Dive into the deep end of ‘Deadpool 2’

Ryan Reynolds and Leslie Uggams in Deadpool 2

“Now I’m about to do to you what Limp Bizkit did to music in the 90s” – Ryan Reynolds in the original Deadpool

“Hell is yourself and the only redemption is when a person puts himself aside to feel deeply for another person” – Tennessee Williams

Deadpool2 is a lot like Deadpool.  The fourth wall breaks are fewer but the pop-culture references are tossed out often and effectively.  It begins with the title character about to try (and fail) to kill himself in a very gruesome way.  First, a flashback to weeks earlier, when the chain of events that cause him to be ready to die began.

The movie is set roughly two years after the events of Deadpool.  “Wade Wilson/Deadpool” (Ryan Reynolds – Self/less) is still working as a mercenary.  A mission goes awry and the target escapes.  Deadpool goes home to his wife “Vanessa” (Morena Baccarin – Spy).  She is killed by the one who got away.

After things go boom, Deadpool is saved by “Colossus” (voiced by Stefan Kapičić again) who wants Wade to become an X-Man.  Wearing a shirt with a label that is a clever conceit, he goes with Colossus and “Negasonic Teenage Warhead” (Brianna Hildebrand) on a mission to prevent “Russell Collins/Firefist” (Julian Dennison) from causing mass destruction with his ability to shoot fireballs from his fists.  Upon learning that the boy has been abused at a mutant rehabilitation center/orphanage, Deadpool kills one of the boy’s abusers.  That results in both he and the boy being incarcerated at The Icebox, a high-tech jail for mutants.  All of its inmates are fitted with collars that fully suppress all mutant powers.


Meanwhile, “Cable” (Josh Brolin – Sicario) travels from the future where an adult Firefist murdered his wife and daughter.  He is there to kill Firefist and prevent the deaths of those he loves.  He penetrates the supposedly impenetrable prison and goes after the boy.  In the resulting chaos, Deadpool’s collar is broken and he prevents Cable from killing Firefist.  A key moment transpires between Deadpool and Firefist that alters their relationship just before both Deadpool and Firefist depart The Icebox.  Firefist befriends the “monster in the basement” of The Icebox.

Both Cable and Deadpool make plans to assault the heavily armored convoy that is transporting the surviving mutant prisoners to another facility equipped to hold them.  Cable on his own and Deadpool with a hastily assembled group he dubs X-Force.  The group includes “Domino” (Zazie Beetz – Geostorm).  In the twin attacks, Firefist is able to team up with “Juggernaut” (voiced by Ryan Reynolds, who aside from starring also wrote, produced and did motion-capture work for Juggernaut on the probject) and break away.  They will head to the mutant rehab center where Firefist plans to kill the headmaster.  Cable, Deadpool and Domino join forces and Cable agrees to give Deadpool a chance to stop Firefist from killing, without taking the boy’s life.

Brianna Hildebrand in Deadpool 2

There are a number of things that make this film as good, if not better than the first Deadpool.  The raunch.  The supporting characters like “Dopinder, “Blind Al” and “Weasel.”  The very amusing pop-culture references.  The reduced breaking of the fourth wall, which makes it more effective.  Then there is Ryan Reynolds, who uses the same deadpan expression that made him the very best part of 2005’s Waiting; to maximum effect.

The only question left at the end is, will there be a Deadpool 3?  If they can keep up the quality of the first two, I hope so.

Leave a Reply