‘Deadpool 2’ delivers on hilarity, vulgarity and action

Do you like wisecracks and sarcasm in your comedy?

Following up from where the first film left off, Deadpool is taking care of business the only way he knows how — wholesale slaughter with a smile. After a job goes south, Deadpool must carve a new spot in life. He meets Russell/Firefist (Julian Dennison), an angry teenage mutant who lives at an orphanage. When Russell becomes the target of Cable — a genetically enhanced soldier from the future — Deadpool realizes that he’ll need some help saving the boy from such a superior enemy. He soon joins forces with Bedlam, Shatterstar, Domino and other powerful mutants to protect young Russell from Cable and his advanced weaponry.

With that in mind, here are some of the spoiler-free reasons to add “Deadpool 2” to your must-see movies of the summer.

Everyone you liked from the first film is back.

Wade Wilson/Deadpool/DP (Ryan Reynolds) is his typical wisecracking self, but he’s found happiness, and the change in his relationship with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) has really impacted his outlook. Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) return as X-Men members, and while they’re familiar, their attitude does change toward Deadpool’s antics.

You don’t have to have seen the first movie.

There are so many superhero movies coming out these days, it’s hard to hold anyone responsible for not watching them all. Deadpool recognizes this. Not only does he happily dole out spoilers of other films to catch you up, but “Deadpool 2” delivers a nice, self-contained (albeit frenetic at best) blockbuster that fans of the first film or newcomers to the franchise can enjoy equally. That’s not to say there’s no connection to the first movie, but catching up comes quickly.

More characters, more action.

The action on display is greatly improved. This is likely due to a change in directors from Tim Miller — whose background is in visual arts, so a lot of his action scenes looked like dull, CGI-laden nonsense — to David Leitch who comes from the world of stunt coordination. Because of Leitch’s stunt background, he’s been able to stage truly stunning action sequences in flicks like “John Wick” and “Atomic Blonde,” and he transfers that over to “Deadpool 2.” There’s a lengthy truck chase sequence that, despite all its defiance of gravity, feels somehow grounded in the real world.

The addition on new characters also gives Deadpool a whole team of characters to riff off of. X-Force, the name of Deadpool’s team, is a collection of who’s available and reads the HELP WANTED signs posted to dive bar bulletin boards. Domino stands out among the rest as Zazie Beetz brings such energy and charm to the part.

Comic book fans are rewarded — so are haters.

Before you say nonsense like, “I’m not really a fan of superheroes,” “I don’t really know anything about Deadpool,” and “Why would you put a mask over Ryan Reynold’s face?,” let me stop you — the only question you need to ask yourself is “Do I like wisecracks and sarcasm in my comedy?”

Sure there are plenty of “in” jokes to be heard, but as mentioned before — the rapid fire speed at which they flow from the “Merc with a Mouth,” mean even if you don’t understand one bit, you’ll likely get the joke still. Pop-culture references and double entendre set-ups abound — for all characters, not just DP.

But it’s not just other superhero material this movie references. It spans all over from “My Little Poney” to “Say Anything” to LeBron James’ pregame ritual and a whole lot more. It all makes for a highly entertaining film.
Where “Deadpool” was a love story, “Deadpool 2” is a family story. Or, at least, that’s how DP describes it. ♦

“Deadpool 2”
Rated: R
Director: David Leitch
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin