Deadpool 2 (The Whedon Cut)

Deadpool 2 is the sequel to the mega-successful comic book blockbuster from 2016, starring Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool. In this movie, the merc with the mouth is thrown into the task of protecting a young mutant from Cable, a time traveler sent to kill the boy to save his family. That’s all that I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers.

Similar to Kingsman: The Secret Service, Deadpool was a breath of fresh air for comic book movies, being both stylishly action packed and hilarious beyond my expectations. It was a movie made for the fans, BY the fans; Ryan Reynolds went above and beyond to make sure this movie saw the light of day somehow, even if it meant leaking test footage to help give fans the ammo they needed to pressure Fox. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the duo that wrote Zombieland, along with Reynolds’s perfectly timed delivery, gave me an experience that constantly had me laughing until I got a headache, and it still has me laughing as hard as I did the first time; and just to clarify, I saw this after watching Zoolander 2, so you can tell I was having a blast.

Much to both Reynolds and Fox’s delight, the first movie was a critical and box office success, even becoming the highest grossing R rated movie of all time; hell, over here in North America, it outgrossed Batman v Superman AND Suicide Squad, and it was released in February! This even struck gold with them the following year, by going balls out and releasing Logan under the R rating, going as far as to get a Oscar nod for the screenplay. Naturally, a sequel was ordered, and Reynolds agreed, with Reese and Wernick returning to write the script.

Of course, things became a little dicey about this film and series, after the director of the first film, Tim Miller, dropped out, due to debates with Reynolds on the budget. Luckily, they managed to secure a man for the job, with David Leitch, fresh off of Atomic Blonde, which I loved. Unfortunately, trouble didn’t end there, considering the Disney buying Fox situation lead to reschedulings. Originally, 2018 had three X-Men movies planned: The New Mutants in April, this movie in June, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix in November; after the buy-out, this film got the push for a May release, with the other two being postponed for next year...kind of tells you about the confidence they have with those films, don’t they?

So after all this, does Deadpool 2 live up to expecation? If my three ticket stubs prove anything, it’s that I say yes. Much like the first movie, Deadpool 2 had me laughing my ass off every time I watched it. The comedy is just as wild and eccentric, with some added surprises that you’d only pick up after a second viewing; there’s 4th wall jokes, Hollywood jokes, comic book references, and even jabs at other successful franchises; even when you think they wouldn’t be relevant, it ends up bringing up an aspect that still makes it just as funny to bring up as it was and will be. Not only that, but the action scenes are so much more entertaining and stylish than before, especially with more emphasis on close-armed combat; the opening credits alone give you a feel of the kind of action to expect from someone who helped make John Wick.

Ryan Reynolds continues to shine as Deadpool; this is a character that he was born to play. He’s funny, his timing is great, the delivery always feels right, and the action scenes he performs are deeply entertaining. There’s never a moment where it looks like he’d rather be somewhere else; he always has that glimmer of joy in his eyes, and feels like he’s found his niche. He helps put Deadpool on the level of the audience, and even when he says something wrong, he makes it feel like anyone could appreciate it regardless. He also dual-roles in this movie, but I’ll let you find that out if you haven’t seen it.

Josh Brolin as Cable (not the first comic book time travel character he played), at first is a bit of a one-note character, but when you have someone as out-there as Deadpool, it would make sense to have him contrast with a more serious and grounded character. On his own, he’s fine, but his chemistry with Reynolds adds a whole new ballgame for the Merc to play with, and even give us a look at how this generation of young adults might be 50 years from now. I swear, after this, Infinity War, and the upcoming Sicario: Day of the Soldado, I can only imagine how big his paycheck is; I mean, TWO big comic book blockbusters in one month is pretty impressive.

The addition characters that form X-Force are all great additions as well, particularly with Domino. While a character who is destined to always be lucky, you’d think that there wouldn’t be that much dread with her, but the film does make use of that comedically. Even then, they still establish that she’s not always lucky with everything, as it is possible to kick her ass, just not as easy. And while her luck is used as sort of a deus ex machina in places, it works because it’s a film about Deadpool, a guy who is near impossible to kill. Now as for the rest of the X-Force, it is still up in the air about whether Fox will go through with a spin-off film, but as long as we get more of Domino, that’s fine with me.

With that said, how does Deadpool 2 compare with the first movie? Well, I feel like the best comparision would be with another action franchise, Die Hard: the first Die Hard was a little more simple, condenced, and unfamiliar, just like the first Deadpool; and much like Die Hard with a Vengeance, Deadpool 2 takes the scenario to a bigger scale, but you feel like that restriction gave it something special to it. Doesn’t make it bad, but just not as fresh as the first one.

Also, if I had to be honest, the kid, Firefist, is a fucking twat. No disrespect to Julian Dennison, because this script didn’t make him seem that likable either, but his performance didn’t help either. It’s like if Deadpool got stuck babysitting the love child of Scrappy-Doo and Rebel Wilson; never shuts up, thinks he’s hot shit, and yet after getting into fights, he barely comes out scathed. I understand the joke is that Wade’s annoyed with him, but he has to be annoying to just Wade, not everybody else, that’s how comedy works.

Now with the Disney-Fox buyout in the progress, it’s led to much speculation on where the series is going to go from here. Bob Iger, the president of Disney, has said that the Deadpool movies would still be R rated, even after appearing in the MCU, but it does question how it’s going to work. However, after watching this movie and seeing the end credits, I feel like Ryan Reynolds and crew thought about this ahead of time, and added in the feature that would explain his presence. You might look at that as like a cop-out, but it’s Deadpool, he’s a character that would perfectly fit this loophole.

Overall, Deadpool 2 kicked ass on so many levels, and with an extended cut announced (I hope they call it the “Snyder Cut”), I’m so looking forward to it, especially if it means more David Leitch action. If you’re still shell-shocked from Infinity War, I’d advise going to see this movie, because you’ll need a good laugh or two. Plus, you’d be getting more sweet Josh Brolin action.

Rating: A-

Tully

Tully is a motherhood dramedy directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, telling the story of an overworked mother of three, Marlo (Charlize Theron). When she reaches a point where she desperately needs help, her brother (Mark Duplass) calls a night nanny, named Tully (Mackenzie Davis), to give Marlo a hand so she can get better rest.

Jason Reitman has truly put himself at a point, where he’s a director I will be interested and somewhat excited to see, especially when he’s directing a Diablo Cody script. When I heard their latest Sundance movie, Tully, was a new collaboration between the two and Charlize Theron from Young Adult, it felt like we were getting a conclusion to this 21st Century Motherhood trilogy that Reitman and Cody started ten years ago with Juno.

Tully has a similar theme, mainly in how it shows how stressful and taxing becoming a mother can get, and how it drives one to depression and exhaustion. It's an emotional rollercoaster that barely let's up, but it's the realism of the matter that makes it enduring to begin with. Diablo Cody is a very down to earth writer, but when you compare her last film, Ricki and the Flash, a film directed by Jonathan Demme (rest in peace), with Juno and Young Adult, it seems as though Reitman is the only director who truly brings out the vision that the script is going for. In both previous films and this, he captures that toll that depression takes on any human being who can never relax. This also leads to the film’s controversial ending, which has taken a divisive turn for both mothers and those suffering from mental illness like Marlo. While I understand where this lividness comes from, as well as acknowledge that my experiences with depression as a male differ drastically, after seeing the movie, it didn’t seem like the film misrepresented anything too offensively.

Charlize Theron really transformed herself for this role, not just in the weight, but in her movements as well. Going from adrenaline rushing projects like Mad Max: Fury Road and Atomic Blonde that have action so specifically stylized, and then putting on a mom body, you see the kind of dedication you rarely see from a performer, unless you’re Christian Bale. The exhaustion is present nearly almost the entire first half of the movie, with that desire to snap seething through every ounce of her body, both at her kids, one of which is special needs, and her husband, Drew (Ron Livingston). So when you see how much of a 180 Tully helps bring her to, you see just how much this life she has led has broken her, despite her best efforts. I especially love her chemistry with Mackenzie Davis, as it adds onto another strong point of any Jason Reitman film: the character development. You watch these two grow to trust one another like sisters, to where Marlo even sacrificed the sleep she wants just to talk with Tully. Upon first viewing, you’re charmed by them, but the second time viewing, it’s heartbreaking beyond belief.

In the end, Tully is a film that shows us the struggles of motherhood in this day and age, for the kind of people who are struggling to catch a break. From the great down-to-earth chemistry between very likable characters, to the dialogue that they share; it may not be the most uplifting film to see, especially after coming out of Infinity War, but you can bet that it’ll be worth remembering this year. It may differ for a lot of people, especially with viewpoints on motherhood and depression, but I feel like those kinds of discussions being brought up to the public is an action that's just as important to do.

Rating: A (Happy Mother's Day and Mental Health Awareness Month!)