TAGGED AS: Superheroes
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp.)
Two years ago, Deadpool gave us not just a different kind of comic book movie but also a new comedy icon. The surprisingly successful superhero satire was full of action, laughs and critically lauded irreverence — to the tune of a Certified Fresh 83% Tomatometer score. Now Deadpool 2 is doubling down on everything that worked the first time, and according to the first wave of reviews, which dropped on Monday night, it actually delivers as a sequel that’s arguably better than the original. Hold on tight though — that pesky Tomatometer is always chaning.
Here’s a breakdown of the Deadpool 2 reviews:
The perfect sequel…impressively, Deadpool 2 ends up being funnier than the original.
– Sean O’Connell, CinemaBlend
The rare sequel that improves on its predecessor.
– Alex Abad-Santos, Vox
Delivers on the promise of the first film (and more).
– Kate Erbland, IndieWire
This sequel surpasses the original on just about every level.
– Vince Mancini, FilmDrunk
In almost every respect, this sequel is an improvement on its 2016 predecessor: Sharper, grosser, more narratively coherent and funnier overall, with a few welcome new additions.
– Andrew Barker, Variety
Almost everything that felt forced, crass and hamfisted in the original film now feels organic and effortless; a constant breezy stream of gags, quips and expertly choreographed action. Deadpool 2 is filthier, funnier and ferociously manic.
– Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
We’d say it’s the rare sequel that surpasses the original — but as Deadpool would put it: ‘That’s just lazy writing.
– John Nugent, Empire Magazine
This one is bigger but not necessarily better.
– Soren Anderson, Seattle Times
Better than the standard superhero fare, with enough clever touches to keep things interesting.
– Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
Former stuntman Leitch knows his way around a challenging sequence, and it shows.
– Kate Erbland, IndieWire
[Leitch’s] flights of fancy here are crazily inspired, each swoop of physics-defying movement, every new leap from or to a speeding vehicle, delivered with twisted panache.
– Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
The action sequences serve a purpose beyond stoking adrenaline, frequently doubling as important character moments…they’re individually tailored to the needs of specific scenes and specific characters, and are far more impactful for it.
– Alex Abad-Santos, Vox
The film’s entire second act is basically one long action set piece that involves sky diving, stunt driving, fights on and around high-speed trucks, and the introduction of a classic comic villain.
– Sean O’Connell, CinemaBlend
Avengers: Infinity War basically takes The Empire Strikes Back model and chucks it out the window. This is pretty much as dark as Marvel gets.
– Mark Daniell, Toronto Sun
Reynolds and company crank out better, more outrageous laughs than most pure comedies. You’ll laugh loud and you’ll laugh hard.
– Adam Graham, Detroit News
[Offers] a deluge of jokes, puns and gags that would leave the Jim Abrahams and Zucker Bros. short of breath.
– Scott Mendelson, Forbes
The extended scenes of comic banter, no less than the wittily executed action sequences, are master classes in multitasking. The interlocking subplots are juggled with skill and economy.
– Jake Cole, Slant
Prepare to see Deadpool 2 twice, because the screenplay’s best lines, tragically, will be buried by the roaring laughter of a sure-to-be-raucous movie theater crowd.
– Sean O’Connell, CinemaBlend
A second viewing will probably reveal even more slurs and cracks, as the laughs hurl by at a rapid pace.
– Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
Great gusts of guffaws are unleashed from time to time. But they coexist uneasily with the more sobersided stuff.
– Soren Anderson, Seattle Times
There’s a tedium to the sort of repetition that merely rehashes and recycles the same wink-wink barbs that worked the first time around.
– Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times
The followup may be even more violent than the first film, which should please fans of the comic book character, and it certainly helps the film earn its R rating.
– Molly Freeman, ScreenRant
The film is as violent as its predecessor — at some point, someone needs to count how many bones are broken during the film’s running time; my guess is triple digits — but now there’s a refinement to the bloodshed.
– Kate Erbland, IndieWire
The followup may be even more violent than the first film, which should please fans of the comic book character, and it certainly helps the film earn its R rating.
– Stephen Whitty, New York Daily News
Brolin’s Cable is so incredibly gruff that he’s the perfect foil for motormouthed Deadpool.
He’s a time traveler with a mechanical arm and a military demeanor, in effect Buzz Lightyear to Deadpool’s Woody.
– A.O. Scott, New York Times
[The character] feels copied and pasted right out of the Terminator movies but is so terrifically played by an uber-committed Josh Brolin that it doesn’t matter.
– Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
Reynolds and Brolin have chemistry to burn, with Brolin resurrecting some of the same funnier-than-he-looks straight-man intensity that he brought to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice.
– Jake Cole, Slant
After Brolin brought us a compelling Thanos in Infinity War, his Cable is rather flat and uninspiring — especially considering the stakes.
– Mark Daniell, Toronto Sun
The standout is franchise newbie Zazie Beetz as the butt-kicking Domino.
– Kate Erbland, IndieWire
Zazie Beetz’s Domino is the best addition to the cast, stealing every fight scene she’s in.
– Susana Polo, Polygon
Beetz is charm central… Make no mistake; [she] will be front and center of any sequels or spin-off movies.
– Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
Beetz needs about 90 seconds of screen time to get the audience wondering: When does she get her own movie?
– Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
At its best, the film resembles an ultraviolent Looney Toons spinoff, with [Ryan] Reynolds once again going full Bugs Bunny behind either a mask or a mountain of makeup.
– Andrew Barker, Variety
It works as an action movie, a comedy and a superhero flick, remembering to be a stand-alone feature first and an “in-joke wink-wink”-er second.
– Scott Mendelson, Forbes
The way the filmmakers handle the new team is inspired; truly, it’s the most original thing in a movie like this in maybe ever.
– Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
Not having to constantly prove Deadpool’s edginess allows Deadpool 2 to develop a stronger story, which proves to be its greatest asset.
– Alex Abad-Santos, Vox
The involvement of [Celine] Dion, whose mournful, actually-good “Ashes” serves as the James Bond-esque Deadpool 2 theme song, is a welcome stroke of genius.
– Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times
The film’s more serious moments drag a bit – we don’t need a Deadpool with emotional issues any more than we’d need a Batman who does slapstick.
– Stephen Whitty, New York Daily News
If Deadpool 2 flounders at all, it’s in the poor execution of a clichéd (and sexist) comic book hero trope in the film’s first act.
– Molly Freeman, ScreenRant
Deadpool 2 wants to be the thumb in the eye of the rest of the superhero blockbuster scene… [but] it is one of those hyper-bankable superhero blockbusters.
– Susana Polo, Polygon
[It] uses its self-aware irreverence to perform the kind of brand extension and franchise building it pretends to lampoon.
– A.O. Scott, New York Times
The film missed a huge opportunity by not recasting [T.J.] Miller’s role of Weasel.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
Deadpool 2 has the best closing-credits sequence in superhero-film history… Do not, under any circumstances, leave the theater when those end titles start playing.
– Michael Gingold, Birth.Movies.Death.
Although every die-hard superhero fan stays for the post-credits scenes, nobody should even think of missing these. The last few minutes in this film are the funniest Marvel moments ever.
– Stephen Whitty, New York Daily News
There are a few mid-credit scenes that are very important and not-to-miss. These may be among the best ever in any Marvel film!… These credits are going to have a lot of people talking… Trust me, you don’t want to miss them!
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
The film also makes up plenty of ground with an excellent post-credits scene that — despite me not liking this instalment — makes me optimistic for what a part three could look like.
– Mark Daniell, Toronto Sun
As a diverting slice of popcorn escapism, it acts as a nice antidote to the grim Infinity War.
– Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
The perfect Avengers antidote.
– Stephen Whitty, New York Daily News
It’s the perfect counter-programming for Infinity War.
– Vince Mancini, FilmDrunk
[It’s] a refreshing superheroic counterpoint to the likes of Avengers: Infinity War or Justice League.
– John Nugent, Empire Magazine
It’s still more fun if far less culturally significant than Black Panther.
– Roger Moore, Movie Nation
If there’s one area in which Deadpool 2 goes to unexplored territory for the Marvel movies, it’s by giving us a non-enigmatic, canonically queer superhero: two of them, actually.
– Alonso Duralde, The Wrap
Deadpool 2 opens everywhere this Friday, May 18. Read all the reviews for it here.
