The highly anticipated Deadpool sequel finally hit theaters, with a genius marketing campaign and higher budget, let’s go to the report card to see if it’s worth the hype.

ACTING/CASTING – 5/5 – With the addition of Josh Brolin it brings a new chemistry. Brolin playing the serious and vengeful “Cable” alongside Ryan Reynolds….  who plays Ryan Reynolds. There are a few cameos that will make X-Men fans happy, while also developing some of the supporting cast from Deadpool.

WRITING – 6.5/5 – This film could have gone the route of most comedic sequels, rehashing the same jokes/storyline from the original. Not Deadpool 2, it doubles down on comic book trolling while staying true to its’ identity.

DIRECTING/EFFECTS – 4/5 – With a higher budget the effects were obviously going to take a leap forward. While some of the CGI characters lacked realistic representation, they make sure to address it in the script.

GENRE STABILITY – 3/5 – If you are new to the Deadpool franchise, you will need to watch the first film in order to understand his powers and surrounding characters. It will also help to be familiar with other Marvel and DC films but it’s not a necessity.

STORY – 5/5 – Unlike the first installment, this story has a serious undertone. It puts the audience in an awkward spot, while Reynolds is forced to show off some of his range. An element which was absent from Deadpool.

RE-WATCH FREQUENCY – 5/5 – I would see it at least twice in the theater to catch the Easter eggs and any one-liners you may have missed the first time around. An at home buy is also a must, even if just for the gag reel and deleted scenes.

ROASTED RIPPER TOTAL – 4.7/5

ROTTEN TOMATOES (At time of post) – 85% Critics VS 85% Users

IMDB (At time of post) – 8.4/10

FINAL THOUGHTS – Deadpool 2 could have easily taken the lazy cash grab route as most sequels do. Instead, they decided to pack in the action and laughs into two hours that you don’t want to end. With the addition of the X-Force and further development of original characters under a heartfelt script and contagious soundtrack, this is a perfectly balanced sequel that fans will love.

Deadpool 2 also features one of the best “post” credit scenes of all time. It’s run in mid credits and split into two parts, after that feel free to leave as there is nothing remaining (Unless you want to hear more of the original tunes).

NEXT WEEK – SOLO – A STAR WARS STORY

Jonah Hill and Miles Teller are weapons in their own right…

From the director of “The Hangover” trilogy comes the true story of Efraim Diveroli (Hill) and David Packouz (Teller). Two childhood friends who are now in their twenties working together to obtain obscure weapons contracts for the Pentagon on the black market. Efraim and David are reunited at a friends’ funeral, while reminiscing Packouz unveils to Diveroli that he is unhappy with the direction of his professional life. As a friend Efraim decides to help David, showing him the ropes and financial upside of international arms dealing, soon the pair become business partners.

It is refreshing to get a war film that has a different take, most films on combat are shocking, depressing, and negative much like the true horrors of life and death situations. “War Dogs” gives you a behind the scenes look at the real world cost to outfit our soldiers (roughly $17,500 per soldier) and that is just the beginning. From guns to grenades to rocket launchers these characters sell them all. While this film seems like it has a complicated premise, Phillips does a masterful job of dumbing it down so audiences with no background in business or military weaponry can follow right along.

Jonah Hill does a compelling job depicting the man behind the operation Efraim. We have all come to know Jonah Hill as a comedic star but he shows off his range in “War Dogs” and should be taken seriously for future widespread roles. Miles Teller does a good job aside Hill as David. Teller is also known as being an upcoming star thanks to the “Divergent” series and a few other comedies. Hill does most of the comedic heavy lifting as the film focuses around Teller and his characters’ family. Teller is believable as a serious family man but would have liked to see him throw in a few jokes.

This film was marketed as a comedy, while it won’t have you laughing out of your seat it will keep the laughs at a brisk pace for the rest of the action and drama. A few of the details about minor characters can be seen as plot holes but they don’t deter the audience enough to disconnect from the major characters. An entertaining and educational film with enough laughs and serious moments to be considered one of the best all-around movies of the summer.

ROASTED RIPPER SCORE – B+

(7.8/10 Crumbs)