IMAGINE if Marvel Comics remade Terminator 2.

That is kind of what you get with the wonderfully irreverent Deadpool 2. The plot sees Cable (Josh Brolin), a cyborg from the future, attempting to assassinate a teenage boy called Russel (Hunt for the Wilderpeople’s Julian Dennison) to change the timeline and alter a chain of events.

So the self-healing mercenary Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) brings together a team called X-Force (lovingly ripped off from The X-Men) to protect Russel as fire fights, brawls and high speed chases ensue. Sound familiar?

That Terminator-esque plot is the basic story for the movie but those familiar with the convention breaking, fourth wall-busting series will know it’s all about the aesthetic with Deadpool.

David Leitch takes over from Tim Miller in the director’s chair but the Deadpool ‘check list’ remains in tact including twisted wit, puerile humour, sarcastic pop culture references and superhero film in-jokes. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and the attention to detail is such that it will reward repeat viewings.

Director Leitch is best known for his stunt work and that also really adds weight to the film. The action sequences are finely choreographed and often gory considering the 15-rating.

Think a tongue-in-cheek John Wick (which Leitch also produced) with a sick sense of humour.

Another theme in Deadpool 2 is finding purpose and building your own family and the new additions to the team like Russel and the feisty Domino (Zazie Beetz) fit perfectly in the character’s twisted universe alongside old favourites like Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and superhero wannabe Dopinder (Karan Soni). Brolin also puts in a muscular performance as Cable after also playing Thanos in the Avengers movie.

Fans of the original Deadpool will lap this up and this excellent passion project by Ryan Reynolds, which once looked unlikely to hit the screen, continues to impress

RATING: 8/10

DAVID MORGAN