." Image courtesy 20th Century Fox.

From the opening credits to the final roll, “Deadpool” posits itself as a very different kind of comic film, one that never takes itself too seriously while mocking the conventions the wildly popular genre has adopted and embraced. And, for the most part, the backs up its claim; it's bloodier than any other property related to a Marvel or DC character, and the hero by default has no qualms dropping a motherfucker or two. There is, however, one area in which it can't help but follow the standard hero story, the one chink in its armor that undermines the purpose of this grand superhero experiment.

I'll bring that point up again later, because it’s time now for a little introduction to the Deadpool character, a popular figure in Marvel Comics but not exactly a star like the X-Men or Spider-Man. Our hero started off as Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a mercenary who sells himself as an amoral killer but is more akin to Rick Blaine (wait, did I just compare “Deadpool” to “Casablanca”?). He does have a sweet spot for Morena Baccarin's Vanessa, and the two are even set to be betrothed until Reynolds develops all of the cancer. His odds of survival are nil, but he is given one last shot at a cure through a secret experiment headed by Ajax (Ed Skrein, showing much more life than he did in that “Transporter” flick he did).

But, of course, nothing is that easy in a superhero flick, as Skrein is a ruthless scientist, aided by a punch-tacular Gina Carano. (Totally unrelated, but her IMDB page leads off with “Gina Joy Carano was born under a tornado warning”.) The cure is to torture Reynolds until his latent mutant powers are unleashed. The result is the ability to regenerate his body at the expense of looking like Ryan Reynolds. Angered by what happened, Reynolds seeks revenge against Skrein with the assistance of bartender Weasel (T. J. Miller) and two X-Men: Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic), who serves as Reynolds' Jiminy Cricket, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). Also along for the ride are blind roommate Al (Leslie Uggams) and cab driver Dopinder (Karan Soni).

“Deadpool” is the movie “Kick-Ass” (versions one and two) wanted to be: A deconstruction of the genre is which the violence is rendered as both cartoonish and with a squirm-inducing verisimilitude. Bloody hell, does this thing get bloody; chunks of people rain down with abandon in the opening fight sequence, with one guy even going splat against an intersection sign. (Fun fact: mixing a green sign and a bloody carcass does not create yellow). It does get painful at times, but there's always a hint of levity to the proceedings to temper the constant violence, especially a scene in which our hero pursues a man while driving a Zamboni. (One reason why there's no way in hell Disney would do a "Deadpool" film. Fox, clearly, gives zero fucks about such concerns.)

Reynolds' Deadpool comments about preposterous nature of that sequence while riding the Zamboni. Deadpool comments on just about everything in “Deadpool”; the film's budget, Reynolds' checkered history as a film star, the X-Men, the fact he breaks the fourth wall repeatedly, his intent. Yet, somehow, this isn't cloying in the least. Reynolds delivers these little asides with vigor and earnestness, and it is very refreshing to have a comic film that, again, realizes how ridiculous it is that these things have gotten so popular. (Compare that to next month's “Batman v Superman,” which will be the dourest of things.)

Now we bounce back to the caveat alluded to in the opening paragraph highlighting the movie's most glaring weakness. What goes wrong is the back half of the plot, the one in which Reynolds' Deadpool saves Baccarin from the villain, reducing a character who started off as an equal to Snow White (she is literally encased in glass during the rescue). Because of course the woman is kidnapped, and of course she becomes a plot device, and of course the film won't even chide itself on how lazy that concept is. It's not even all that necessary to begin with; revenge is more than enough motivation for someone like Deadpool to seek out Skrein amid a deadly rampage. Why should the character be redeemed when the film has both Reynolds and an early save the cat moment to make him likable?

OK, so I'm being a little hard on a film that I admittedly enjoyed very much. I laughed through most of it, enjoyed the solid action sequences and the wisecracks and all of the meta commentary. It's a Bugs Bunny cartoon (an overused description, but apt nonetheless) disguised as a superhero film starring a man more than willing to mock himself for his own failings. It's a very welcome reprieve from the hyper serious yet tame superhero flicks that have permeated the theaters in recent years. And, again, he chases after a man on a fucking Zamboni.

Review: Four out of Five Stars

Click here to see the trailer.

Rating: R

Run time: 108 minutes (One hour and 48 minutes)

Genre: Action

Ask Away

Target audience: People who love the character and viewers in search of a little more bite to their superhero.

Take the whole family?: Considering the trailer shows Deadpool holding a man above his head with two swords, I'll strongly urge against taking the kids.

Theater or Netflix?: It would make for a fascinating Valentine's Day feature for couples with a wicked sense of humor.

Has Ryan Reynolds redeemed himself?: I honestly don't think he really had to – he's been excellent in “Adventureland” and in the better than expected “Just Friends” – but he deserves kudos for pursuing what is clearly a passion project. Plus, he's just perfect as Deadpool too; sly and irritating but still oddly likable despite the destruction he causes.

Watch this as well?: A better “Howard the Duck” film would have worked – the character also has a knack for breaking that fourth wall – but I'll go with the Netflix series “Jessica Jones,” which, like “Deadpool,” has a sharper edge than the average Marvel-related fair.