Deadpool 2

It’s as if he’s never left given all the little quirky videos we’ve had. From Bob Ross-esq painting to dancing and some more dancing, Mr. Pool is back, this time with an enemy. (This is a ‘light’, spoiler free review, you’re welcome)

Ryan Reynolds (The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Life) is obviously back as Deadpool and this time he’s up against a bona-fide bad-guy in Cable, Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War, Sicario).

Cable is from the future and has travelled back to kill a young kid called Russell, Julian Dennison (Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Paper Planes), who has issues controlling his rage which is a problem when his hands turn into fireballs!

In Cable’s future, Russell gets a taste for killing and takes his family from him in a fiery inferno. However, Deadpool isn’t down with that and, for a slightly selfish reason, decides he’s going to save the kid.

There’s a catch though, he can’t do it alone as, following Deadpool’s advice, Russell has befriended ‘the big guy’, Juggernaut, and the two are like a team.

So, Deadpool and Weasel, T.J. Miller (Ready Player One, The Emoji Movie) hold auditions for X-Force and nab: Domino, Zazie Beetz (Atlanta (TV), Geostorm), Zeitgeist, Bill Skarsgard (It, Atomic Blonde), Bedlam, Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), The Expendables), Shatterstar, Lewis Tan (Den Of Thieves, Into The Badlands (TV)), Peter, Rob Delaney (Catastrophe (TV), Burning Love (TV)) and Vanisher, ah…well…you’ll have to watch to see who plays the invisible one!

Needless to say, nothing goes as planned (“although, to be fair, the plan was drawn in crayon”), not everyone makes it, there are jokes galore, guts galore, gore galore, swearing, references to everything from Stranger Things to GotG to X-Men (again) and much, much, much more.

A much-publicised switch in director left us with David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, John Wick) which is an interesting choice. For the most part Leitch does well, however he does fall fowl of filming action sequences too god damn close, so you end up missing parts of a fight, just seeing legs and arms flailing. Which is pointless.

Back on writing duties are Rhett Reese (Zombieland, Life), Paul Wernick (Zombieland, Life) and this time round Reynolds gets a credit too. Despite a run-time of two-hours, the four men combine to ensure there’s never a dull moment and making the time fly by.

Deadpool 2 runs at such a pace that some may feel rather breathless trying to keep up. Particularly if you’re playing ‘spot the reference’, there a lot, I mean a lot. Even if you manage to keep up there are some gross-out moments that will divert your attention.

For Deadpool fans you’ll be pleased to know that both cab-driver Dopinder, Karan Soni (Safety Not Guaranteed, Ghostbuster), and Colossus, Stegan Kapicic (Tears For Sale, Counterpart (TV)), are both back, the latter coming in for more verbal abuse, the former trying to get into X-Force with all his might.

Brolin as Cable is a brilliant piece of casting. He’s a hard-faced, dark man to Reynold’s bright red suit-wearing motor-mouth. Brolin brings some gravitas and welcome darkness, which is obviously pointed out by Deadpool.

Deadpool 2 picks up where Deadpool finished and carries the torch more than adequately. It’s funny, gory and pokes fun at everyone and everything. Action-direction aside, it’s a brilliant film that leaves you in a feel-good mood afterwards. Now, pass the chimichangas.

Oh and, to state the obvious, you must hang around for the after credit sequences which are very funny, though you don’t need to stay right to the very end of the credits.