Jokes come perfectly timed where appropriate, segueing into drama and back again without coming across as jarring. The script, courtesy of Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Reynolds himself is masterfully written, full of wit and charm. The narrative does venture into some heavy territory, showing the initially self serving Wade subconsciously subjecting Young Russell to the same emotional neglect that his own father put him through.
Ryan Reynolds effortlessly channels both Deadpool's funny and dramatic side, bringing an earnest portrayal that serves as the heartfelt emotional core of the film. And it all works in the context of the franchise's self referential humour.Deadpool himself is slowly revealed to be a stepford smiler, using humour as a means to bury the pain he feels while he undergoes the various stages of grief. The part man part machine time traveler Cable? He is the embodiment of "generic 90s comic badass" taken to its logical extremes, complete with tragic motivations, growling voice and eternal scowl.
The poor abused boy who's supposed to be running scared? He's starting to show the makings of a serial killer. Even the characters undergo this subversive deconstruction. In fact, DEADPOOL 2 subverts all expectations of what Deadpool should be about. A team up with a bunch of badasses to form X-Force? Yup, definitely not how one would think it would go. An action packed vehicular chase through the city? Very different from what one would expect. An escape plan right out of PRISON BREAK? Does not end well for Wade and Russell. "typical" story beat or trope is brought up, it is soon subverted and deconstructed in the most clever way possible.