In the highly anticipated movie “Deadpool 2,” Marvel Comics’ friendly neighborhood R-rated anti-hero returns just as crude, off putting and witty as in the original film. Yet with this second look, Wade Wilson—alter ego Deadpool—shares his more vulnerable side as he wrestles with his own guilt and pain.

“Deadpool 2” follows Wilson and his iconic crocs, as he sorts through his emotions following adversity, only ever stopping long enough to allow him to jump into some effortless fight scenes. The audience gets a new glimpse into Wilson’s mind as he struggles to accept his own immortality and gives into his sentimentality and guilt. Wilson attempts to settle his conscience by joining forces with other mutants to save a young mutant boy, Russell Collins, from Cable and another surprise guest.

The film brought in $301 million in its opening weekend, knocking its cousin “Avengers: Infinity War” out of the top spot.

Heading into the film, my friends and I hedged bets on whether there would be a sex scene, death or profanity in the first five minutes of the film. Not surprisingly, we hit two of the three markers within a minute.

Ryan Reynolds again perfectly embodies the persona, throwing in plenty of self-deprecating jokes and brutal honesty. He embraces the sentimental and vulnerable sides of Wilson while maintaining a childish mind along the way.

Negasonic Teenage Warhead, played by Brianna Hildenbrand, and her no-cares-given attitude return, though her time on screen can seem a bit forced at times with such limited speaking time.

Deadpool’s handy cabbie Dopinder, played by Karan Soni, returns and is just the eager to please friend that Wilson needs. This is especially true as Wilson’s long time and arguably funnier friend Weasel, played by T.J. Miller, does his best to help Wilson but ultimately lives up to his name and saves himself, which Wilson would never blame him for.

Colossus continues in his role as the moral compass for Wilson, though Wilson largely chooses to ignore him, instead encouraging Colossus to fight dirty too. This causes a riff between the two similar to that of the first film, as Wilson only cares to deliver true justice while Colossus needs to adhere to the rules.

Though there are a lot of new characters thrown into the mix, all have a purpose, whether it be as a part of Wilson’s eclectic mix of a team or simply as a comic complement to Wilson’s wise-cracking demeanor.

Flip flopping between friend and foe, one new character Cable is played by Josh Brolin and is the gruff counterpoint to Wilson’s playful vulgarity, though they share in a commonality that they are motivated by their dedication to their loved ones. Cable and Wilson maintain a good comradery though the two are often set against each other.

A new character, Domino, played by Zazie Beetz, is a charming addition to Wilson’s team, and brings a refreshing dose of luck in a world where things don’t always go Wilson’s way.

The soundtrack is 1980s rock heavy and carefully crafted to work in perfect timing with each scene.

The film maintains a strong momentum throughout with plenty of new characters and constantly changing relationships between the heroes without feeling oversaturated with plotlines. The constant influx of new characters and side plots keeps the film fresh and offers hints for future Marvel endeavors.

The cinematography is like that of the first film, with so many fourth wall breaks the audience will be questioning whether this is a Marvel movie or a documentary. The star of the show is in nearly every shot, though some time is granted to explore the story of Collins as he struggles to overcome his past trauma.

The film has a little something for everyone, but mostly for those who enjoy a hefty dose of obscenity sprinkled with just a bit of lewdness. The script writers kept things topical with some honest quips which point to issues of plus size character representation and cultural appropriation.

With plenty of homages to the past, snide comments meant for DC Comics fans and enough gore to go around, “Deadpool 2” is a must see for Marvel fans. And of course, make sure to stick around after the movie for an extra treat scene.

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