Deadpool 2: Love, loss and longing for a home in a Marvel film
Whenever he jests, there lurks a problem concealed. Under all the sarcasm, crude banter and practical jokes lies the heart of Deadpool 2. Call it a deception or poetic exaggeration, Deadpool 2, for me, was riddled with deep philosophic undertones, of course without the riddler, that is the DC universe.
This Marvel movie, with a superhero having antagonistic tendencies and a penchant for humour, unravels a deeper understanding of ties that bind — friends and family. Without revealing much of the plot, the narrative begins with Wade Wilson's (Ryan Reynolds) grief over the death of Vanessa (Morena Baccarin).
Few minutes into the film, another major character is introduced — a time travelling mutant. Cable (Josh Brolin), as he is known, is the one who connects the past and the future. Guess what he is looking for? Not retribution, but salvation.
Cable has lost his family after a series of unfortunate events. Those events are inconsequential, as what unites both the hero and the anti-hero is their longing for home. Cable's yearning makes him break a dialogue where he doesn't fail to mention how Wade reminds him of his wife — she, too, concealed her pain behind humour.
Many films, movies and songs have floundered over the illusory notion of home. Wade, who is quick-witted and garish in his manoeuvres, sets out to find “his heart in the right place”, transgressing the idiosyncrasies from the prequel and evolving as a deep and layered being.
Keeping aside the edgy one-liners and his disdain for his contemporaries, his evolution is evident in his interactions or rather his bonhomie with Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) and Dopinder (Karan Soni).
Wade is grieving and longing for a family. The opportunity of having a family has drifted away from him. After all, what is home without a family?
However, things take a detour with Wade's attempt to save the mutant child Russell (Julian Dennison). In the middle of a diatribe on Stage IV cancer and extreme self-loathing, somewhere Wade finds the notion of family rekindled in him.
The ‘F’ in family
True to Wade’s words, Deadpool 2 is an out-and-out family movie. Deadpool’s universe is set in motion with successive unfortunate events that are both outrageously hilarious yet profoundly thought-provoking.
The formation of the X-Force and their instant death, as well as luck through fortunes of chance, makes the viewer marvel at the depths of the human understanding of existence. The brilliance of Deadpool 2 lies in its ability to weave humour in the backdrop of the abject human condition.
The burnt teddy bear with Cable is symbolic of loss and hope in an exceedingly poetic way. This superhero movie is increasingly tender in its philosophic motivations, accentuated further in its dialogues. The writing exceeds expectations in many departments as it allows a serious viewer to dispassionately weigh the tenets of love and longing through its characters, who are largely fractured by fate.
When it comes to Cable, loneliness and darkness following the loss of his family robbed him of a normal life.
The ‘F’ in friendship
Just as one indulges deeply in the sense of loss and home, all is not lost. Interludes on friendship, especially in terms of Wade’s equation with the under-confident Dopinder and the mighty Colossus, are reassuring. These diametrically opposite characters display altruism of a different kind.
The friendship matrix in Deadpool 2 evokes ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s categorisation of friendships — friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure and friendships of the good. The varying degrees of friendship here speak volumes about the need for the right push.
Wade’s equation with his loyal sidekick Weasel (TJ Miller) dwells more on the utilitarian kind, while his relationship with Colossus and Dopinder is purely a friendship of pleasure as their bond is largely based on mutual admiration.
His relationship with Vanessa epitomises Aristotle’s friendship of the good — a bond of trust, loyalty and yearning for mutual well-being. Unbridled love for Vanessa almost makes him jump time and space towards the end, just to relive a lost moment with her.
Another fascinating aspect of friendship comes to the fore in one of the scenes between Wade and Colossus. Despite his reserved demeanour, Colossus was instrumental in getting Wade back on his feet after Vanessa’s death.
This encourages Wade to make amends and he acknowledges that while he isn't a great friend, Colossus is definitely one.
After Thanos from Avengers-Infinity Wars, Cable is a character that is true to its essence. Comic book accuracy aside, Cable displays an unyielding vigour, despite his poor sense of humour and occasional insensitivity.
If Thanos embodied the conflict between two impossible paths, Cable is a wounded soul. Cable is most certainly one of the most endearing antagonists turned do-gooders.