Nonstop violence, profanity, adult humor in super sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Extremely strong, bloody, graphic violence: decapitations, brains oozing out of shots to the head, limbs sliced/shot off, torture, hand-to-hand combat, multiple suicide attempts, people set on fire, and fireballs thrown with explosive results. People are crushed, smacked by trucks, impaled, burned by acidic vomit, run over, shredded, and torn in half. Tons of very bloody injuries. One character is electrocuted via his bare butt. One very sad death; other scenes show the tragic results of a future murder (including a dead child). Children abused by authority figures.
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Constant strong language (occasionally said by a teenager) includes: "f--k," "f---er," "f---ing," "motherf----r," "s--t," "a--hole," "ass," "bitch," "d--k," "p---y," "c--t," and "pissing." Also "teabag," "douche," "c--k," and mashed-up insults like "s--t show," "s--t giggles," "d--k t-ts," "prick," "douche pool," "baby balls," and more. "Goddamn," "Jesus Christ," and "God" are used as exclamations. Middle-finger gestures.
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Visible/mentioned brands include Crocs shoes, Mercedes, Apple, Teva sandals, Ford, Dodge, Budweiser, Huggies baby wipes, Toaster Strudel, LinkedIn, etc. Mentions of Arby's and the McRib.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Wade lights and smokes a cigarette, drinks vodka in a bar (to the point that he can't stand up well), inhales a large portion of cocaine, etc. Boxed wine and beer shown.
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Wade's "baby butt" is visible, and there's a blink-and-miss shot of his baby genitals (during scenes when his legs/pelvic area are regrowing). Another character has an electrical wire shoved between his bare butt cheeks. Main characters kiss passionately and plan to make love. A few other sexual/suggestive references, including some flirting and butt-grabbing between Deadpool and Colossus. An IUD is shown briefly in a gift box.
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The movie uses a very violent code of justice/morality, which frequently results in slaughter. But it also explores how superheroes/mutants/people with extra abilities struggle between helping others and finding their chosen families that accept them for who they are. Ultimately, the film promotes friendship, responsibility, teamwork, collaboration, and love. There are clear lessons about how children can change lives: "Kids give us a chance to be better than we were."
Positive Role Models
a little
Lots of extremely iffy, outright illegal behavior, but Wade/Deadpool follows his own code faithfully; it mostly involves justice against those who've done big wrongs. He clearly loves Vanessa and will do anything to protect her. Three X-Men help Deadpool even though it's not their fight. Russell, determined to be the first plus-size superhero, is badly traumatized and searching for someone to bond with; he's desperate for connection. Deadpool reiterates the idea that life boils down to a few precious choices and moments. Even the "villains" have motives that audiences can empathize with. Domino is a strong, capable woman who shows that fighting for justice can be done in more than one way.
Diverse Representations
a little
Opening scenes of Deadpool 2 include fighting Cantonese gangsters and Japanese fighters in a steam room, which stereotypically portrays East Asians as martial artists. Russell, who vows to be the first plus-size superhero, shows that any body shape can harness great power. Wade/Deadpool struggles with chronic illness (cancer). Domino and Blind Al, the film's two Black female characters, revolve around Deadpool (who's White and male) but they hold their own moral compasses. Besides the occasional (and ableist) jabs made at Blind Al's visual impairment, they both prove to be strong, refreshing, and positive characters. Vanessa, Wade's love interest, is an immovable force of love, forgiveness, and acceptance whose only role is to serve as motivation for Wade as she makes him a better person at every encounter. Dopinder, Deadpool's taxi-driving Indian sidekick, cements some stereotypes, speaking in a thick Indian accent and rarely leaving his cab. On the plus side, he emerges with some power.
Parents need to know that, like the original, Deadpool 2 is bloody, raunchy, violent, and filled with pop-culture references. Expect tons of extremely graphic violence, much of which is close-up and very gory and gross: torture, decapitation, dismemberment, brutal hand-to-hand combat, and much, much more. Sympathetic characters die, and children are abused by authority figures. You'll hear "f--k" in nearly every scene, plus "s--t," "a--hole," "bitch," and a full range of other salty words. Adults also smoke, drink, and use drugs, and there are some sexual references, though fewer than in the first film (this time around, nudity is limited to bare butts and a quick-flash shot of baby genitals, played for humor). Despite all of this, the story does ultimately promote teamwork, collaboration, empathy, and believing that people, particularly kids, can change. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
A comment about the extended / uncut version (Nudity).
Now i've noticed most here did not mentioned any nudity (True when it comes to the theatrical cut). However in the extended version there are topless women shown dancing around poles with breasts and nipples visible for a few seconds.
Now with this in mind, The theatrical cut does not have any nudity in it. Only the extended version.
What's the Story?
DEADPOOL 2 begins with a startling suicide sequence in which Wade/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) informs viewers that he won't survive this movie. Then, the action rewinds, and Wade narrates the distressing last few weeks he's had, which included a key character's death sending him into a tailspin. After the flashback, Wade teams up with Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) to become one of the X-Men in training. During a confrontation with a volatile, potentially out-of-control young fire-starter mutant named Russell (Julian Dennison)—who's angry and trying to torch the "mutant rehabilitation" youth center he's been forced to stay in—Wade goes off script and ends up landing both himself and Russell in prison. Eventually, Cable (Josh Brolin), a soldier from the future, arrives on a mission to alter the past in the name of preventing unspeakable crimes in the future. Then things really start going awry, and the movie becomes a race between Wade and Cable.
Reynolds' hilariously offensive antihero serves up another round of snarky, trash-talking, gory, pop-culture-bashing shenanigans that will appeal to those who loved the first film. As with the original, it's important to note that Deadpool 2 is not a typical superhero movie. Reserved for audiences that are able to stomach the incredibly gory violence and constant language, the movie is a non-stop barrage of one-liners that reference everything from "Papa Can You Hear Me?" from Yentl and "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" fromFrozen, to in-jokes about nicknames (Wade calls Cable "Thanos") and sight gags (he lifts up a boom box, Say Anything-style).
But among all the rapid-fire quips is a sentimental notion: that kids, in this case the morally conflicted Russell, give adults the chance to be better people. Wade's interactions with Russell are both hilarious and bittersweet. And if the addition of new characters Russell and Cable isn't enough to intrigue viewers, there's also the introduction of the X-Force, an even motlier crew of mutants (plus one civilian) with somewhat middling powers. Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgard), for example, can spew acidic vomit. At least Domino's (Zazie Beetz) power is good luck, which ends up being more helpful than Wade can imagine. Even Cable isn't the straight-up baddie you'd expect; he ends up having more depth than is strictly necessary. Reynolds and Brolin have the time of their lives playing an unlikely power duo who eventually find ways to redefine family for themselves and those around them. And as always—don't forget to stay for the post-credits.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Deadpool. How much is shown, and how is it different from the violence in other superhero movies? How does Deadpool's humor affect or mitigate the violence? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Is Wade/Deadpool a role model? Who are some other reluctant superheroes? What makes their stories compelling?
Are Wade and Vanessa in a healthy relationship? How do they encourage and support each other?
The people running the mutant orphanage were trying to "cure" the kids of their "condition." Do you think the filmmakers intended that situation to parallel any specific real-life issues? If so, which ones?
MPAA explanation:
strong violence and language throughout, sexual references and brief drug material
Last updated:
August 16, 2024
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By Sandie Angulo Chen
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