Superhero sequels are always more of the same, and “Deadpool 2” continues the practice smoothly, transitioning into something more gory, bizarre, offbeat and even obscenely funny than the original, which opened in 2016 to quite justified acclaim and stratospheric profits. While the protagonist, a smart-mouthed, obnoxious, unkillable mutant assassin, is a runt of the Marvel litter, his absurdly violent comedies know how to bark and bite and wag a tail for attention. 
 
 This is a very self-aware bag of tricks. Most films are self-aware, but they work hard to keep that out of sight. “Deadpool 2” revels in its self-referential perspective, relishing jabs at old John Hughes movies, “The Passion of the Christ” and, most of all, its own “lazy writing.” 
 
 It stays true to the mission of lampooning earnest comic-book action movies with enormous creative chutzpah. It embraces everything that should make it lousy, calling out itself for aping the genre’s bad ideas and then shattering the fourth wall with meta precision. We’ve seen superhero satire before in films like “The Mask” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but this is different, cross-the-line material by shock jocks and provocateurs. 
 
 It delivers so much over-the-top mayhem that we wonder if the crew was rising to a dare, and the title character’s fast, cheeky, very funny commentary covers every inch of the convoluted plot. A refresher course on old Marvel comics isn’t needed to sharpen your appreciation of what’s happening on-screen. When the fertilizer hits the fan, as it frequently does, it’s pretty clear what’s happening. 
 
 Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool, whose special power is quickly healing to cartoonish effect when he’s sliced, diced, shot or subdivided by a hand grenade. Reynolds introduces us to his character’s typical day, traveling from Japan, across Europe, to his nameless Hometown to jump down buildings, crash through windows and relentlessly lay carnage on evildoers like a steamroller in overdrive. 
 
 Wearing scar makeup to hide his typical pretty-boy looks, Reynolds radiates a bizarre charisma. Throwing his impish Alfred E. Neuman smile at the camera to make us feel weird, he sails through each nonstop raunchy verbal riff. He is like a swizzle stick continually stirring up a double Mickey Finn. 
 
 Ryan Reynolds in a scene from "Deadpool 2." 
 
 The story at hand is breathtakingly simple, yet complicated to the point of lunacy. Bad guys separate Deadpool from his love, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), putting him in a suicidal funk. At least very briefly, because of that instant healing, remember? Trying to construct a substitute family, Deadpool becomes a trainee at the X-Men academy, where almost every studio-valuable character hides from him and the gallery of heroic portraits on the wall includes an impressive image of Karl Marx. 
 
 Deadpool tries to mentor another mutant academy’s defiant teen fire starter, Firefist (delightfully played by Julian Dennison, so fine in the charmingly odd “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”). Grappling with orphanhood, 14-year-old angst and a chubby physique, he hasn’t found a mentor to help him control his abilities because, as he says, there’s no demand for plus-size superheroes. 
 
 They wind up side by side in a Supermax prison where a Terminator-like soldier from the future, Cable (Josh Brolin), arrives to eliminate Firefist before he reaches his destiny as a supervillain. And then things begin to get a bit complicated. Joining the mess is Domino (Zazie Beetz), whose superpower is, basically, luck. She adds such a delightful performance that you feel the movie was lucky for getting her. 
 
 On the surface, “Deadpool 2” follows the antihero’s crime-fighting antics. One layer down, there’s a lot more going on. It launches an indictment of pop culture and its addicted fans. The film mocks sincere good taste, showing us terrifying things we should not feel comfortable about while sophomorically asking, “Are you enjoying this?” and scoffing, “Of course you are!” The movie addresses topics as diverse as rampant gun violence and how gloomy DC superhero movies have become. 
 
 There are perhaps two believable human moments in the script. Otherwise, most of it is focused on samurai sword slicing, putting dirty lyrics in a Carmina Burana-style doomsday choral piece and “how did they afford him?” celebrity cameos. If you love films that keep you guessing, laughing and surprised on the edge of your seat, this is a must-see. ||||| WRITETHRU, 4:50 PM: A rookie stuntwoman who was killed in a motorcycle crash on the Vancouver set of Deadpool 2 has been identified as the first African-American female professional road racer. Joi “SJ” Harris was doing her first film as a stunt performer, Deadline has learned. A spokesman for ACTRA confirmed her identity to Deadline, though she is not a member of the Canadian actors union. 
 
 Joi Harris via Facebook 
 
 Production on the superhero sequel was shut down immediately after the fatality, and there’s no word on when filming will resume. It’s the second on-set death in North America in a month; John Bernecker suffered massive head injuries in a fall July 12 on the set of The Walking Dead and died shortly afterward. 
 
 Details still are coming in, but witnesses said the crew was filming a stunt sequence when Harris lost control of her motorcycle and crashed through a plate-glass window at Shaw Tower on West Waterfront Road near Jack Poole Plaza. The stuntwoman was playing the Domino character in the sequence in the Ryan Reynolds superhero sequel. Actress Zazie Beetz is playing Domino in Deadpool 2. Reynolds tweeted a photo of Beetz in character two weeks ago. 
 
 A source close to the situation said Harris, who was an experienced road racer, had been rehearsing the stunt all day Saturday. A studio production source said that there were “two full days of rehearsals over the weekend, and on Monday, they ran the stunt five-plus times before filming.” 
 
 An eyewitness told Deadline that, on the last take, the bike seemed to accelerate when it was supposed to slow as she took the corner. Harris was not wearing a helmet when the accident occurred today because the Domino character did not wear one in the scene. 
 
 Deadline has been told that the crew is enduring very long hours — that includes weekends — and that workers feel like they are being run ragged. “People are exhausted by the schedule,” one crew member told Deadline, noting that they were working multiple 16-hour days in a row. That, however, is disputed by a studio production source, who said the daily shooting schedule on the Vancouver set is 12-13 hours, and there were only two 15-plus-hour days, about three weeks ago. 
 
 Reynolds said he was “devastated” by Harris’ death. Producer Simon Kinberg had no comment when contacted by Deadline. 
 
 David Leitch, director of Deadpool 2 said in a statement to Deadline: “I’m deeply saddened by the loss of one of our stunt performers today. No words can express how I and the rest of the Deadpool 2 crew feel about this tragedy. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and loved ones in this difficult time.” A 20th Century Fox spokesman told Deadline: “We are deeply saddened by the accident that occurred on the set of Deadpool 2 this morning. Our hearts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of our crew member during this difficult time.” 
 
 Joi Harris via Facebook 
 
 According to her online bio, Harris began motorcycle riding in Brooklyn and in 2013 — after logging more than 1,500 training hours — became the first African American woman licensed to actively compete in American Motorcyclist Association races. An injury from an on-track crash while training for her first race forced Harris to wait until 2014 to begin competing in the American Sportbike Racing Association/Championship Cup Series. Since then she had been an outspoken advocate for female racing. 
 
 “I’ve learned to accept that I am not the greatest rider that exists and that there is always something to learn when on track and pushing limits,” she said on her website. “Sometimes I’m going to eat it if I’m impatient. Everything takes time. Face your fears — you never know what you can be missing out on.” 
 
 The Vancouver Police Department confirmed the death on social media this morning. Law enforcement in Reynolds’ hometown said they are investigating the incident along with the BC Coroner’s Service and WorkSafeBC, British Columbia’s version of the U.S.’ Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 
 
 A stunt driver has died on the set of Deadpool during a stunt on a motorcycle. VPD & @WorkSafeBC investigators are at the scene. — Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) August 14, 2017 
 
 “We have five officers on site and two are looking at immediate occupational safety and health issues to make sure the site is safe,” Trish Knight Chernecki, senior manager for WorkSafeBC, told Deadline. “The other three officers on site are investigating the cause of the incident and the prevention of future incidents.” 
 
 Andy Watson, a spokesman for the BC Coroner’s Service, told Deadline: “We have opened an investigation,” said its spokesman, “Anytime there is a fatality in the province we investigate. We have a mandate to prevent future deaths and to make any recommendations that could come from our findings.” 
 
 A CTV reporter tweeted this from the site: 
 
 Stunt person hurt on set of Deadpool 2 loaded into Advanced Life Support ambulance that hasn't moved. Anxious crew looking on. @CTVVancouver pic.twitter.com/iTU2awp7Qs — Ben Miljure (@CTVNewsBen) August 14, 2017 
 
 Ambulance has left set of Deadpool 2 with injured stunt person. Lights and sirens were not on as it pulled away. @CTVVancouver pic.twitter.com/iMheLitA7q — Ben Miljure (@CTVNewsBen) August 14, 2017 
 
 Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said the city will continue to support the filming there when the crew recovers from the emotional trauma. “We are extremely saddened to hear of the tragic incident that took the life of a stuntwoman working on the set of Deadpool 2 downtown earlier today,” he said in a statement. “Our condolences go out to her family and friends, and to all those working on set who have been impacted by the loss of their colleague. We will continue to support the crew and production as they work to recover emotionally and as they continue their next phase of filming.” 
 
 As previously mentioned, today’s accident marks the second stunt-related on-set death in North America in about a month; stuntman John Bernecker suffered massive head injuries in a fall July 12 on the set of The Walking Dead and later died at Atlanta Medical Center. That was believed to be the first stunt-related death in the United States in more than 17 years. 
 
 The veteran stuntman was doing a fight scene for the zombie apocalypse drama with actor Austin Amelio on a balcony when he fell about 30 feet to a concrete floor, just missing the safety pad and landing on his head and neck. 
 
 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and SAG-AFTRA opened investigations into Bernecker’s death. Mike D’Aquino, a spokesman for the regional OSHA office in Atlanta, said that the investigation could take up to six months to complete. The Coweta County Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Department have ruled the death an accident and closed their respective cases into the matter. 
 
 AMC temporarily halted production on Season 8 of the zombie apocalypse series in the wake of the accident. 
 
 Erik Pedersen contributed to this report. ||||| Joi “S.J.” Harris was a pro motorcycle racer with a deep passion for the sport and the adrenalin rush it provides. 
 
 But a ride in downtown Vancouver Monday morning while filming for Deadpool 2 — reportedly Harris’s first film as a stunt driver — took a tragic turn. 
 
 Witnesses say the female stunt driver had been manoeuvring a motorcycle down a set of stairs at Jack Poole Plaza when she lost control of her bike, jumped a curb and crashed into a glass window at Shaw Tower around 8 a.m. 
 
 A crumpled motorcycle could be seen lying on its side surrounded by broken glass. Crew members appeared distraught and one was in tears. 
 
 In a recording of the 911 call posted on TMZ, the caller could be heard saying an actor had gone “airborne” through a window into a building across the street and “hasn’t been moving.” 
 
 The stunt driver was treated by ambulance personnel but died at the scene. The B.C. Coroners Service and WorkSafeBC are investigating. 
 
 According to Deadline Hollywood, an online magazine reporting on the entertainment industry, Harris was not wearing a helmet when the accident occurred because her character was not wearing one in the movie. Production on the superhero sequel was shut down immediately, and there was no word Monday on when filming would resume. 
 
 Harris was performing a stunt by Domino, a new character in the Marvel sequel. The part is played by actor Zazie Beetz. 
 
 “We are deeply saddened by the accident that occurred on the set of Deadpool 2 this morning,” 20th Century Fox spokesman told Deadline. “Our hearts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of our crew member during this difficult time.” 
 
 Nathan Kramchynski works on the seventh floor of the Shaw Tower and said he had been watching rehearsals of the stunt at the Vancouver Convention Centre. 
 
 When the accident happened, the driver appeared to pick up speed, crossed the street and swerved to avoid pedestrians before disappearing from his view, said Kramchynski. 
 
 Related 
 
 “She lost control really quickly. It happened in a split second,” he said. “She was going full throttle and then there’s a building there.” 
 
 Deadpool 2, a sequel to the 2016 blockbuster starring Vancouver actor Ryan Reynolds, has been shooting in Vancouver since June 26. Ryan expressed his condolences to his crew member’s family and friends Monday afternoon. 
 
 “We’re heartbroken, shocked and devastated … but recognize nothing can come close to the grief and inexplicable pain her family and loved ones must feel in this moment,” wrote Reynolds on Instagram. “My heart pours out to them — along with each and every person she touched in this world.” 
 
 According to her website, Harris got hooked on motorcycles after she rode in the back of a bike driven by a friend. She got her race licence in 2013 and began racing in 2014, and described herself as the first African-American woman to compete in an American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned event. 
 
 Harris’s love for motorcycle racing is evident on her website and social media accounts, which contain many photos of her in gear and on the track. 
 
 In 2015, Harris told magazine Black Girls Ride magazine that her goal was to bring road racing to more women and more African-Americans. 
 
 Harris was injured during a race in May and broke her left wrist bone. After the accident, Harris wrote about her “life-saving” helmet and expressed determination she’ll ride again: “My throttle hand is still good. This is motorcycle road racing. You either do it or you don’t. Hold your line.” 
 
 News of Harris’s death sent ripples of grief and shock across the racing community. 
 
 “My heart is broken. Hold your loved ones close. Tomorrow is not promised,” wrote Porsche Taylor of Black Girls Ride on Facebook. Taylor declined an interview, saying they were mourning the loss of a sister. 
 
 WorkSafeBC spokeswoman Trish Knight Chernecki said two officers are investigating to see if there are any immediate health or safety concerns, while three other officers are investigating the cause of the fatality and future prevention. 
 
 Findings on any immediate health or safety concerns could be available within several days, while the investigation on the cause of the mishap usually takes longer, she said. 
 
 Allan Webber was among those who came to the accident scene to observe as investigators assessed the scene then uprighted the stunt bike with its crumpled front tire. 
 
 “It’s like a cursed corner,” Webber said of the area, noting that just the day before the crash, one man died and two were injured in a bus accident down the street, and in 2013, actor Cory Monteith died in a neighbouring hotel. 
 
 Webber said he had previously watched the stuntwoman successfully complete a ride down Thurlow Street. 
 
 Jason Cameron, a business agent with the Union of B.C. Performers, would not confirm if the stunt woman was one of their members, pending official confirmation of her identity by authorities. 
 
 The UBCP represents 6,000 people who work as actors, stunt performers, singers and voice actors. 
 
 He said a union representative headed out to the set after hearing news of the accident. Trauma counselling will be available, he said. 
 
 Cameron said despite Monday’s tragic accident, performing stunts is very safe. 
 
 “The nature of stunt performing is it is very dangerous but we are also talking about skilled and trained stunt performers who perform these very dangerous stunts in a safe way,” he said. 
 
 “These very complicated sequences and stunts happen on film sets all the time. (Accidents are) pretty rare considering how often stunts like this are performed. It’s exceedingly rare which is a test to the skill level.” 
 
 chchan@postmedia.com 
 
 sbrown@postmedia.com 
 
 lgrindlay@postmedia.com 
 
 With files from The Canadian Press, Gord Hoekstra, Matt Robinson 
 
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– Now pondering fatherhood, Deadpool is back to kick butt and crack jokes in Marvel's Deadpool 2, featuring Ryan Reynolds and more than a few F-bombs. Its predecessor ruled the box office in 2016, but does this sequel from David Leitch—which cost a stuntwoman her life—have the power to do the same? It seems so, with the movie getting a solid 85% positive rating from critics and audiences alike at Rotten Tomatoes. Here's what critics are saying: "If you love films that keep you guessing, laughing and surprised on the edge of your seat, this is a must-see," writes Colin Covert at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "More gory, bizarre, offbeat and even obscenely funny than the original," the film "revels in its self-referential perspective" while Reynolds "radiates a bizarre charisma," Covert writes. Not to be outdone is a "delightful" Zazie Beetz as lucky superhero Domino. "There's no way it could equal the freshness and irreverence of the 2016 original. Fortunately, the sequel comes off as much more than a cash grab," writes Calvin Wilson at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He mostly credits Reynolds. In "the role of his dreams," the actor "totally sells the character's blend of reckless self-absorption and reluctant heroics." Even so, "another sequel really isn't necessary, but it's in the works anyway." Jen Yamato wasn't as impressed. "While the sequel benefits from Reynolds' superhuman charisma," it "merely rehashes and recycles the same wink-wink barbs that worked the first time around" and offers "uninspired plotting," she writes at the Los Angeles Times. Thank goodness for Celine Dion. Her music brings "new life, emotion and a winking, self-aware wit into the action," Yamato says. The movie "comes blazing out of the shoot, but dips in its second hour, like a stretched-out piece of taffy," writes Adam Graham at Detroit News. "Still, there is a lot left to like here, and Reynolds and company crank out better, more outrageous laughs than most pure comedies. You'll laugh loud and you'll laugh hard."