Deadpool 2 Review Roundup: More Outrageous & Hilarious Than the Original
Deadpool 2‘s reviews are officially out, and most critics are in agreement that somehow, the franchise has gotten even snarkier, funnier and more irreverent than the original. Coming on the heels of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel’s somber epic, Deadpool 2 backflips into theaters this Friday with all the weightiness of a cinematic Cirque du Soleil. Led by Ryan Reynolds as the fourth wall smashing antihero Wade Wilson, and now joined by breakout newcomers Zazie Beetz as Domino and Josh Brolin (fresh off his role as the super villain Thanos in Infinity War) as Cable, Deadpool 2 is bigger, badder, and more outrageous than the 2016 film that made the Merc with the Mouth a household name.
While the plot has been kept under wraps, and Reynolds himself has asked that no one spoil it, there’s a general outline we’ve gleaned from the trailers and teasers: We can sort of safely say the sequel is centered on Deadpool being prodded by Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) into protecting a mysterious kid with mysterious powers named Russell (Julian Dennison) from Cable (Josh Brolin), a cyborg killer from the future (and the son of the X-Men’s Cyclops). When Deadpool first meets Cable, it becomes clear to the Merc with the Mouth that he’s going to need help—super help—if he’s got any chance at stopping him. This is what brings us the X-Force, which includes Domino (Zazie Beetz), Bedlam (Terry Crews), Peter (Rob Delaney), who has no discernible powers whatsoever save for being a lovable dork, and old pals Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and Colossus (Stefan Kapicic). Yet this is but a sketch—Deadpool 2 has more characters, including another villain, that invisible mutant, Lewis Tan’s Shatterstar, IT’s Bill Skarsgard as the mutant Zeitgiest, and Shioli Kutsuna, who many believe is playing the mutant Surge—but we wanted to give you a bit of background before we dive into the reviews.
Here’s a spoiler-free roundup of what some of the critics are saying:
Andrew Barker, Variety: “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.”
Kate Erbland, indieWire: “The first sequel to 2016’s smash hit delivers all the subversive goodness long promised by one of the Marvel universe’s craziest heroes.”
Stephen Whitty, New York Daily News: “The perfect Avengers antidote. Marvel’s indestructible mercenary, whose sequel slams into multiplexes on May 18, is incredibly sadistic. He’s a little perverse, and frankly fond of recreational drugs. The only thing filthier than his torn and sleazy Spandex is his mouth.”
Brian Truitt, USA Today: “Where it surprises – and why it works so well – is how it balances an actually touching undercurrent alongside superhero subversiveness.”
Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: “Seriously subversive, seriously funny, seriously profane, occasionally even serious, Deadpool 2 is the best kind of cinematic entertainment. Seriously.”
John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter: “With Reynolds’ charismatic irreverence at its core, the pic moves from bloody mayhem to lewd comedy and back fluidly, occasionally even making room to go warm and mushy.”
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: “Despite a tendency toward elephantitis in story and scope, not to mention blatant franchise pandering, Deadpool 2 still plays like the runt of the comic-book litter. We mean that as a compliment.”
Deadpool 2 hits theaters Friday, May 18.
Featured image: Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Colossus in Twentieth Century Fox’s DEADPOOL 2. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.
