Deadpool 2 (DP2) follows the events of the first film, with Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) living the newlywed life, and Deadpool continuing to cross out any name that comes to his desk. Eventually the worlds begin to clash when a target narrowly escapes Deadpool and comes back to bite Wade and Vanessa. Though he is robbed of the family he envisioned, Wade and Deadpool become whole again through a couple of outstanding team-ups and find a place in the young impressionable heart.
For those still new to Deadpool, or those that are on the fence after watching the first movie, understand this is NOT for kids. The film is filled with enough foul language, gore, and baby genitals (yes, you read correctly) to make even the purest of minds wince. Believe it or not, that is how Deadpool works. A self proclaimed “Merc with a Mouth”, Deadpool’s world thrives as a fourth wall-breaking, self-aware, audience-inclusive, adventure. Additionally, one of the more stylistically inventive films in comic book adaptations–and possibly film, in general. Check the source material and you can see the faithfulness to the adult material and even how they broke the fourth wall, creating inclusion for the audience. It all translates surprisingly well in an adaptation era of film where studios often seem to leave something lost in translation (eyes on you, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets).
The best feature of DP2, outside of the intense CGI action and lewd humor, is the debut of the much anticipated (for some) X-Force. There was so much clamoring for the X-Force, they did it twice and it was not true to the comics. Most didn’t care outside of the ubermensch of comic book fans, yet DP2 does helm two stellar versions of the X-Force. Both squads operated like a well oiled machine, for the entertainment of the audience anyways. X-Force version 1.0 consists of: Deadpool, Domino, Shatterstar, Bedlam, Zeitgeist, and Peter. Version 1.0 is a symbolic highlight in its own right: no matter how big or small ones power is, Deadpool can definitely put it to good use. As well intended as X-Force version 1.0 was (extract Russell from his fated path); it is the execution of the seemingly well thought out plan that is a serious gem of this film. To sum it all up as a dumpster fire is a supreme understatement (and borderline foreshadowing), but it will have to do. However, from the ashes of version 1.0, the X-Force version 2.0 rises like the Phoenix! As DP2 inches toward the climax, the villainous Cable (Josh Brolin) and Deadpool strike up a deal which sets forth what is the best team-up in the Marvel Comics Universe to date: X-Force version 2.0. The intent is similar yet the purpose dire as ever, version 2.0 consists of: Deadpool, Cable, Domino, Colossus with the reluctant Negasonic Teenage Warhead and her girl, Yukio, and Dopinder, respectively. X-Force version 2.0 greatly raises the bar when it comes to teamwork. The most essential part being the core of this group: Deadpool and Cable.
Beneath all the (anti) heroism, hidden under the gags, sandwiched between the stellar soundtrack and the shockingly plausible CGI: DP2, thematically, is about how we cope with grief and the loss of loved ones. Deadpool and Cable are opposing bookends on the spectrum of grief. Deadpool embodies the side of humanity that copes with grief by comedy. He continually wears a clown nose. He is consistently the loudest one in the room. If anything, one can see Wade’s comedic rise the further he gets from thinking of her. On the other hand, Cable embodies a brooding darkness. He moves with purpose, the objective forever in view. He even keeps a memento of his shattered past; a charred teddybear is all that he has left of his family. It is all he left to remind him of the pain he feels. Cable hardly lightens up either, cracking the smallest inkling of a smirk or a subtle grunt at a something he finds amusing. These two extremes clash and merge in a beautiful duality. When we grieve over those considered close, one wants to inflict self-harm, knowing it will change nothing. One wants to go back and change the past regardless of the cost or what could be lost in the process. An entirely bold move on Marvel’s part, those that know the comics are aware of the farce the MCU projects in this particular similarity between the origins of Deadpool and Cable.
Those that can’t appreciate the small aberration lose out on the true message of DP2. This theme enhances the remainder of the film as it becomes apparent to Deadpool and Cable (possibly around the time they become bffs in a jaw dropping team montage); the more it becomes clear to the audience (as Deadpool’s true wants are revealed). Loss of loved ones is a consequence of life yet, not all is lost as some choose to believe. If we open our eyes (and our hearts), there lies fresh beginnings. Losing those perceived irreplaceable pillars in our lives isn’t the end of the world but the dawn of another. Both Deadpool and Cable discover that nearing the final walk into the sunset.
DP2 is one of the few sequels someone can watch without seeing the first and not be completely lost. It functions as an extension from aspects of the human condition: death, grief, and loss. When projects are approached from this angle, one does not necessarily need the backstory of a life before it is lost because everyone can relate to the human condition, whether we wear a mask or not. Deadpool 2 is worth a watch or two, or three, during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
5 Wordless Recommendations for Those Interested in More Deadpool *warning: additional reading required*
Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe
Cable & Deadpool: If Looks Could Kill
Deadpool Develops “Comic Awareness”
Deadpool: Sins of the Past
Deadpool: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
