DEADPOOL 2 (2018) MOVIE NEWS & REVIEW

deadpool 2 (2018) movie

Genre              |   Action, Sci-Fi Thriller
Classification   |   MA 15+++++++
Running time   |   119 minutes
Released         |   16 May 2018

cast

Ryan Reynolds ... Wade / Deadpool
Josh Brolin ... Summers / Cable
Zazie Beetz ... Domino
Morena Baccarin ... Vanessa
T.J. Miller ... Weasel
Leslie Uggams ... Blind Al
​Brianna Hildebrand ...
Negasonic Teenage Warhead

director

​David Leitch

writer

​Rob Liefeld ... (character)
Fabian Nicieza ... (character)
Rhett Reese ... (screenplay)
Paul Wernick ... (screenplay)

cinematographer

Jonathan Sela

music

Tyler Bates​

film editor

​Craig Alpert
Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir

box office result

Worldwide               $? million
Australia                 $? million
North America        $? million

the best dialogue

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things to spend money on ...

DEADPOOL 2 (2018) MOVIE IMAGES

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DEADPOOL 2 (2018) STORY SYNOPSIS

​After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry's hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor - finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World's Best Lover.

DEADPOOL 2 (2018) MOVIE REVIEW

Reviewed by Mark Geraghty   |   Review date: 15 May 2018
Pop ​Movee Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

If you put aside all the foul language, sexual innuendo and wanton violence, DEADPOOL 2 is movie that actually has something real to say about the importance of keeping kids safe and affording them the opportunity to live their life without fear from those who will use their position of power as a mask to hide behind their heinous proclivities. This underlying theme makes for an interesting change of pace for a comic book inspired movie but, in reality, makes DEADPOOL 2 a much closer relative to the comic books from which the movie sprang than any of the current crop of Marvel Cinematic Universe or DC movies.

However, this is a Deadpool movie…

After the overwhelming success of the first DEADPOOL movie, it could have been easy for Ryan Reynolds and the Deadpool creative team to serve up another two hours of what made the 2016 film such a breakout hit. Instead, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, along with Ryan Reynolds, have fashioned a story with greater depth, better action sequences and sharper, funnier dialogue than the first film. DEADPOOL 2 also benefits greatly from the direction of David Leitch, the JOHN WICK helmer who replaced Tim Miller early in the new film’s development. Where Tim Miller’s direction was focussed on the characters, Leitch and his JOHN WICK/ATOMIC BLONDE cinematographer Jonathan Sela opt for greater emphasis on the film’s visuals. 

That’s not to say DEADPOOL 2 is weak on character development…

DEADPOOL 2 makes a conscious effort to expand the breadth of characters so the film isn’t reliant upon the likes of Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), Weasel (T.J.Miller), Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) or Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). Of all the characters from the first film, it’s Colossus (Voiced by Stefan Kapicic) who has the most to do in DEADPOOL 2. The writers develop the relationship between Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson/Deadpool and Colossus significantly in the new film with some great comedy resulting in the film’s Final Act as the “Merc With A Mouth” tries to atone for all the horrible things he’s done and said to the one X-Men who has tried and tried to show him how to be a better superhero.

Besides Deadpool and Colossus, it’s the new additions in DEADPOOL 2 who carry the day and make the second movie feel something more than just a 119 minute rerun of the first film.

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR currently features Josh Brolin as a surprisingly layered Thanos and it was always going to be interesting to see how the actor stacked up as Cable, a futuristic super soldier in the comic books whose creation was linked to a much broader cosmic battle. In DEADPOOL 2, Cable has a less complicated backstory, but his motivation is much more personal. There’s a very definite attempt to show Brolin as some kind of TERMINATOR-like cyborg, right down to THE TERMINATOR composer Brad Fiedel inspired music by Tyler Bates everytime the character appears on screen. Brolin comes into his own during the film’s second half and proves that he was the perfect choice for the role. Depending on how DEADPOOL 2 opens globally, it’s very easy to believe that Brolin will become the first actor to appear in two billion dollar plus box office movies in the same calendar year. With the actor’s involvement in SICARIO 2: DAY OF SOLDADO, anyone who doesn’t know who Josh Brolin is will be well and truly acquainted with him by the end of July 2018!

It’s not just Brolin that adds to the film’s greater story depth...

Zazie Beetz as Domino brings a great natural swagger to her turn as the superhero whose power is “being lucky”. Beetz’s performance is reminiscent of Sofia Boutella’s breakthrough role as Gazelle in KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE. Boutella’s physicality in that role got her a lot of attention and the same is true of Beetz. Domino plays a critical role in the film’s second half and she easily holds her own against Cable, as she and Deadpool try to stop him from committing a terrible crime. In the course of events, Domino proves herself to be an invaluable addition to Deadpool’s cadre of associates as well as an inaugural member of his X-Force team.

Those who have seen a number of DEADPOOL 2 trailers will be aware that one of them is dedicated to X-Force, the team Deadpool puts together to stop Cable. The writers deal with X-Force in a very clever way, leaving the door open to explore stories about the team in either future DEADPOOL movies or as a stand-alone story. While the X-MEN film producers aren’t trying to copy the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they are certainly trying to provide their DEADPOOL franchise with enough creative scope to avoid becoming entirely reliant upon Ryan Reynolds to drive future cinematic adventures. By doing so, they avoid the Hugh Jackman X-MEN or the Robert Downey Jr. IRON MAN/AVENGERS problem, where the franchise is so connected to the actor that it’s hard to imagine where the stories can go after the actor “retires” from the role.

The weakest link in DEADPOOL 2 is also the reason why the film is not a 5 star outing…

Young New Zealand actor Julian Dennison was great in HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, but as young Russell Collins in DEADPOOL 2 he’s miscast. It’s easy to see his appeal. It’s the same kind of appeal that Taika Waititi brought to Korg in THOR: RAGNAROK. It’s the light-hearted, Maori playfulness that seems to make every word sound like they’re taking the piss out of the situation. Dennison isn’t quite up to delivering the “darker” parts of his character and, unfortunately, the role absolutely requires this belief in the character’s emerging anger and violence for the viewer to be absolutely engrossed and convinced by the tale unfolding before them.
 
Something not usually found in a comic book movie is a great soundtrack that combines an instrumental score with a selection of great songs. The GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movies are an exception and have set the benchmark, but David Leitch, Tyler Bates and the film’s Music team have adapted the approach Leitch took with his ATOMIC BLONDE soundtrack and included an eclectic mix of pop and rock tunes to punctuate the action. Despite this being a Deadpool movie, the musical highlight is a beautiful acoustic version of a-ha’s ‘Take On Me’, originally done for MTV Unplugged, that adds an unexpected poignancy to the scene it plays over and the film’s overarching theme of love, loss and redemption. Other featured artists include Air Supply, Peter Gabriel, Cher, Celine Dion and, believe it or not, Dolly Parton.

DEADPOOL 2 is better than the first film in every department. It’s not trying as hard for the viewer to pay attention to all the the gags it’s laying down. There’s less of an effort to break the Fourth Wall and more attention at making its humour work within the context of the scene. No comic book franchise is spared by the film’s skewering. Even as the jokes come thick and fast, the story remains on track and the film’s more serious themes remain a focus. The film’s finale is a satisfying mix of action and emotion, with just the right amount of humour thrown in for good measure. As expected, the film’s credits take the opportunity to send up both the Marvel and DC comic book movie franchises and the final, final piece of footage is an eye-watering, gut-laugh inducing howler that will have fans of all comic book movies leaving the cinema with the satisfaction that balance has been restored to the universe.

DEADPOOL 2 (2018) USEFUL LINKS

Deadpool sends his regards to Wonder Woman...

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