Film Review: Formula Works Well in Hilarious ‘Deadpool 2’

CHICAGO – We could all use some laughs, and “Deadpool 2” blessedly delivers. The meta superhero Deadpool – who exists both as a anti-hero and actor playing him – provides the wisecracks in the midst of the mayhem he experiences, and entertains in a way that other comic book movies wish they could be.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

This is R-Rated fare, and Deadpool is there to remind us that he was first out of the box doing that kind of superhero movie (one of the funnier running gags is his disdain at the film “Logan” copying the “R”). He was introduced in the comics way back in 1991, and emerged as a movie star two years ago, surprising and delighting new fans with the jokes, sick humor and winks at the camera. Ryan Reynolds does Deadpool to perfection, I could watch a stand-up comedy special with RR as that character for an entire movie. It is the superhero plot, shoehorned into the comedy, that actually weakens the film a bit – get back to the jokes – but the formula of combining comedy and heroics was a breakthrough, and has influenced all other films of the genre since coming on the scene. And also, it’s just damned entertaining.

Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is back, and illustrates his return by doing an elaborate suicide bit at the beginning of the film. His fiancee Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) has been killed due to his sloppy work with a drug cartel, and he needs to end it all. But even after doing the deed he can self heal, and his X-Men buddy Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) gathers him up and takes him to headquarters to “reconfigure.”

He is convinced to help the X-Men, and takes on the case of “Firefist” (Julian Dennison), who is a troubled mutant. D-pool and Firefist are arrested in the process, and are sent to a prison that negates their powers. This is when the villain enters… Cable (Josh Brolin) is a time traveling assassin out to kill Firefist. Deadpool takes on the fight as redemption, and gathers a special team called X-Force, which includes a hero called Domino (Zazie Beetz) whose super power is Luck. They all could use some.

“Deadpool 2” opens everywhere in IMAX, RPX and regular screenings on May 18th. See local listings for IMAX/RPX theaters and show times. Featuring Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz, T.J. Miller and Stefan Kapicic. Written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Ryan Reynolds. Directed by David Leitch. Rated “R” (Way before “Logan”)