Deadpool 2 was green-lit nearly immediately after the original film debuted at the cinemas. Its popularity was immense, and the film was incredibly well done. Similar to the other unexpected Marvel favourite, Guardians of the Galaxy, audiences revelled in the movie despite being unaware of the characters beforehand. The storytelling and narrative were unique and well-written. Unfortunately, everything that made Guardians of the Galaxy great was reused in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and the film largely faded into mediocrity.
It's safe to say that Deadpool 2 has had the same problem. While there are some stark differences, between the original and the sequel, the comedic gold that was unexpected and fresh in the in Deadpool, became tired and overused in Deadpool 2.
Differences came in the form of more action, perhaps due to the loss of director Tim Miller and his replacement David Leitch. Leitch is probably best known for his work on the action-packed John Wick franchise. Unlike the Deadpool predecessor, which focused more on comedy, the sequel was much more action-oriented, to the point that it really lost a lot of the Deadpool vibe that had been created in the first film. What comedic elements that remained in the film's second instalment was largely reused material, in the form of jokes around Wilson's appearance, his inconsistent ability to regrow limbs, and over-the-top homoeroticism.
This was exacerbated by the ratio of Wade Wilson to Deadpool, with the anti-hero spending much of the film out of his uniform. Clear attempts to humanize Wilson's character to make his creation of the X-Force seem less unusual for the "lone wolf" that Deadpool usually is. The entire mood of the film was dark and peculiar, with the protagonist effectively wanting to end his life throughout the entire film, but then revelling in helping others and meeting new people; the two factors clashed significantly.
The change in Deadpool's preference for working alone, to wanting to form a team, led to an expanding of the cast, which was largely unspectacular. With the exception of Domino. Visually, looking the complete opposite of her comic counterpart, Zazie Beets does a brilliant job bringing Domino to life; with a great positive, upbeat vibe that perfectly fits with her "luck" abilities.
Josh Brolin does well as Cable, though his character comes across as rather one-dimensional. He looks the part, though some may argue he looks less imposing compared to his own comic counterpart, it added some material to the comedy side of things (which was unfortunately already "old" as the jokes had already been used in the trailers beforehand).
Morena Baccarin is still absolutely gorgeous, and while her role in the film is necessary to the plot, her presence was minimal, and I'd really love to see more of her in the next film (if they make a Deadpool 3). TJ Miller, on the other hand, didn't need to be in the film at all, and served little to no purpose, in terms of moving the plot forward, or providing comedic value.
The storyline felt lacking. Despite some brilliant action scenes in the "convoy" scene, the plot felt again regurgitated with a heavy Terminator influence, and some very lazy writing, which while sometimes was joked about by the fourth-wall-breaking antihero, was far more present than the viewer would initially believe. Pay attention to Cables actions throughout the film, and you quickly find many plot holes, where the story moves along for the sake of convenience alone.
Is it an entertaining film though? It certainly is. The action is well choreographed, and there are some great examples of teamwork in the fighting styles used. The comedy, however, failed to strike as often as it did in its predecessor, and as a result becomes like every other superhero movie, when the appeal of Deadpool, is his antihero status and his inability to adhere to moulds. Ryan Reynolds has secured his position as Deadpool and is at the point where no other actor could do the role justice, but they really need to refocus on what makes Deadpool great.
The convoy sequence along with any other part involving Domino makes this a film worth watching. Entertaining, but another case of sequel-itis.
Originally posted on: http://djin.nz/Kr7956