Deadpool 2

The first Deadpool was a welcome change of pace for superhero films when it released in 2016, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed even if I forgot to write about... I was hitting fatigue and had, at the time, fallen out of sync with the MCU as the series continued to expand. I was still enjoying the films but the genre needed something new and the long-awaited Ryan Reynolds vehicle was just the ticket as it broke the fourth wall and roasted the Marvel series in a glorious fashion.

But after poking fun at everything around it, Deadpool was inevitably going to follow suit and make a sequel. The original hit success with a modest budget and this was something director Tim Miller wanted to continue with but, after some 'creative differences', he left Deadpool 2 and so stuntman and director of Atomic Blonde, David Leitch, stepped in to helm a sequel and deliver on those high expectations.

Having saved his girlfriend last time, Deadpool has hit a problem in his relationship and is forced into joining the X-Men where he meets a boy who is being hunted by a soldier from the future known as Cable (a jacked-up Josh Brolin). I don't want to spoil anymore because the film's strength relies on its surprises and director Leitch successfully avoids any jarring differences between this and the original.

For the majority, it's fun, fast and exciting with lots of great jokes and plenty of entertaining performances but I would be lying if I said there wasn't something missing. The humour is great but there was a sense that it could have gone further and comes across as corporately 'safe', which is made worse when there's news that Disney made Fox cut jokes from the film. It still has that witty Ryan Reynolds style but the film lacks that edge to truly standout and go beyond the original. And there are moments where the melodrama outstays its welcome and could have benefited from some editing.

However, Deadpool 2 was still very entertaining and ends on some of the film's best jokes so I can't say it didn't leave a smile on my face. The future sequels just need to be braver and not afraid to upset the odd executive because that's what fans of the character have come to expect. It still gets my full recommendation and will certainly please fans.