Movie review: "Deadpool 2"

directed by David Leitch
written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Ryan Reynolds
When the first Deadpool movie released in 2016, it felt like a trial run. With obvious budgetary constraints and a leaden origin story to contend with, the film was simply nowhere near as subversive as it occasionally presented itself to be. Nonetheless, that movie was a massive hit, proving the ability of R-rated superhero movies to succeed commercially, paving the way for the likes of 2017's excellent Logan as well as a much higher budget for its own inevitable sequel.

That higher budget was the first sign of hope for Deadpool 2, promising an improvement over the first film's tepid, sluggish action scenes. Adding to this was the recruitment of Atomic Blonde director David Leitch, a director already noted for his skill with charismatic performances and stylish fight scenes. Both of those make this sequel a more entertaining film than its predecessor, but the increased energy of the action and spectacle have come with a stronger, denser script from the writing team, whose continued reliance on pop culture references is offset by a much greater level of both wit and absurdity, as well as a significantly less intrusive plot which makes for a still somewhat uneven but altogether highly enjoyable action-comedy.

Movie review: "Avengers: Infinity War"

dir. by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
written by Chrisopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
I will confess to having a soft spot for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I enjoy the vast majority of the films in the series, and in particular I've highly praised every entry from the past two years, excepting Thor: Ragnarok, which I didn't review. But my praise tends to be focused on how these films find their own distinctive identities, with clear thematic concerns, strong character arcs, and to an extent even different styles. The upcoming Avengers film worried me, because I still remembered the last one, an enjoyable but rough, overstuffed, and somewhat predictable behemoth which was too massive for its own good.

Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of 10 years of movies, and it certainly feels like a product designed to pay off such an expansive array of content. With its absurd bloat and deeply fragmented narrative, this at times doesn't even feel like a proper film, with its character arcs given zero space to breathe where they exist at all. And yet, Infinity War is at least satisfying on its own terms, as a series of comedic, dramatic, and action beats carefully designed to appeal to the series' immense fanbase. It's a brisk 2.5 hours, and there's an undeniable appeal in the margins, but with this one you will need to bring your investment in with you.