«Deadpool 2», the return of the comic anti-hero

 Cinema Wednesdays - Marina De Toro

Two years after the film Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds returns in his red suit to play the famous Marvel anti-hero in Deadpool 2 directed by David Leitch. The release of the first film won over the public, given the originality of the concept derived from the comics.

Wade Wilson, a renowned mercenary, finds himself disfigured but super-powered after undergoing extremely violent treatment for his generalized cancer. Now nicknamed Deadpool, Wade becomes the world's most feared mercenary, but several events force him to collaborate with the group of superheroes he's been running away from for so long, the X-Men.

A mutant orphanage is in danger because of a young boy, Russell, who is angry with the establishment and threatens to destroy it with his pyromaniac power. The X-Men and Deadpool immediately set out to channel the boy's anger. The anti-hero soon feels the need to protect Russell, as he is doubly threatened by a violent orphanage and by Cable (Josh Brolin), a man who has come from the future to hunt down and eliminate the young mutant...

A heroic anti-hero all the same

While Deadpool clearly asserted his independence in the first film, he finds himself joining a group of superheroes with whom he doesn't identify. What's more, he himself forms a team nicknamed «X-Force», which must carry out an operation to save Russell. This is a surprising change for Deadpool, who is a very arrogant, proud and solitary character. It's a heroic turn for this crazy, unpredictable anti-hero, who used to think of himself only as the best assassin.

This time, Deadpool is questioning himself and searching for a meaning to his existence, which adds further complexity to this obscure character. Nevertheless, fans of dark humor and the absurd won't be disappointed, because even if Deadpool is somewhat attached to heroism, he never strays far from his deranged behavior and legendary irony.

References and action

Deadpool is not only entertainment and action, it's also a prolific nest of references to the world of cinema and film. pop-culture. So it's hard to grasp the jokes or references without a knowledge of superhero films or familiarity with popular culture. The abundance of references was already impressive in the first film, but Deadpool 2 signs and winks almost by the minute!

In addition to the quantity, the long list of references is very varied, ranging from reviews of Green Lantern and a Céline Dion theme song. Not forgetting, of course, Stan Lee's ever-skilful lightning presence. Nevertheless, Deadpool's monopoly on jokes sometimes overshadows his initially dark personality and potentially destructive powers.

In concrete terms, Deadpool 2 offers what you'd expect after the first film in 2016. These include increasingly accomplished action scenes, a screenplay that's not very elaborate but worthy of this universe, grotesque scenes and plenty of dark humor. Most of these elements are factors in the success of the phenomenon Deadpool, but it's also because it offers viewers the chance to immerse themselves for a moment in an offbeat world, without questioning normality or propriety.

Write to the author : marina.detoro@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Twentieth Century Fox