Task Force X is back and better than ever! F*CK YES!
James Gunn brings the next entry of the DC Extended Universe with The Suicide Squad which contains villains such as Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man, and of course, the one and only Harley Quinn.
So let me begin by saying that I did not hate the 2016 Suicide Squad movie directed by David Ayer. While I know it is not what Ayer wanted, I still found myself having a fun time watching that one but I was more than happy to see James Gunn, one of my favorite filmmakers, take on the sequel.
I LOVE THIS SQUAD
Every actor nails their role in The Suicide Squad and is given just enough screen time for it to work. Idris Elba killed it as Bloodsport, I really liked that he was this very morally grey character unlike Deadshot who clearly was on the path of reforming. Bloodsport starts off as a bit of an a-hole and he goes on a character progression that feels believable in the fact that, yes, this is not a good guy but he’s still human.
John Cena continues to impress me with his acting ability as of late. He’s really evolved as an actor and is definitely someone who steals the show as Peacemaker; he even shows off some surprising amount of emotions when certain events happen, which I will not spoil.
Margot Robbie continues to show that she was born to play Harley Quinn. I was already loving what she brought in Birds Of Prey but this was even better: this one showing more of the psychotic and murderous side of Harley rather than how heroic she was in Birds Of Prey. Harley has the best action sequence in the film by far which showed off how she views the world in a vibrant, psychedelic, and hilarious way.
Rick Flag also makes a return with Joel Kinnaman and I liked him WAY more here. I thought he fit with David Ayer’s movie but I did enjoy this more idealistic version of Flag and bought him more as a leader. He even had a few jokes that got me to laugh pretty hard.
The real showstealers for me were King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, and Ratcatcher II: these three had me laughing, smiling, and having me fall in love with them. Sylvester Stallone was perfect as King Shark, he is so adorable but also a little tragic in a way since he’s like a little kid in a monster’s body with no friends. I felt a little sorry for him.
Same with Polka-Dot Man, his powers are very much a curse which was portrayed in a way that made me feel sympathy for him. David Dastmalchian really surprised me with his performance and turned out to be one of the best metahumans in the DC Extended Universe and he’s a guy who shoots POLKA-DOTS AT PEOPLE! Let that sink in!
Ratcatcher II was to The Suicide Squad what Cyborg was to Zack Snyder’s Justice League. She was one of the cutest and most likable characters with a lot of heart, proving to be the soul of the Suicide Squad. Daniela Melchior played Ratcatcher so well that I honestly can’t wait to see the actress in more projects over the years. She even got me a little choked up towards the end of the film.
A LIVE-ACTION COMIC BOOK
I really dig how non-linear James Gunn made this film: it bounces constantly between events from the present, to the past, the present at a different location, to eight minutes ago, to have events at a different location lead up to where things are eight minutes later, it honestly feels just like how a lot of stories are told in comic books. Even the way James Gunn transitions and tells the audience when the scene takes place is very creative and comes straight out of the more campy comics of the 70s and 80s.
The whole film also has this grindhouse vibe mixed with classic war movie elements, almost similar to how Quentin Tarantino structures his movies but less foot perversion. Combined with the way James Gunn shot the film, these angles and the imagery shown to give the movie a look similar to panels of a comic with huge, scoping shots that can only be experience in IMAX. Even the music reminded me of the animated Suicide Squad movies like Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay.
It’s also just a refreshing experience since most superhero movies follow a simple three-act structure (which can work in many films’ cases, don’t get me wrong) but The Suicide Squad tells its story in a unique way that fleshes out everybody just enough and gets the audience invested in their story without bogging everyone down with 30 minutes of exposition.
THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET BLOODY
If you are someone going into The Suicide Squad expecting your typical superhero romp, you are going to be a little shocked. This is one of the most irreverent and gory films I have seen in a while, even putting the likes of Deadpool to shame. This is not just Guardians Of The Galaxy with a DC paintjob, no this is a visceral action film that had my job hanging a few times.
Instead of Guardians, this film actually comes closer to another James Gunn film that doesn’t get nearly enough attention and that is Slither. It has the same violent and downright F’ed up sense of humor combined that made me love that movie so much. It’s also similar to Slither in some other ways that I will not spoil here.
Since this is a hard R-rated film, the Squad members are not forced to hold back. They murder and maim in some brutal ways but somehow James Gunn makes all the Mortal Kombat-esque gore seem funny is a rather bizarre way. This makes a lot of action scene leave much more of an impact, especially when done with his beautiful way of filming.
There are deaths in this movie that had me gasping and going, “OHHHHHHH!” Again, no spoilers but yes, there are deaths in this movie and they are not predictable at all.
STARRO WAS STELLAR
There are technically four antagonists and two of them are the most cookie cutter villains. The other two are cool, even if one of them is wasted a little too early in my opinion but that is made up for when Starro becomes the central threat. It’s in the trailer so I’m not going to count it as spoilers but yes, Starro The Conqueror is in The Suicide Squad and he made the last twenty minutes someone kick the movie into overdrive.
It was chaotic, it was action-packed, it was still gruesome, and it actually made the Suicide Squad fighting Starro actually make sense. Part of me wishes that the fight with Starro lasted a little longer but what we got was great.
DO I HAVE ANY FLAWS?
On first viewing? Not right now. I do have a couple of nitpicks such as certain characters I wish got more screentime and that the movie felt a little short. But even those I can deal with since I enjoyed everything so much. Like I said, there are some bland villains in this one but they aren’t really the focus either, so it didn’t hurt the film for me.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
As someone who loves both the modern and classic Ostrander run of the comics, The Suicide Squad left me with a smile on my face from beginning to end. It’s wild, completely insane, hilarious, filled with a surprising amount of heart, as R-rated as it can get, and a total blast. This blew the first movie completely out of the water and has me excited for a Suicide Squad 3 and whatever else James Gunn wants to do for DC. I’m going to give The Suicide Squad a 9.5/10, I loved it that much and I can’t wait to see it again.
You’re all SO SWEET for making it this far and I hope you all enjoyed this review! I write about anything geek related, especially comic book related stuff so if you want to stay up to date with all the reviews, news breakdowns, and lists I do, make sure to follow this blog or follow me on Twitter @MelodyMacReady ! Love you all!
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