Film Review - "Deadpool 2"

Deadpool 2
Directed by David Leitch
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, and Zazie Beetz

There's a time in every man's life, when he sees a major feature-film, and he finds himself in the minority as far as his thoughts and opinions on said film. For me, this is one of those times. Deadpool 2 is a lackluster sequel. It isn't a bad film per say, but it fails to live up to hype or the standards set by the first film.

Deadpool 2 begins with Wade Wilson (Reynolds) in a bit of a personal crisis after a recent mission goes south in the worst way. Under the persistent persuasion of Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), he finally joins up with the X-Men. It is through working with him and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Wade comes across the troubled mutant-youth Russell (Julian Dennison).

Russell soon becomes the target of time-traveling cybernetic soldier Cable (Brolin). Russell apparently becomes a real problem in the future, and Cable has come to put a stop to him. Wade, believing Russell isn't beyond saving, makes it his mission to protect the boy from Cable. He forms a team known as X-Force, featuring the uber-lucky mutant-mercenary Domino (Beetz), to help him save Russell and stop Cable.

So…time to be the bad guy. I haven't ready any Deadpool comics but I understand he is a very raunchy, rule-breaking, comedic character. The original Deadpool got that across, but the film also had a lot of heart behind it. This film tells you in the beginning this is a "family film" so you suspect there's going to be a lot more heart and emotion driving the story. Well…I just didn't see it that way.

The inciting incident that sets Deadpool on his personal journey in this film feels like a cheap, unearned shot. I understand what it sets up and what it's trying to do. The film is about Wade getting to a point where he's not just fighting for himself, and becoming a part of something bigger i.e. a family. But it falls flat because the connection between him and Russell felt rushed and hollow from this viewer's perspective. Wade just sort of non-chalantly decides saving Russell is what can save him.

Russell's character arc is really no better. We don't really get the full extent of what's pushing him towards this dark path, and we don't necessarily feel what's at risk if he goes down said path. Spoilers withheld, there's personal stakes for one of the characters, but this character gets an average amount of development so we don't really connect with them.

So I guess if I were to sum up all of my gripes with Deadpool 2, it just felt very hollow to me. The original was humor induced with heart, and the heart was just lacking. As for the humor, there were definitely plenty of laughs throughout the film, but I'm sorry to say I wasn't laughing out loud as much as I was with the original. There are however, plenty of fourth-wall breaks and pop-culture references to shake a stick at, which is welcome and par-the-course for Deadpool.

Ryan Reynolds continues to give career-defining work as the titular anti-hero. Josh Brolin is a welcome new-addition as Cable and plays off Reynold's Deadpool well. Zazie Beetz is very cool and very charming as Domino. I would love to see more of her and Brolin in a potential third film. Dennison stands out as Russell, being such a young talent he really holds his own against the likes of Reynolds and Brolin. The rest of the supporting crew are giving the same quality work they did in the first film, but all of them get a little bit more to do.

There was definitely some real effort and passion behind Deadpool 2, I can see that on a surface level, but it just didn't hit home for me. You could chop it up to a lot things. Deadpool was a comedy and it's hard to make a successful comedy sequel. The surprise and uniqueness of the original just didn't strike twice. Deadpool's stories are rooted within the X-Men universe, and I have always had an indifference to X-Men films. This film went heavier on the X-Men material, so maybe that's part of why I didn't go for it. Or perhaps it's just as I said, and the lack of emotional depth that elevated the original is where they lost me. Maybe I'm expecting too much out a film where the main character is ripped in half and grows back baby legs...

Whatever the case, I left the theater with a very "ok" feeling towards Deadpool 2.

Now excuse me while I go hide from the enraged fans…

Film Review - "Logan"

Logan
Directed by James Mangold
Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen

Have I mentioned I'm not a big X-Men fan? I have? Okay, well despite that I have always loved Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. It's just a shame this great character and performance has had to survive in a film series that I describe as mediocre to lame, with a few high points. But Jackman and Wolverine get a hell of a send off in Logan, which I find to be one of the best X-Men films ever made.
I'm hesitant to call it one of the best superhero films ever made too, because it hardly feels like a superhero film.

Set in the year of 2029, mutants are almost extinct and an aging, broken Logan (Jackman) works as a chaeuffer on the edge of Texas. He cares for Charles Xavier (Stewart), who's mind is deteriorating and in turn losing control of his powers, with the help of mutant tracker Caliban (Stephen Merchant). Their peaceful but downright miserable existence is interrupted when a mysterious girl named Laura (Keen) is left in Logan's care.

They soon learn that there's more to Laura than meets the eye, and a powerful organization is on the hunt for her. Logan and Charles soon uncover a greater, sinister plot and take it upon themselves to take Laura to a safe haven. As they travel cross-country, Logan slowly starts to rediscover his humanity and get back in touch with his inner Wolverine.

The film pretty much abandons any tropes and cliches a superhero film could have, and acts much more as a drama or western, that just happens to star X-Men. It's emotional, it's depressing, but it's glorious. The Logan/Wolverine character reaches a poignant, profound conclusion that just makes sense. Hugh Jackman gives it his all in a performance that is both badass and heartbreaking. Logan thinks himself a monster, and he has to live in pain and isolation, for all that he's done. He's never been much of a team player. This film's all about him being confronted by those ideals.

The filmmakers take advantage of the R-rating, and the action is so gloriously brutal it might even make Deadpool look tame. It works though, because this is a dark film, and it allows the brutality of the Wolverine character to really come out. They do get a bit eager with the f-bombs early on in the film, but they start to show restraint as the film progresses.

As I said, Hugh Jackman is giving it his all for his final time as Logan. He's magnificent, making you believe every bit of pain, rage and heartbreak Logan feels. This is a completely different Professor Xavier than what we've seen before, but Patrick Stewart is still the best, providing both levity and emotion to this heavy picture. Young newcomer as Dafne Keen does stellar work in her breakout role, holding herself incredibly well against these two powerhouses.

One issue I have with the film is the pacing is a bit off. We go at a steady pace for the majority of the runtime, then almost rush to climax. It's not necessarily a bad thing though because the pace is slowed down for more important character moments, and the cast is allowed more time to shine.

Logan has quickly made itself known as one of the best X-Men films ever made, and in completely abandoning the typical characteristics of one, ironically becomes one of the best superhero films ever made. It reaches the emotional and sophisticated heights of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, something I thought an X-Men film could never do. Sometimes all it takes is for all the right pieces to fall into place I suppose. It's a beautiful send-off to Wolverine and Hugh Jackman. Thanks for over seventeen years of adamantium claw-fueled rage and smart ass-ery. We'll miss you, bub.