“The Suicide Squad” Review
(From Left) Polka-Dot Man (David Daslmalchian), Peacemaker (John Cena), Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior) prepare for battle in “The Suicide Squad,” a stand alone sequel to 2016’s “Suicide Squad.”
While The Marvel Cinematic Universe is undoubtedly better, the DC Extended Universe is definitely more of a risk-taker with its films not being afraid to push the envelope for comic book films including having a kid become a superhero in “Shazam!,” having a female-led superhero film in “Wonder Woman” and creating an R-rated comedy in “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).” DC’s latest film, “The Suicide Squad,” is another big risk, being R-rated, and was violent, vulgar, chaotic, colorful, hilarious and unbelivably crude and I enjoyed every last minute of it.
A standalone sequel taking place years after 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” the film sees a new team of imprisoned supervillains being recruited by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to complete a dangerous mission under the supervision of Colonel RIck Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and constant threat of death (with every member of the squad being injected with a small bomb at the base of their skull) in exchange for 10 years off their prison sentences. The mission: to infiltrate the island nation of Corto Maltese and destroy a Nazi-era labratory containing alien technolgoy that could be used to harm the United States. The odds of success: very limited. The odds of dying in a tragic and/or hilarious way: pretty damn high.
While many enjoy the first Suicide Squad film, it definitley left a lot to be desired. While the characters were enjoyable, the action and story felt very dumbed down and the entire film felt like it was torn apart by Warner Bros. instead of being part of a whole vision by a group of filmmakers. In the case of “The Suicide Squad,” the entire film feels like it came entirely from the deranged mind of writer/director James Gunn who makes this film a whole heap of fun.
Fans of the PG-13-rated “Guardians of the Galaxy” and its sequel might find Gunn’s venture into R-rated superhero films to be odd. But if you’ve seen his films “Slither” and “Super,” this film is right up his alley. The film is incredibly funny because so many of the characters are horrible people who are selfish and acting in their own interests. Because they have few morals, Gunn is able to not only show us their humanity and also play with team dynamics, resulting in characters clashing in the most fantastic ways.
While it is a sequel, very few characters from the first film return except Waller, Flag and supervillains Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), who wields boomerangs equipped with gadgets, and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the Joker’s ex-girlfriend who has now become one of DC’s most popular anti-heroes. These returning characters are a lot of fun with Flag being the no-nonsense leader while also having more moments of humor compared to his role in the first film.
Harley Quinn was the standout role of the previous film and has only grown more in popularity including starring in her own spin-off film “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).” Just like before, she’s funny and completely unbalanced but, in “The Suicide Squad,” she has fantastic moments of action where she displays her amazing ability to kill with a clownish grin on her face.
Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) proves to be one of “The Suicide Squad’s” most memorable characters with her lethal humor.
But this isn’t just Harley’s film. Several newcomers are likely to go from obscure comic book villains to massive fan favorites including lethal mercenary Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and the rodent controlling Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior) whose father/daughter-type bond is one of the more heartwarming elements of the film.
Another standout character is Peacemaker (John Cena) an American “patriot” who loves America so much that he’s willing to kill as many men, women and children as possible to pursue its interests. His blind devotion to the stars and stripes along with his constant arguments with Bloodsport and his overall hyper-masculine demeanor make him one of the most awful but likable characters in the film which is one of “The Suicide Squad’s” strengths.
The fact that these are all villains makes their actions, which include killing a lot of innocent people and large-scale destruction, more passable because you understand their motivations. But Gunn’s characterization make these characters likable all the same including an anthropomorphic shark named Nanaue (voiced by Sylvester Stallone) who is one of the most lovable of the squad. While he’s simple, he’s able to comprehend friendship and seeing him develop a personality is kind of touching.
Along with a whole bunch of supervillains including Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), Blackguard (Pete Davidson), Savant (Michael Rooker), The Thinker (Peter Capaldi), Javelin (Flula Borg), Mongal (Mayling NG), T.D.K. (Nathan Fillion) and Weasel (Sean Gunn), this film is full of colorful characters all of whom can die at a moments notice. As the name of the team would suggest, the body count of this film is unbelievably high and it's both gruesome and hilarious. You don’t want a lot of these characters to die but, when they go, it's hard not to burst out laughing. If you thought that “Guardians of the Galaxy” or “Deadpool” were the funniest comic book films you’d ever seen, leave it to “The Suicide Squad” to say “hold my beer.”
Unlike the first film, which looked dark and dull, this film is colorful and bright with more than enough entertainment value to please any fan of action. The fact that it’s R-rated means that Gunn is able to get away with a lot more realistic and grisly stunts which works in the film’s favor. “The Suicide Squad” can be called many things but boring is not one of them. It’s absolutely everything you could want in a summer comic book film and definitely belongs in the same league as films like “Deadpool” and “Birds of Prey.”
For those sensitive to violent images (you know, people who weren’t fortunate to have “Die Hard” play on a loop on Christmas Day) or who otherwise can’t stomach so much as a papercut on film, this film isn’t for you. But I do find it interesting that the same people and publications who thought that the violence of “Joker,” a fairly less violent and more serious film, was going to result in mass murders and violent acts aren’t up-in-arms about this film. Or “Deadpool.” Or “Logan.” Or ‘Birds of Prey.” In the words of Bill Hicks: “let’s all be hypocritical bastards.” But for those who love good action and want to laugh while also enjoying a good comic book film, this film is mandatory. While the film is available until Sept. 5 on HBOMax, you need to watch it in theaters.
While so many blockbusters, like “F9” and “Snake Eyes,” have felt like bland, inoffensive work that people will go see for a quick buck, everything about “The Suicide Squad” feels fresh, original and so freaking cool. To put it plainly, “The Suicide Squad” was a fun ride and I can’t wait to suit up for the next mission that will probably kill us all.
