Deadpool 2 made a wildly successful 734.2 million in the box office during its theatrical run. When you consider the 110 million dollar budget the film needed to be made, it’s turned a pretty healthy profit. Not bad for an R-Rated genre film that technically alienates its younger audience……until now. Once Upon A Deadpool is Deadpool 2 cut and edited to land a PG-13 rating just in time to release during the holiday season for the whole family. Lest we forget, after all, Deadpool 2 is a family film as Deadpool so coyly reminds viewers at the start of the film. But let me start with addressing the first thing that doesn’t really make sense about this release in today’s day and age, Is there really anyone not able to view the R-rated version of this film in some fashion or another if they so desired? Between streaming, home video, and piracy in general, I think the answer is a resounding NO. The second thing I’d like to address is identity. The fact that Deadpool exists in a corner of its own universe where swearing, violence, and raunchy humor are commonplace makes it stand apart from the boy scout outings of films like The Avengers and X-Men. One of the film’s best sequences involves the newly formed X-Force parachuting from a jet and landing with hilariously violent results. Here the scene plays very fast and lacking the levity and humor of its former. I gotta be honest, I never really championed this film as you can read in my review of the original Deadpool 2 cut here, but there’s very little added here to sway that meter in the other direction.

Fox cleverly announced the film as more of an act of good faith and not a cash-in. The promise that Mom’s and Dad’s can take their children san’s guilt to see Deadpool together and that $1 of every ticket sale will go to the F*ck Cancer Foundation to help fund cancer research. A gesture that’s applaudable but the movie’s scaled-down effort to make this a more family-friendly affair is a bit of a stretch. The meat and bones of the film’s violence are still pretty consistent and more heavily implied than explicitly shown. My 6-year-old son would be hard pressed not to either squirm a little bit or wonder what certain jokes mean. So don’t go in expecting something squeaky clean. Deadpool is still Deadpool. Private parts are blurred, f-bombs are bleeped, but the context still feels oddly the same and extremely on the nose. If you really wanna do some good for cancer, just go to the official site of F*ck Cancer and make a donation of your choice. Skip this glorified bonus feature. As that’s exactly where this should have ended up, like the Super Duper cut, as a bonus option on the home video release.

What does work is what the advertising for this re-release have emphasized: Fred Savage. Fred is clearly having as much fun being apart of this film as Ryan is having him on board. They’ve recreated the film set of his bedroom from the classic film “Princess Bride”, framing the story around Deadpool telling the storybook version of Deadpool 2’s story to him. The detail is pretty incredible, down to the bag of Cheeto’s behind Fred with the original 80’s marketing look. It’s all here. Fred will occasionally interject while Deadpool is telling the story and question plot devices and decisions in the script. His analysis of certain story points and moments are hilarious and his comic timing is surprisingly great. During these scenes, the most meta references are often made regarding topics as broad as the Fox-Disney deal to Savage’s real-life career today. I imagine these scenes were done in reshoots when the decision to re-release the film was made, and really, they’re the best thing to come of it. There’s also a couple new elements thrown in during the post-credits scenes involving him that are worth sticking around for. Fred, where have you been this whole time and why aren’t you in more comedic roles? That’s all I can add about this movie. I stand by my previous review and truly believe the R-rated Super Duper cut is the definitive form of this film. This was just a touch too far into thinking audiences needed a third unnecessary outing. But thank you for Fred, you are a welcomed addition!