I had initially thought that I will write a spoiler free review but after watching the film, I don’t think it is a big task. There is not much substance in Deadpool 2 so treading around key plot points without revealing them is like a walk in the park. The film starts a little after part 1 finished. Wade Wilson aka Deadpool is now a full-on vigilante and has a very successful career killing a lot of very bad guys in worse ways. Then some shit goes down and a random sequence of events occur. This keeps happening until the film ends.
Deadpool is supposed to be fun and does not take itself too seriously. However, the first part had a semblance of a story and a logical flow of events. In Deadpool 2, things just happen, sometimes because it is visually appealing or sometimes even to set up jokes. The saving grace for the film is that a lot of the jokes are hilarious.
The first part was high on humour, broke the 4th wall a few times and was able to laugh not just at itself but the entire superhero genre. The second outing for Deadpool does not tread slowly in this regard. On the contrary, it ups the ante with a mountain of punchlines and meta references that it gets difficult to catch all of them. The film is full of superstar cameos. One of the funniest sequences is the meta reference to Xforce, which has a cameo from Brad Pitt as ‘Vanisher’. Matt Damon also makes an appearance as one of the red necks.
There are references to X-Men (with a brief appearance from all key mutants including James McAvoy as Prof X). Even Marvel, Thanos, DC and other pop culture elements like the hysterical Basic Instinct get a reference. Punchlines are spread throughout the film but at times seems like humour for the sake of it. To work well, humour also needs to have a central plot which is where this film is surprisingly hollow.
There are a bunch of new characters that get thrown into the mix. Here, Domino emerges as the big surprise, landing effortlessly, just in front of Josh Brolin’s Cable. There is a brilliant chase sequence where Domino’s powers are on full display. It is a treat to watch. Unfortunately, this is one of the few action sequences that stand out, which is sad for an adult superhero action film. There is plenty of bloodshed, but it just seemed run-of-the-mill and forced.
Deadpool 2 clearly has its moments, is at times funnier than the first part and has plenty to keep you hooked. But it is no Spiderman 2, meaning that just like countless other sequels, Deadpool 2 fails to surpass the original and falls well short.
Note: Do stick around for the after credit scenes as they are by far the most outrageous and funny meta references ever, from Wolverine to Green Lantern.
Rating: 3/5