Ultimately, having taken on board some of the criticisms already outlined in this article, most importantly of all, perhaps, Deadpool 2 simply needs to relax. That's right: the first movie, despite Ryan Reynolds' excellent performance and the generally light tone that carried the film through to the end credits, embraced the feeling of a desperate guy who really, really wants you to like him at any cost. You know: cracking jokes at every second, regardless of their quality; making references to anything and everything, unconcerned with whether it makes sense (or is relevant). And to be honest, it was - at times - a little embarrassing to see. Watching anyone "trying too hard" is always going to be uncomfortable, of course, but Deadpool never feels like a film that is confident in itself - and that's a big shame, really, because it had every opportunity to be, had it eased off just a little bit and let it all flow more naturally. Deadpool 2 will have even more opportunities to do what it wants, however, which means that the film can take a deep breath and loosen up a little. Because despite having a seemingly freewheeling tone and an endless slew of meta jokes, Deadpool felt anxious at its core; like nobody behind the scenes was sure that things would turn out all right. Now, there's less pressure... and that should result in a better, more confident sequel movie. Do you like this article? Do you agree or disagree with these points? Will righting the wrongs of the original help Deadpool 2 to be better? Let us know in the comments.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
