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Ryan Reynolds returns as the world’s most obnoxious superhero.<\/p>\nWhen the original Deadpool arrived in theaters, it was a breath of fresh air. Comics fans may have already been familiar with the smart-assed \u201cmerc with a mouth,\u201d but in the context of modern superhero movies, both the character and the self-referential style of the 2016 film were a subversive delight. Deadpool’s creators clearly knew how silly superhero movies had become, recognized that audiences also knew it, and mixed it all up into an R-rated romp that brought in more than $780 million worldwide, while costing just a fraction of the price tag on an average DC or Marvel tentpole.<\/p>\n
But studios and filmmakers learned the lessons of Deadpool quickly, with James Mangold\u2019s Logan embracing the visceral intensity an R-rating can allow, and Marvel practically lampooning itself with Taika Waititi\u2019s hilarious Thor: Ragnarok. We now live in a post-Deadpool world, and with the element of surprise no longer part of its arsenal, the inevitable Deadpool 2 has to go about the more traditional business of crafting a sequel that delivers on fan expectations, while also giving them just enough of a fresh twist that the entire thing doesn\u2019t feel completely cynical. The result isn’t as novel as the original, or as effortlessly kinetic, but it is nevertheless a joke-packed action film that continues to deliver on the character’s potential, while opening up the door to an even bigger series of sarcastic superhero adventures.<\/p>\n