Deadpool 2 is a highly gratifying movie that we should be thankful for, for being so different than the rest of the pack.

Two years after surprising us with smutty meta humour, the Merc with a mouth is back with a bigger, smuttier follow up that, surprisingly, works despite being an obviously rushed up sequel. If you enjoyed the first Deadpool, prepare for a dose of the same formula on a slightly bigger and more explosive-y canvas but with just enough heart and genuine assiduity to keep you entertained. It is a rare sequel that is just as memorable as the first film and makes you look forward to more adventures with the charming foul mouthed asshat in red.

Armed with a different director – one of the dudes who made John Wick as the opening credits sardonically tell you – Deadpool 2 picks up a small amount of time after the events of the first film. Our hero, once again played by Ryan Reynolds as if he were born for this role, is now a full on vigilante with a kill list to boot and is happily in a relationship with his girlfriend (Morena Baccarin). Naturally, things go very wrong and Deadpool goes on an existentialist journey of self destruction – in the most Deadpool possible manner of course. Some guy named Cable (played by Josh Brolin) who looks like T-1000 from the Terminator shows up in the mix and Deadpool calls even this plot point out as lazy time travel mechanics.

The surprising aspect of Deadpool 2 is how the villain is not what you expect him to be, and the stakes, just like in the original movie, are much smaller than the average superhero film. Those tired of the world ending Marvel movies will once again find the smaller scope and bigger heart enjoyable, and Deadpool’s fourth wall breaking shenanigans remain intact and as impactful as always. There is no doubt that this movie plays out like an encore of the greatest hits of the first movie but the execution is good enough to make the familiarity work even if the element of surprise is lost. The humour is more meta than you expect it to be, and there are more '80s Hollywood movie references than your mind could keep track of. There are a few very dark plot points, particularly one involving an abusive school for orphans – but all the dark content is neatly wrapped in a pitch black snarky bow.

Since it is the John Wick co-director at the helm, we are treated with a couple of standout fight sequences, even though the CGI involving Deadpool’s new pal Domino (Zazie Beetz) causing some cars to blow up looks terrible. The film also improves on the hilarious camaraderie between Deadpool and Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) – there’s a Say Anything moment between the two that will leave you in splits. On the downside, Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hiddlebrand) is frustratingly underused after teasing greatness in the first movie.

Then there is the issue of polishing – we must acknowledge the fact that the first film was made after years and years of polishing, which is what made it such a classic. In this case, there is no way to ignore the hurriedness to put out a sequel and the lack of control on the editing process even though three editors are credited in the film. As a result some of the jokes go on for too long, and there is not nearly enough streamlined clarity as there was in the first film.

None of the downsides should make you wary – this is a highly gratifying movie that we should be thankful for, for being so different than the rest of the pack. Reynolds truly is to Deadpool what Robert Downey Jr is to Iron Man, and his dedication to making these weird experimental movies is commendable. There may never be another Deadpool solo movie because of the inevitable X-Men/Avengers crossover so enjoy the fun while it lasts. It is also got the cleverest post credits scene of all time – so do not leave the theaters too soon.

(Also read — Deadpool 2 can heal your post-Avengers: Infinity War blues; all you need to know about Ryan Reynolds-starrer)