Deadpool Films (Tim Miller/David Leitch, 2016/2018)

[domino harvey]

Deadpool broke all sorts of records this weekend and did a reverse-Snakes on a Plane by translating internet interest into actual attendance

[Feiereisel]

Deadpool broke all sorts of records this weekend and did a reverse-Snakes on a Plane by translating internet interest into actual attendance

Pity that the movie is about as clever as a kid who's just learned how to swear--which, based on the audience at my screening, seems to be the film's target demographic. It's ten laughs (most of which where in the red-band trailer) sprinkled over two hours of tepid meta-cinema.

[Luke M]

Deadpool broke all sorts of records this weekend and did a reverse-Snakes on a Plane by translating internet interest into actual attendance

Pity that the movie is about as clever as a kid who's just learned how to swear--which, based on the audience at my screening, seems to be the film's target demographic. It's ten laughs (most of which where in the red-band trailer) sprinkled over two hours of tepid meta-cinema.

This has been the target demographic of *every* superhero comic book film.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I probably didn't laugh as much as the filmmakers hoped but I was smiling throughout most of the running time. It's the most fun I've had watching a superhero flick since the first Iron Man.

[beamish13]

Great article from Cartoon Brew about Deadpool's director, Tim Miller, who joins the ranks of Frank Tashlin, Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam and Walerian Borowczyk as an animator who transitioned to live-action filmmaking.

[DarkImbecile]

Deadpool 2 leans hard into the profanity, ultraviolence, meta-commentary, and general juvenile irreverence that are its primary differentiating factors from every other movie in the subgenre - and that made it more enjoyable to watch than those superhero efforts that take themselves more seriously, if just as impermanent and ultimately insignificant. The film's nihilistic treatment of its characters, plot mechanics, and continuity lifts away any concern one might otherwise have about trying to track narrative threads across ten years and two dozen Marvel films, or trying to find semi-believable character motivations in something like Zack Snyder's Batman/Superman movies. While I do like indulging in the occasional nutrition-less dessert movie, I'd prefer it not to pretend to be a full multi-course meal and just let me enjoy my sugar high.

The casting definitely helps everything go down smoothly: the kid from Hunt for the Wilderpeople continues to be charming, Zazie Beetz is quite enjoyable as Domino, and Josh Brolin eventually recovers some charm from a fairly thankless part. Sure, Reynolds only hits on a genuinely funny line every third or fourth try, but his jokes are so incessant that I still ended up chuckling a fair bit. The film's writers prove more than capable of exploiting the protagonist's immortality and their audience's immorality for laughs in increasingly gruesome and morbid ways. There's a scene centered around a wind advisory that revels in its disregard for the characters, a fairly amusing spoof of a famous franchise's title sequences, and a few other bits that put me in touch with my baser sense of humor, which is really all I ask for from this franchise.

Whenever I decide it's no longer worth keeping up with Star Wars/Marvel/etc. anymore (unrelated note to self: check MoviePass' stock price), this is probably the series I'd continue to see, even as some of its enjoyment is rooted in the knowing mocking of the main line of superhero films; more than any of those soap opera spectacles, the Deadpool movies are at least upfront about what they're aiming to provide in exchange for my money, and as long as they continue to deliver, more power to them.

[cdnchris]

I laughed quite a bit during the first part of the first film but the meta stuff eventually got old and I ended up waiting for it to end, the main story not being all that interesting (and I'm sure purposely so). It did well, though, working with what was obviously a limited budget (and of course making reference to that when needed).

I'm guessing this one has more of a budget, though. Wondering if that makes things better or worse.

[DarkImbecile]

I laughed quite a bit during the first part of the first film but the meta stuff eventually got old and I ended up waiting for it to end, the main story not being all that interesting (and I'm sure purposely so).

Like I said, it leans hard into what was funny about the first film, and basically waves away or openly criticizes its own plot - such as it is - whenever it gets in the way of the next gag. There's enough there to provide ways for the characters to interact, but that's it.

I'm guessing this one has more of a budget, though. Wondering if that makes things better or worse.

It still feels appropriately trashy, but some of the stunt sequences are a bit more bombastic (but nothing approaching the standard for these types of movies these days).

[domino harvey]

Clickhole mocks the faux edginess of Deadpool and its marketing campaign by calling its bluff

[hearthesilence]

Clickhole mocks the faux edginess of Deadpool and its marketing campaign by calling its bluff

HAH! Brilliant.

[bearcuborg]

Zazie Beetz is quite enjoyable as Domino

I found her damn enjoyable. The big fro, hairy armpits...good lawd. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

But I’ll echo what someone else said, at some point I was waiting for it to be over. Brad Pitt had a funny cameo.

[McCrutchy]

Ryan Reynolds Filmed New Scenes for PG-13 Deadpool 2

I don't like this. On the one hand, Reynolds aping The Princess Bride with adult Fred Savage sounds clever, but the concept doesn't sound funny enough to sustain a theatrical release of a censored version of the film, and the fact that this is happening when Fox is being sold to Disney, and with a Marvel character (on the heels of Venom also not being R-rated, to boot), means that it really does feel like it could be an attempt to see if the character works without profanity and bloody violence. Surely it's also an attempt by Fox to wring the last drops of profit out of a burgeoning franchise before they become Mickey's lapdogs, but still, I think I would feel a lot better if this were being released on home video instead of in theatres for Christmas. I'm sure Fox doesn't expect much, but Disney might be looking to this as a perfect opportunity to retire the character and then bring him back in a couple of years as an MCU version.

I'm also tired of the backhanded admission, time and again, that kids love R-rated franchises even though the movies don't make as much money. If the R-rated films are so kid-friendly that installments released when that audience is older need to be PG-13, then bring the kids to see the R-rated film in the first place. This is what I never understood about Live Free or Die Hard or the Alien vs. Predator films, with PG-13 entries following on from R-rated films--if anything, it should be done the other way around.

[Big Ben]

It didn't work for The King's Speech but again that's a different kind of film. Deadpool certainly exists in more family friendly formats but his vulgarity is sort of a staple. Given Disney Executives have stated they have no desire to really change much at Fox I'm of the opinion that is is indeed an attempt to squeeze more out of Deadpool but with far less nefarious intentions.

[colinr0380]

This is taking me back to the days of 'R' and 'Unrated' sex comedies of the late 90s and early 2000s, as popularised by American Pie and Borat, just involving films that I might actually watch some day! I don't think there is too big a problem with filming alternate scenes for different versions, although it would be nice to have an indication as to which is the version that the filmmakers most intend to be seen, which with Deadpool 2 is presumably the R rated version. Maybe the swapping out of scenes for a toned down version placated the studio and allowed them to go further in the R version? Unfortunately I guess it is too late to get the newly filmed PG-13 footage onto any DVD edition of the film, but it might turn up on future reissues.

I'm also tired of the backhanded admission, time and again, that kids love R-rated franchises even though the movies don't make as much money. If the R-rated films are so kid-friendly that installments released when that audience is older need to be PG-13, then bring the kids to see the R-rated film in the first place. This is what I never understood about Live Free or Die Hard or the Alien vs. Predator films, with PG-13 entries following on from R-rated films--if anything, it should be done the other way around.

As with the way the Harry Potter films get darker and more 'grown up' along with their assumed audience?

Apropos of nothing and regarding UK ratings but this reminds me of the time in my local video store in the early 90s when I unsuccessfully tried to argue with my dad that if I was allowed to rent out the PG rated Iron Eagle 2 then I should obviously be able to watch the 15 rated Iron Eagle too, since why would anyone expect somebody to watch the sequel without having first seen the original?

[tenia]

I don't think there is too big a problem with filming alternate scenes for different versions, although it would be nice to have an indication as to which is the version that the filmmakers most intend to be seen, which with Deadpool 2 is presumably the R rated version.

This seems cynical to the last degree, and rather different from making this kind of alternative versions straight from the start, in which cases I feel it has more to do with very slightly altering the tone to push it as much as you can while still being able to show it to much of its core audience (say, like very slightly altering a movie in the UK to go from 15 to 12). You probably can make a rather raunchy teen comedy and be rated PG-13 somehow.
But Deadpool (the movies) have always been marketed as this vulgar super-hero comic-movie that isn't family friendly. It's graphic, it's vulgar, it's gross, it's stupid. It's not your average family super-hero movie. And now, they're actually doing the exact opposite, to turn it into a family movie at which you can bring your kids ?