10 Ways Deadpool 2 Is Actually A Huge Disappointment

Deadpool 2 suffers a bit from the Hangover 2 syndrome of just following the same beats and trying to make the jokes and action more over-the-top. But most of all, it suffers from an Iron Man 2 syndrome, in which the film is so busy trying to do and be too many things, it winds up being nothing.

It is part Deadpool sequel, part X-Men side-quest, part X-Force story, and part Cable origin. Yet none of these are done justice. It's too busy paving the way for things to come to actually create a coherent narrative for itself. The first act is so concerned with setting things up, that the actual plot of the film doesn't even kick in until around halfway through the second act. And by then it's too little, too late.

After Deadpool and Cable's first fight in the icebox as they tumble down the mountainside, Deadpool's narration takes over, telling the audience that every story has a part where the hero reaches their lowest possible point. And he's right, but the film hasn't earned this moment yet. Campbell's Hero's Journey depicts this low moment happening towards the end of act two after the hero has already been through so much to achieve his goal.

But in this film, Deadpool has hardly even figured out what his goal is when this moment happens. Because of its many moving parts, the film fails on the most basic levels of storytelling.