Deadpool 2

After his dreams of a family are shattered by a bullet, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is told by deceased fiancee Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) that his heart isn't in the right place. But he finds it after being whisked away to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning by Colossus (voice of Stefan Kapicic) when he breaks an X-Men rule on his first mission as a trainee and ends up in a high security prison with enraged child mutant Russell (Julian Dennison, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople") in "Deadpool 2."

Laura's Review: B+

'One of the guys who killed the dog in John Wick' (David Leitch) has delivered a genuinely moving family film, albeit an R-rated one with pedophile jokes, and one of the rare instances where a sequel surpasses the original. No longer mired down with an origin story, "Deadpool's" Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick along with Ryan Reynolds go to town with Deadpool's entrance into the tapestry of comicdom, the formation (and almost immediate destruction) of his X-Force the stuff of high comedy. The violence is extreme, the fourth wall breaking and references to both DC and Marvel meta, and the snark turned up to 11, but the movie has heart - really! It also features the introduction of Domino ('Atlanta's' Zazie Beetz), the lone survivor of X-Force recruits whose superpower, luck, powers intricate Rube Goldbergesque action sequences. After an opening sequence that makes Deadpool late to celebrate his first anniversary, we're treated to hilarious opening credits which inform us that the film's cinematographer was none other than Blind Al (Leslie Uggams). But the bad guys Deadpool thought he'd bested follow him home and a bullet meant for him kills his beloved Ness. After drowning his sorrows for three days straight with Weasel (T.J. Miller), a concerned Colossus tries to snap him out of it by including him in another family, mutants like himself. Wade, of course, is more interested in playing with Professor X's wheelchair and Cerebro, the annoyed X-Men (we glimpse Quicksilver and Beast among others) shutting the door to his hijinx. When a young mutant escapes the Headmaster (Eddie Marsan) of Essex House of Mutant Rehabilitation and begins wielding his powers, the X-Men and their trainee step in, but Deadpool kills one of the sadistic guards (after dubbing him 'Jared Kushner') and he and Russell aka Fire Fist land in the slammer with collars that suppress their powers. Deadpool bungles attempts to get through to the kid, who teams up with the dreaded Juggernaut. Deadpool escapes and holds auditions for his own X-Force signing up Domino, Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgård), Bedlam (Terry Crews), Shatterstar (Lewis Tan), Vanisher (humorous megastar cameo) and Peter (Rob Delaney). Meanwhile, a cybersoldier from the future, Cable (Josh Brolin), arrives with a blackened teddy bear intent on thwarting Deadpool's goal. One of the best things about "Deadpool 2" is that we don't learn Cable's motivation until the film's final act and it dovetails beautifully into Deadpool's own. Some may even get teary eyed as the movie comes to its climax. Come for the snark, be surprised by the sentiment. Former stuntman Leitch has proven his way with an action scene not only in the "Wick" films but last year's "Atomic Blonde" and he delivers some doozies here, including a morbidly side splitting group parachute jump and the chase/rescue of an armored prison transport. Special effects are seamless, as noted by Deadpool himself when Colossus battles Juggernaut. Deadpool's own interaction with Juggernaut leaves him regenerating his own legs, a man's torso atop a toddler's bottom half, a weirdly comical sight ripe for a "Basic Instinct" joke. Pop culture references, especially to other movies, abound (the hero hitting rock bottom is referenced back to "Cool Runnings" and "Human Centipede"). Bonkers soundtrack selections include 'Tomorrow' from "Annie," Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" (Deadpool's serenade to Colossus) and Dolly Parton's "9 to 5," with Céline Dion's original "Ashes" playing over opening credits (the song is serious, but the accompanying music video is not). In a running gag, Deadpool frets over the similarity of "Yentl's" 'Papa Can You Hear Me?' to "Frozen's" 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?' Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) gets a girlfriend, Yoiki (Shioli Kutsuna), who, much to her consternation, finds Deadpool adorable and Dopinder (Karan Soni) gets to be a hero. Canada is not spared. As the summer season kicks off with the usual glut of sequels, prequels, remakes and reimaginings, "Deadpool 2" is surely the only one to feature a celestial chorus singing 'Oh holy shitballs' during a climactic action scene. Groove to its dubstep. Grade:

Robin's Review: DNS

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