Deadpool 2

Hey there, True-Believers! Deadpool here, and I want to talk to you about my latest movie. That's right, my first movie was such a hit that Fox (which may or not be a Walt Disney company soon), wanted another. It's creatively named Deadpool 2 and...

It's just as fun as the first one. I hope this cameo won't ruffle any legal feathers.

Excuse me. Was I talking to you? No? No! Let me explain.

So I've (Ryan Reynolds) spent the last few years killing bad guys. One of them gets away and he and his guys kill my best gal, Vanessa. On our anniversary, no less! So I do what any sane man would do: blow myself up! But I can't die because of my mutant healing factor!

Colossus of the X-Men helps me get together, physically and mentally. He gets me to join the team. My first mission, which I accept, is to deal with an angry young mutant named Rusty (Julian Dennison). Unfortunately, my (lethal) attempt to save him from his abusive orphanage throws us into the "Icebox." And then, a cyborg badass from the future named Cable (Thanos! I mean, Josh Brolin!) shows up. He wants to kill Rusty because he'll grow up into a supervillain. 

Sounds sane.

What, no, it doesn't! I have to save him before he goes evil! I break out of the Icebox with a plan. I assemble a squad of mutant heroes to break out Rusty before he does something reckless. Like what?! Gee, like, free an unstoppable mutant named Juggernaut and kill his abusive caretakers, which sets him down a path of evil...

He just did that first thing, didn't he? Uhh... Gotta stop him from doing the other thing!

And I gotta step in and review this film!

AHH.... ow.

Reynolds joins returning writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick for this latest screenstory. It tramples on superhero movie cliches as much as its predecessor. It throws in a surprise cameo or two. Even Deadpool's new super team, the X-Force, is an elaborate joke. But it treats its characters' tragedies seriously. At least as seriously as the film allows it. Deadpool's loss is tragic, but his suicide attempt and the subsequent James Bond-ish opening credit sequence is pure black comedy.

What can we say about its characters? Quite a bit. Deadpool is still a fun merc, a sympathetic protagonist and all-around awesome antagonist to the fourth wall. Brolin as Cable plays what could've been a one-note cliche into a believable character. Dennison as Rusty is also believable as an angry mutant youth on the wrong path. Domino (Zazie Beetz) is awesome and her superpower of luck has funny results. The dour Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and her cheery girlfriend, Yukio (Shioli Kutsuna), are great together.

Director David Leitch has a bigger budget from the last film, and he makes the most of it. Its best use is the motion capture for Colossus and Juggernaut. They look as real as the other actors despite their imposing sizes. The mutant power effects are also nicely done. The action scenes are as entertaining as the first film. Tyler Bates's score stands out from the old standards primarily for Juggernaut's imposing, yet silly theme. The aforementioned opening sequence is set to a strong ballad, Ashes, performed by Celine Dion.

Deadpool 2 is a bloody fun superhero romp. You should still think twice before you take the kids, if at all. You won't be disappointed if you see it. It's a superhero adventure that stands out from the crowd. But it still leaves things open for a spinoff. An X-Force movie is in the works, but after this movie, you'll wonder how it'll take shape. The midcredit scenes trample on Wade's character arc and the fourth wall some more. But it can get away with that easily.