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The “Four or Five Moments” That Saved Deadpool 2

“Four or five moments, that’s all it takes,” Colossus declares towards the end of Deadpool (2016).

He goes on to dictate, in his booming and richly accented voice, how it is just a few instances in life that make or break a hero. The choices made at those points are what will define someone; everything that happened before or after is irrelevant.

As a film, Deadpool 2 has its share of those moments – four or five of them, in fact. These moments sure made their landings in triumphant superhero fashion, and in doing so, saved the day – just as heroes do.

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Moment #1: Opening Action Montage

The film is a brutal yet stylish action bonanza, and it already treats viewers to a blood-bath within the first few minutes. The sequence takes place across some vibrant locations and is expertly choreographed to be a mix of carnage and dark humour.

The rest of the movie doesn’t disappoint action junkies either, with all sorts of different fight sequences, ranging from fist fights to high-octane vehicle chases.

Moment #2: The Opening Credits

The minds behind the iconic sequence in the original movie came up with another credits sequence that was equally as entertaining, setting the tone –and standards– for the rest of the movie. The segment is a parody of a famous action-franchise’s iconic opening sequence, and is equal parts hauntingly beautiful and hilarious.

Deadpool 2: Shioli Kutsuna and Brianna Hildebrand
Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio) and Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) in Twentieth Century Fox’s DEADPOOL 2. Photo Credit: Joe Lederer.

Moment #3: Meeting the X-Force

As is the trend in all modern superhero films, one costumed protector is never enough to fend off the bad guys. Fox’s Deadpool universe pull the curtain for the newest super-powered team on the block with a hysterical job interview style scene. There are some well-kept cameo secrets in the film too, and movie-fans will be pleasantly surprised by some of the reveals.

Moment #4: Weasel and Dopinder

Wade Wilson’s bartender best friend and the soft-spoken cab driver hold their ground against the horde of new blood with spot-on comedic timing and undeniable chemistry with the leading man. The scene with the three characters in the bar is one of the simplest in the whole movie; Wade banters with his two closest confidants in a bar. It, however, has a perfect combination of one-liners and heart, making it stand out amidst the films’ various flashy sequences.

Deadpool 2: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Karan Soni (Dopinder)
Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Karan Soni (Dopinder) in Twentieth Century Fox’s DEADPOOL 2. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.

Moment #5: The Soundtrack

While technically not a singular “moment”, the song choices in Deadpool 2 were undeniably highlights. The music overflows with energy and personality. The now-trending soundtrack features such classics as Thunderstruck by ACDC and Take On Me by A-Ha along with ultra-modern songs like Skrillex’s Bangarang. Celine Dion herself recorded a new original song, Ashes, for the film’s soundtrack.

Despite having such a wide and seemingly random selection of songs, the pieces all mesh together seamlessly. None of the songs takes away from the narrative as well, and only serve to elevate it.

However, the movie is not without its faults.

Although it has its share of great sequences, the Deadpool sequel often feels haphazardly placed together; The narrative is not as streamlined as in the original, which was a pure romantic tale, albeit with some twists on the genre. In number two, the writers attempt to tell a story about family. However, the hero’s motivations are murky and he is egged on by dream sequences and visions that feel out of place. The “family” aspect of the movie is not believable at all since Deadpool’s famous cynicism makes even a single moment of genuine bonding impossible.

Deadpool 2: Josh Brolin as Cable
Josh Brolin as Cable in Twentieth Century Fox’s DEADPOOL 2. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.

In line with the film’s chaotic nature, many of the new characters, especially the villains, do not fit in in the Deadpool universe. On top of that, there is little to no unique characteristics and charisma that the adversaries possess. It is disappointing that Cable had almost no memorable lines or scenes, and is given an unoriginal flashback as his back-story, given his formidable comic-book persona and the fact that the role is played by Josh Brolin, who recently acted as the biggest villain in the universe, Thanos, in Avengers: Infinity War.

It should also be noted that the movie does not feature many consequences. This is a result of Deadpool’s healing factor, a newly introduced time-travel factor and his ability to break the fourth wall to alter the story’s events. Wade Wilson’s sarcasm slices through every serious interaction, which removes any dramatic tension as well.

Hence, audiences who are looking for a cohesive narrative, morality and authentic feeling may, however, find themselves disappointed.

In the end, all it took were those four or five moments to make the second Deadpool movie a worthwhile ride filled with surprises and uproarious fun.

Colossus wasn’t wrong after all!

Jeevan Vishnu

I'm 6'5, 220 - and there's two of me.

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