Second Look - Deadpool 2 (All Three Cuts)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Deadpool and Deadpool 2.

Deadpool 2 sits in a unique position within the X-Men film series. Not only did Fox greenlight this sequel by the time the first film released, but after its premiere in May 2018, it would receive two additional cuts within the same year: the direct-to-video extended Super Duper Cut in August and the theatrically-released PG-13 Once Upon a Deadpool in December. Due to a lack of an official word on the matter, one could conclude that Fox wanted to make as much money as possible ahead of the Disney/Fox merger that completed in March 2019, but in any case, Deadpool 2 did break additional box office records on in its initial release, including highest-grossing R-rated film of all time (by just $3 million over Deadpool) until 2019’s Joker.

Since I’ve made it no secret that I’m a fan of Deadpool, it should come as no surprise that Deadpool 2’s existence piqued my interest enough that I watched all three cuts of the film as they came out. Although I still liked the film after rewatching it in the context of the rest of the X-Men films, I now find that the difference between Deadpool and Deadpool 2 feels more like the difference between Shrek and Shrek 2: while the sequel has more narrative complexity and shows more technical competency than the original, it doesn’t age as well due to the dated humor rooted in the exact moment it came out.

Stubs - Bullet Train

Bullet Train (2022) Starring Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, Sandra Bullock. Directed by David Leitch. Screenplay by Zak Olkewicz. Based on the novel Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka. Produced by Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Antoine Fuqua. Run time: 126 minutes. USA Color Action, Comedy

Saturday, September 3, 2022 was National Cinema Day in the United States, with tickets at about three-fourths of the theaters priced at $3. With prices like that, chances can be taken and the chance we took was on Bullet Train, a recent release starring Brad Pitt but which did not get glowing reviews when it was released.

Once Upon a Deadpool

Note: The following review contains spoilers for Deadpool 2.

Following the success of Deadpool 2 and, presumably, the Deadpool 2 Super Duper Cut re-release, Fox has decided to re-release Deadpool 2 yet again, this time as a PG-13 version titled Once Upon a Deadpool. While this is obviously a blatant cash-grab, Once Upon a Deadpool features 16 minutes of additional content that actually makes the third viewing worth it.

At Christmastime, Fred Savage (Fred Savage) wakes up in a bedroom, only to quickly realize that Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) has kidnapped him and is holding him in a perfect recreation of the bedroom from The Princess Bride. Deadpool reveals that he won’t release him until he hears a bedtime story, actually a sanitized version of Deadpool 2. Desperate to leave, Savage decides to hear the story, read to him from a book whose spine reads Deadpool 2: The King James Edition.

Fred Savage (left) is forced to hear Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds; right) read
him a sanitized version of Deadpool 2 during Christmastime.

The rest of the story plays out largely the same as Deadpool 2, but cut and censored to appeal to the PG-13 market. As with most PG-13 superhero movies, this involves a general lack of blood and gore and swearing limited to a single f-word, but liberal usage of “shit” and “bitch”; ironically, despite Deadpool stressing the limit of one f-word, none are uttered throughout the entire film (unless you count one used during Juggernaut’s (Ryan Reynolds) theme). Additionally, a mosaic censor is applied to some nudity and a few scenes are shortened to remove certain jokes. For example, Deadpool now only asks Cable (Josh Brolin) one question about the future, regarding whether or not dubstep is still a thing.

Although the central story of Once Upon a Deadpool is a slightly abridged version of Deadpool 2, the footage that was cut is replaced with new footage featuring brand new jokes, including a reference to Pixar’s Up (2009), and the larger Fred Savage framing device. Though most of the remaining footage is from the original cut, some of the footage is notably taken from the Super Duper Cut, likely to help pad out the running time to still remain just below two hours.

The biggest and most obvious change, of course, is the aforementioned Fred Savage framing device. This framing device not only makes the PG-13 rating possible, it also allows the opportunity for more jokes and meta-humor, which largely includes mocking the PG-13 rating and Fred Savage poking holes in the story. The additional back-and-forth between Deadpool and Fred Savage showcases the latter’s acting ability and provides the biggest incentive for those who had previously seen a cut of Deadpool 2 to return for another round.

If you stay for the credits, there’s not only a new post-credits sequence, concluding the story of the framing device, but also a heartwarming tribute to Stan Lee directly after.

Once Upon a Deadpool is largely a retread of Deadpool 2, this time through a sanitized PG-13 lens, but the new footage and commentary are enough to keep the same story fresh. As an added bonus, Fox donated a dollar from every ticket to the organization Fudge Cancer. I’d recommend Once Upon a Deadpool to fans of Deadpool 2 who don’t mind seeing another cut, as well as families with kids who were previously unable to see the original R-rated release, though with the caveat that Once Upon a Deadpool is a harder PG-13 than other superhero films.

To read reviews of other Christmas films, please see our Christmas Review Hub.

Deadpool 2 Super Duper Cut

Note: This review contains spoilers for Deadpool 2 (2018).

After the original Deadpool (2016) broke numerous box office records, Deadpool 2 (2018) was produced and released. Though its box office fell just shy of its predecessor, $734 million vs the original’s $783.1 million, its success was enough to spawn a special home video release, dubbed the Deadpool 2 Super Duper Cut (written on the box as the Deadpool 2 Super Duper $@%!#& Cut). This cut boasts 15 minutes of additional footage, including all-new jokes and extended sequences. After we got our hands on a copy, we proceeded to watch it to see how well it stacks up against the original theatrical cut (although we did not watch the original theatrical cut again prior to this review).

At its core, both versions of Deadpool 2 are nearly the same. The story is still about Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) wrestling internally with the aftermath of Vanessa’s (Morena Baccarin) death while also dealing with a man named Cable (Josh Brolin) who has come back in time to prevent a dystopic future, no matter the cost. The main theme of family is still a running thread that’s explored in different ways throughout the movie.

Beyond this core, however, the Super Duper Cut is features a number of differences from the original within the extra 15 minutes, some more obvious than others. Among the most noticeable are extended sequences which include new dialogue and quips, including the scene where Domino (Zazie Beetz) and Deadpool argue over whether or not luck counts as a superpower, as well as new scenes inserted into others, such as showing additional methods of Deadpool trying to kill himself in the wake of Vanessa’s death. Some of the subtler changes involve using alternate takes of a scene and, in turn, alternate jokes. One such alternate take is when Deadpool, in this version, asks Cable three different questions about the future, while another is when Deadpool has different dialogue with Russel (Julian Dennison) outside of the orphanage. There are also a couple changes made to the soundtrack, most noticeably the song that plays while Deadpool’s group walks toward the orphanage before the climax.

While many of these alterations to the movie are worked in really well and are often still funny in their own right, they’re not all perfect. For example, when Deadpool is trying to “win back” Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) outside of the X-Mansion, there seemed to be some alternate dialogue inserted through an overdub, noticeable through a slight change in audio quality and Ryan Reynolds’ dialogue not quite matching Deadpool’s expressions. There’s also an extended sequence during Cable’s arrival to the past that involves two farmers having a lengthy discussion about a toilet paper-based government conspiracy. This scene is raunchier than in the original cut, as it now has an extended bathroom joke, and falls flat compared to the rest of this cut as a result.

Deadpool 2 Super Duper Cut is worth checking out. While not everything is seamlessly integrated and some of the new jokes may not be as funny as the original cut, it’s still an enjoyable way to watch Deadpool 2, particularly if you’re already a fan of the movie and want to experience it in a new way. If you have yet to see Deadpool 2, however, it’s best to watch the theatrical cut first before deciding whether or not you want the uncut experience.

Deadpool 2

Two years after the box office record-setting Deadpool (2016), especially for an R-rated movie, Fox has released a sequel, Deadpool 2, previously teased during the post-credits scene of the original. In that time, director David Leitch took over for Tim Miller, who had left after creative differences with lead actor Ryan Reynolds. In spite of this, Deadpool 2 is true to the spirit of the original, though perhaps a little too true to the original in some minor areas.

In the two years since the ending of Deadpool, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has been killing people all over the world as an international hitman. One time, however, he fails to kill a target and pays the price for it. He recovers at the X-Mansion and assists Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) in stabilizing a standoff involving a young mutant named Russell Collins (Julian Dennison), aka Firefist, though Wade’s intervention does more harm than good. At the same time, a man named Cable (Josh Brolin) travels back in time in an effort to change the past and undo a dystopic future.

Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) briefly becomes an
X-Men Trainee, only to make things worse.

The story of Deadpool 2 features a more complex plot due in part to its larger cast of characters and three running plotlines, one each for Deadpool, Cable, and Firefist. Thankfully, however, the movie is still easy to follow and the plotlines all actively contribute to the running theme of “Family”. As such, Cable’s backstory is kept simple and to the point, which helps greatly with time travel involved; on that note, the time travel logic is also kept simple and consistent. The pacing also effectively helps the nearly two-hour runtime breeze by.

What also helps is that like the original Deadpool, Deadpool 2 has a good sense of humor. The scope of the jokes is greater this time, now including a number of meta jokes that poke fun at not only other Marvel movies, such as a reference to Josh Brolin’s role as Thanos, but also the DCEU and other Fox films. At the same time, however, the sexual humor is a little raunchier this time around and, in some instances, they seemed to stick too closely to the style of the original by recycling a handful of jokes. Though they didn’t repeat these jokes wholesale and introduced enough variation on them that they could still elicit a laugh, it was still hard not to notice the repetition.

The action also has an increased scope this time around, with one sequence creating collateral damage across a small stretch of a city. However, the damage is relatively minimal compared to superhero films with a larger budget and I appreciate the fact that the final fight once again takes place in a controlled area, this time a small plot of land. The special effects and choreography are also very impressive, especially one sequence which perfectly demonstrates Domino’s (Zazie Beetz) luck-based mutant ability.

All of the returning actors do an amazing job reprising their roles, especially Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, since he’s the most prominent. Newer characters are also portrayed very well by their respective actors, including Josh Brolin as Cable and Zazie Beetz as Domino. Brolin’s Cable effectively communicates the loss he felt from his decimated future and his relentless quest to find the one responsible for it while also giving him a sense of depth and emotional growth. Beetz’ Domino is fun to watch due to her interactions with Deadpool as well as her confidence in her mutant ability, though she is fully capable of fighting seriously when the situation demands it.

Josh Brolin gives a great performance as Cable.

Deadpool 2 is largely an example of how to properly do a sequel, increasing the scope of its story without feeling overly ambitious or hollow and effectively maintaining its style of humor. In exchange, however, some of the jokes are raunchier and some minor story beats, and nearly entire jokes are lifted straight out of its predecessor. This doesn’t, however, prevent the movie from being thoroughly entertaining and I highly recommend it to people who either liked the first movie or have been keeping up with the superhero genre and want something that’s sure to stand out (or want the tonal opposite of Avengers: Infinity War). As with the original, however, Deadpool 2 has an R rating for a good reason and parents should seriously take this into consideration before deciding to bring kids along, especially with the more explicit nature of the sequel.

Stubs - Atomic Blonde

Atomic Blonde (2017) Starring: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella. Directed by David Leitch. Screenplay by Kurt Johnstad. Based on the Graphic Novel: The Coldest City by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. Produced by Charlize Theron, Beth Kono, A. J. Dix, Kelly McCormick, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwerin.  Run Time: 115 min. U.S. Action, Spy, Thriller

You have to give Charlize Theron a lot of credit. A statuesque beauty, she has made a career playing less than glamorous roles, including Monster (2003) and just two years ago, she starred in Mad Max: Fury Road as Imperator Furiosa, a soldier with a mechanical arm. This year she plays Lorraine Broughton, a top-level MI6 field agent in Atomic Blonde, a film she also produced. While there are no mechanical arms on Lorraine, to say that she is a glamorous spy would be wrong. This is a very visceral role that Theron had to train extensively for.

Lorraine (Charlize Theron) tells her story during a debriefing led by Eric Gray
(Toby Jones), her M-6 supervisor and CIA agent Emmett Kurzfeld (John Goodman).

Set in the days around the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Lorraine is sent by her superiors to retrieve a list of spies on both sides of the Cold War that has fallen into the hands of a Russian spy, thanks to the assassination of M-6 agent James Gasciogne (Sam Hargrave). Lorraine’s contact in Berlin is David Percival (James McAvoy) the only other M-6 Operative then in the city. The story unfolds through her post-mission debriefing in front of Chief 'C' (James Faulkner), the head of M-6, Eric Gray (Toby Jones), her M-6 supervisor and CIA agent Emmett Kurzfeld (John Goodman).

David Percival (James McAvoy) is her M-6 contact in Berlin.

The story that unfolds has a lot in common with a standard James Bond mission. There are double agents, fight scenes, and lovers, but there is a twist to nearly everything along the way. There is a lot to suggest that Lorraine Broughton is a true female Bond, that the world has been searching for in these days of diversity. But that would be a bit of an understatement. On one hand, the film succeeds where Bond sometimes fails, at the same time, the reverse is also true.

The fight scenes are well done and very visceral.

Unlike most hero films, Lorraine is shown to be very human. In the fight scenes, of which there are several, we get a real sense that she gets as much as she hands out. There is one fight, in particular, a ten-minute seemingly one-shot sequence, in which we hear her give her all as well as the sense that she is also getting the you-know-what kicked out of her at the same time. These are perhaps the most visceral fist fights in recent memory on film.

But there are issues as well. The premise, the recovery of a list of agents, is as old as the spy genre. I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of the genre, but this sounds like well-trodden territory.  Also, while we’re following Lorraine, we never really know why she goes some places, other than it is in the script. New to Berlin, she seems to know her way around and even makes contact with a loyal band of underground protesters in East Berlin, even though she is warned at the outset not to trust anyone. But it is the audience that is left not sure who to trust.

For a spy, someone you would suspect would try to fit in, Lorraine truly stands out. Not only is she tall and impeccably dressed, but her blonde hair is eye-catching. Even she realizes it as on occasion she tries to hide it under a hoodie or even a wig.

The film does a really good job recreating the environment of Berlin in 1989, from the music (the soundtrack features not only several David Bowie songs but also the original German versions of Peter Schilling’s Major Tom aka Völlig Losgelöst and Nena‘s 99 Red Balloons aka 99 Luftballons) to the actual wall itself, which is quite believably reconstructed. There is also the use of what appear to be television news reports that document the time.

There are some really good performances along the way in addition to Theron’s. James McAvoy’s Percival is nearly impossible to predict. Even though his appearance is somewhat brief, John Goodman gives his usual solid-performance. It is easy to see why he seems to be cast in every movie made. Sofia Boutella, who we first saw in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) and was most recently prominent in Universal’s The Mummy (2017) misstep, plays a very different character here. Boutella's Delphine Lasalle is a French spy who is in over her head, one of the many characters Lorraine comes in contact with in Berlin, though they come in contact with each other several times.

Sofia Boutella plays Delphine Lasalle, a French spy in Berlin.

Overall, I’m not really sure what to make of Atomic Blonde. Obviously well-thought out and well-made, I never really connected with it. I can admire what they put on the screen, but they never pulled me in. Maybe your experience might be different, mine might explain why this film didn’t do better at the box office. If you’re a fan of Theron’s or if you’re itching for a Cold War spy film, then this is a must see. Otherwise, you might find something else at the multiplex to watch instead.