Deadpool 2

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." This is exactly what the makers of Deadpool 2 followed, sticking to the sequel rules and simply trying to cram more of the things that audiences enjoyed last time into one film. And it works. It's still just as cheeky, gritty and fun. Plus, thanks to a new director, we get a level better action sequences, and besides, the trailers are far from spelling out everything that made it into the film. It's a shame about the slightly more rushed start, but even so, Deadpool 2 is at least on par with the first. Or rather, it surpasses it in every way. (2018.07.27)

Deadpool 2 is a touching family melodrama about the importance of traditional values, with a hero who wants to kill himself most of the time, vomiting acid and brutal action scenes accompanied by dubstep or Enya (decide for yourself which is worse). It is as comparably entertaining as the first one, though at the same time darker and more layered emotionally and in terms of storytelling. ___ Retrospectively (like a large part of the first instalment) only the first 20 minutes or so are narrated, after which film-noir turns into a buddy movie (from prison). Only the second half is a superhero team flick (Rob Delaney as Peter deserves a spin-off). The protagonist’s objective and the role of the villain (again played by the excellent Josh “Thanos” Brolin), who arrives on the scene relatively late, unexpectedly change several times. Everything is connected by the melodramatic background with the late/impossible reunion and (re)construction of the family. This primarily involves the main protagonist’s inner conflict, not the destruction of the world as in other comic-book movies. Therefore, I was not bothered by the numerous entirely serious scenes without self-deprecating humour (besides, if you have one of the characters refer to the screenwriter as an imbecile after some bad dialogue, nothing about that bad dialogue changes). Thanks to those scenes, you take the characters more seriously than they take themselves and the conclusion stimulates the right emotions (in this respect, Deadpool is more self-sufficient than Infinity War – in order for you to be moved, you do not have to know the preceding 18 films; you only have to know what you have seen over the past two hours). ___ The best bits are the opening credits parodying Bond movies, the post-credit scenes (or rather mid-credit scenes, as nothing remains after the closing credits) and jokes that truthfully call out the shortcomings of comic-book films that lack good humour, something with which Deadpool abounds. Besides the competition from DC, this is again captured mainly by X-Men, referred to as an outdated, gender-incorrect metaphor of racism from the 1960s. Conversely, it freezes routine action scenes with confusing editing (with the exception of a few more fluid moments, which with their choreography bring John Wick to mind), which, as in the case of most major productions of this type, was probably not under the control of the director himself, but of the second unit (and subsequently the people in charge of CGI). ___ Despite that, Deadpool 2 is very good summer entertainment whose creators managed to come up with enough ways to surprise us both with content and with the construction of the story and by using the conventions of various genres even without the possibility of somehow repeating the “wow effect” of the first film from beginning to end. 80% (2018.05.16)

While I was watching the movie, I thought a lot about whether the direction Deadpool is taking is good for him. Later on, I realized that it offers brutal potential. Compared to the Avengers’ skirmishes, this story is about as important as when you smash a fly on the window. But it has plenty of great ideas. It turns a bunch of uninteresting characters from the Marvel Universe into a great team that is fun to watch. I was a bit taken aback by Josh Brolin, but in the end I didn’t mind his version of the Terminator at all. I was also entertained by the idea of putting into a Marvel movie a guy from New Zealand from the Hunt for the Wilderpeople. I doubt this wasn’t Taika Waitihi’s idea when he was filming Thor. The thing is everything seems too interconnected in this world. I personally don’t mind it at all. The story is pretty much about nothing, but after watching this sequel I almost feel like it is slightly better than the first movie. And moreover, there is a whole number of inconspicuous details that are pretty important for the course of the entire Marvel Universe history. So, this film definitely won’t get lost in the history of comic books turned into movies. (2018.12.14)

The same problem as with the second Kingsman movie or the second Kick-Ass movie; it should have made fun of clichés of excessive “the more the better" of the second movie and not to follow them. The second Deadpool thus became what the firs movie made fun of. And so the second movie is best characterized by the moment when Pool gives the audience a wink about a generic CGI battle, followed by a completely generic long CGI battle, as from every other blockbuster. And the same could be said about everything. The film makers have a dig at something, but a moment later they make the same mistake. For the second Deadpool movie it is twice as difficult in this respect, because where the first movie with a limited budget had to focus on only the most important staff, the second movie with much larger budget covers many different storylines, some of which are principal while other just fade away and turn into costly and excessive CGI action super scenes. However, despite all my criticism, it can still be biting and funny (most of all in the snuggle scene) and in fact sometimes even nice. But that is something you would expect from any good family movie about important life values. (2018.05.18)

Deadpool directed by the guy who killed a dog in John Wick is back, and it's the ultimate smash, earning the title of best film of the year so far (only Mission Impossible 6, Sicario and Jurassic World have a chance to beat it). Avengers: Infinity War was admittedly more fateful and darker after the second viewing, but I was slightly bored in the first half, since there aren't that many jokes and action in the space of two and a half hours. In contrast, Deadpool 2 is an uncompromising ride like a motherfucker from start to finish, where black, sarcastic, racist humor alternates with sickeningly brutal action that made my balls shrivel. Josh Brolin as Cable gets another medal (I hope this guy will only get cast as a villain), the pop culture references are all over the place like in Ready Player One, the action is more brutal than any exploitation film, the humour is funnier than any comedy, and the pace is faster than a TGV train. I myself don't know what other movie would have so many genre ingredients combined and that to me makes it a true film nerd orgasm (I was blown away by the similarly minded Kingsman last time). People who appreciate story over humour, action and violence won't be so happy. The handshake scene is one of the best Marvel has ever had. The whole theater applauded. PS: Domino is a Lucky Pussy! 11/10. (2018.05.17)