Review: DEADPOOL 2, Satirical Lunacy Cranked To 11

Expectations were pretty low for Deadpool 2. What could have easily been conceived as a cash-cow on Marvel's part, merely another cog in the exhaustive line-up of films that have been and are to come, is instead a self contained by-product of the powerhouse franchise stuck hilariously between the Sony owned X-Men Universe, actual real life and at times even commenting on the DCU (D.C Cinematic Universe).

Purposely not operating by the rules of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, director David Leitch and crew up the ante for the second outing of the Merc with a mouth, and yet despite the complete inanity of the concept, there are surprisingly some moments of pathos and meaning to be found among the ballsy big budget antics.

The film constantly plays with expectation like this; for both fans of the comic and the first film there is a lot of cleverness at play here and so many types of jokes stuffed into a single scene that repeat viewing will surely be required. The sharp screenplay penned in part by Deadpool himself (Ryan Reynolds) never ceases its wit, and the comedic timing throughout is perfectly bolstered by the fast-paced cinematography and polished CGI that convincingly depicts interesting locations and frenetic action scenes.

The story is absurd and it is better to go in knowing nothing of what will transpire. It does touch on some genre convention but twists the typical understanding of such themes to extremely bizarre lengths; this is enhanced by the completely meta-nature layered over the already absurd plot and action. The post-credits in particular set fire to the concept of the meaningful tease sequence Marvel usually employ. The meta is, of course, canon to Deadpool, with its constant in-references to other Marvel properties in the original comics. Without spoiling some of the best jokes in the film, these meta moments are brilliantly presented and not overused, with some particular running jokes that become fresher with each delivery.

Reynolds as Wade/Deadpool perfectly conveys this as he criticizes the plot of the film and the script openly yet still sucks us into the engaging, yet often farcical plot. The supporting cast are a memorable mix of Marvel characters who chew the scenery effortlessly and fit perfectly into the madcap world of Deadpool; Domino (Zazie Beetz), Cable (Josh Brolin) and Russell (Julian Dennison), particularly, but smaller players like Negasonic (Brianna Hildebrand) and Kiyoko (Shioli Kutsuna) will also stick in your memory.

Ultimately it is refreshing that Deadpool 2 continues to be R-rated, despite Wade telling the audience it's a family film. The ultra-violent crassness always feels fun, with over the top gore executed at the right moment, always adding to the humor. Deadpool 2 is a film that eschews politically correct, and tackles topics both taboo and relevant in a wholly original way. This kind of humor cannot really be found outside this niche superhero format, and despite there being a '2' at the end of it, this Deadpool only improves on its first outing.

Deadpool 2 is in cinemas everywhere.