This weekend, I took my 13 year old son to see Once Upon a Deadpool, the PG-13 rated version of Deadpool 2. If you are wondering if Deadpool 2 is a great movie, first of all it is, second I reviewed it a while back so if you need more details, please check that out.
<br.
Since almost everyone I know already saw the R-rated version, I will keep this very simple by answering five essential questions.
Does the editing ruin the movie?
Was it really suitable for kids?
Did the added scenes serve a purpose?
Was this a cash grab?
Is it worth spending money on even if you don't need to bring a kid to see it?
Does the editing ruin the movie?
First, very little of the story is affected. Although the editors removed the goriest injuries/deaths, "bleeped" many "F-bombs", took out some raunchy jokes, and limited the number of times and ways Deadpool tried to kill himself, all of the important parts were still there. The story was still far deeper and better than it needed to be. It had heart and laughs. I would have loved this version even if I did not see the first movie.
Verdict: No
Was it really suitable for kids?
This depends on the age and maturity level of the kid. There were a few scenes where I could sense my thirteen-year-old son was uncomfortable watching it next to his dad. He did not know if it were OK to laugh. Because he will be in high school next year, it was OK to laugh. However, there is no way I would take anyone younger than 13. One scene alone stands out as one of the funniest... and most inappropriate... scenes I have ever watched with my son. Actually it was the most inappropriate thing I have ever watched with him. I won't ruin it, but it involved language. It is also still ultra violent. The producers clearly pushed the envelope of the PG-13 rating.
Verdict: It depends... but definitely no younger than 13.
Did the added scenes serve a purpose?
Yes! Yes! One thousand times yes!
The movie is told exactly like one of my family's favorite movies of all time, The Princess Bride. Instead of Grandpa Peter Falk, reading to a pint sized Fred Savage, creepy Uncle Deadpool is reading to an adult Fred Savage... in the same exact bedroom... wearing the exact same outfit he did as a child. It was glorious! And it was not just a one off joke to start the movie. Just like in The Princess Bride the movie is repeatedly interrupted by scenes from Savage's bedroom.
Every one of these scenes was PERFECT! Although they were all hilarious, one 5 minute scene stood out as one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. I refuse to spoil it but it was worth the price of admission. Whoever came up with the Fred Savage idea is a genius and I would like to thank him/her.
Verdict: Holy shit yes!!!!!!
Was this a cash grab?
Ummmmm.... of course it was. But it was the greatest cash grab I have ever seen.
Verdict: Seriously you don't know? It's a definitive "yes"!
Is it worth spending money on even if you don't need to bring a kid to see it?
Run to see this movie right now!
Unless you can find another way to weave a kidnapped, adult Fred Savage into a movie, then you are going to have to see this one. I loved it the first three times I saw the R-rated version and this actually added a ton of laughs.
Verdict: Absolutely
In case you haven't picked up on the theme here, if you have an older teenage son, nephew, or neighbor, grab them and rush to the theater. If not, just go by yourself... but don't sit next to any random teenagers. That's even too creepy for Deadpool.