Highly-anticipated sequel Deadpool 2 is officially Certified Fresh on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. The 2016 original was one of the year’s biggest surprises, and not just in a commercial sense. Its record-breaking box office was fueled by widely positive word-of-mouth and reviews. In fact, Deadpool became something of a minor player on the awards circuit, picking up nods at the Golden Globes, Producers Guild, and Writers Guild. All that success raised expectations for the followup.

At one point, there were rumors suggesting Deadpool 2 was disappointing in test screenings, but that evidently could not be further from the truth. Strong initial reactions on social media led to full written reviews that indicated the sequel was a worthy successor. Now that the embargo’s been lifted and more write-ups are coming in, the film has received the famous seal of approval.

Rotten Tomatoes updated their Deadpool 2 page today with the Certified Fresh icon. The film sports a critics’ consensus that reads, “Though it threatens to buckle under the weight of its meta gags, Deadpool 2 is a gory, gleeful lampoon of the superhero genre buoyed by Ryan Reynolds’ undeniable charm.” As of this writing, its Tomatometer stands at 84% with 93 reviews counted. This is in the same ballpark of the original’s 83% Certified Fresh score.

Historically, comedy sequels are a tough nut to crack, so it’s nice to see director David Leitch and his team were able to deliver an entertaining tentpole that in some ways improved upon its predecessor. Many were impressed with the increased ambition and scope, while also noting Deadpool 2 carried over several beloved aspects of the original (action and humor). The additions of Cable and Domino to the ensembles paid off well, as they’re among Deadpool 2’s highlights. Since Fox has no plans to stop this lucrative franchise anytime soon (X-Force is already coming through the pipeline), this development will make the higher-ups very happy. Most of the X-Men films are in a state of uncertainty, but Wade Wilson and friends are doing fine.

Deadpool 2 should be all set for a fruitful box office run. Even with it being sandwiched between the behemoth Avengers: Infinity War and Lucasfilm’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, projections currently have the sequel pegged to open higher than the first movie. Advanced ticket sales meant it was always going to do well in its debut weekend, but the fact that it’s a good movie means it’ll likely have strong legs and end up with a high total. Given the competition of the summer movie season, Deadpool 2 may not top the original’s $363 million, but it’ll be just fine.

MORE: What’s True About Deadpool 2’s Director Swtich

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

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