The Suicide Squad

The smartest move DC ever made was to quit concerning themselves with cinematic world building and focus on making (mostly) standalone films that were simply entertaining...and didn't require a master's degree in Snydernomics to appreciate.

Their second smartest move was nabbing James Gunn for The Suicide Squad, and not just because the first film was terrible. Material like this needs Gunn's flair for irreverence, clever dialogue and, most importantly, instilling characters with engaging personalities. He may not have created Suicide Squad, but this adaptation has his stamp all over it.

And for the first time since his directorial debut, Slither, Gunn is unbound by the restrictions of a PG-13 rating, something else the material really needed. Hence, the film is vivid, violent and vulgar, yet at the same time, seldom feels pandering or gratuitous. Punctuated by gobs of gags and hilarious dialogue, the movie earns its dismemberments and f-bombs along the way. In fact, the whole thing plays very much like Guardians of the Galaxy without a filter.

And like Guardians, it's ultimately the characters that matter. Ironically, the one we're most familiar with - Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) - is the least interesting, perhaps because she's already been established with two previous films and there isn't much more Gunn could do with her. But everyone else is wonderfully realized and played perfectly by the ensemble cast. As Bloodsport, the de-facto leader of this new team, Idris Elba strikes the right balance of stoicism and uncertainty, while John Cena (as Peacemaker) once-again demonstrates he's more adept at comedy than pure action. Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmaichian) and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) are also fun, each with amusing backstories. But King Shark steals every scene he's in, a perpetually hungry manfish who manages to be both monstrous and endearing (and a role Sylvester Stallone was born to play).

With the exception of Task Force X director Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), the antagonists are perfunctory. Their plan, however, is gloriously insane; the dictator of Corto Maltese plans to wipe out America using a 30-year-old experiment gone wrong: Starro, a giant extraterrestrial starfish that spawns face-hugging offspring to re-animate & control the dead. This leads to a final act that's as hilarious as it is grotesque, aided by amusing visual effects.

Unlike the first film - which was mostly just bells & whistles - The Suicide Squad is the complete package, delivering an abundance of action, humor, violence and well-realized characters. James Gunn's playful approach is just what was needed, making it the best - and maybe the smartest - DC film since Christopher Nolan hung up his spurs.

"I cherish peace with all my heart. I don't care how many men, women, and children I need to kill to get it."

The first thing that came to mind in the opening sequences of the film was wow there is a lot of gore, especially compared to the first film. I feel like the film makers took on criticism from the first movie and put improvements into this. To me, this was basically like an Avengers movie aimed at adults with violence, gore and swearing.

The film is filled with a great cast who all do a terrific job, especially Margot Robbie, I couldn't see anyone else doing the role of Harley Quinn. She is to Harley what Heath Ledger was to the joker. The movie is filled with funny one liners and never takes itself too seriously. I felt the first Suicide Squad was bordering too much pretty humour and seriousness and wasn't sure what it was. This reboot blends humour and seriousness perfectly. Some of the scenes between John Cena and Idris Elba were hilarious, as well as the lines from King Shark.

I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this to be honest based on the first film, but this delivers exactly what you would expect from a team of anti-heroes, it's funny, entertaining and aimed at a mature audience, and for me it's an 8/10.

I am in two minds about this film.

On one hand, I really did enjoyed it well enough.

However, I'm in no rush to see it again and it was rather... dull... in places.

Not something I thought I'd ever say about a James Gunn movie.

The beginning is great fun, and I don't know where else they can take the Harley chatacter after this (other than maybe a prequel?), and there are plenty of funny moments with some great action beats.

It just felt a little... I don't know.

Maybe because Gunn was clearly let off the leash he didn't have to restrain himself and so moments that may have been handled with more care were allowed to simply explode?

There is a lot of blood and gore, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

As I said, I enjoyed it, and I will watch it again someday, I'm just in no big rush to revisit it.

A generous seven out of ten.

I've read the Suicide Squad and DC comics for a very long time, and all the low reviews with the 'restore the Snyderverse' hashtag can go away.

Before I talk about the film, let me talk a bit about DCEU. The difference between DC and Marvel (and why Marvel is more successful than DC) is the people behind them. The people/company behind Marvel (Disney) know and plan everything. They even planned this whole MCU thing ever since 2008's Iron Man. They know what they are doing, where they are heading with their characters, stories, and films, and how to do them and write them right. That's why their Universe is more successful. But, for DC the people/company behind it (Warner Bros.) are ruining this beautiful universe that's filled with great characters by bringing the wrong people to direct/write their movies which brings chaos to the films and world of the DCEU. Or they create issues with the right director like Zack Snyder (which we all saw how he was building that big/creative universe in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) and where it was going). However, this time DC choses James Gunn to write & direct this film which if you're not familiar with, he directed Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014) and Vol. 2 (2017). And this is the second proof (after Snyder's) that when having the right person/people behind a film, they will kill it. And THIS IS HOW "The SUICIDE SQUAD" STORY SHOULD LOOK LIKE. And that's all thanks to James Gunn.

So happy that the film got an R rating because the suicide squad story should be like that. It should be full of blood, comedy, craziness, violence, disgusting action scenes, and curse words. Thank god they didn't care about the film being PG 13+ or whatever so more people could see it. And I feel like James Gunn was behind that part. It's not a suicide squad film if there were no sexual, bloody, violent, and disgusting content.

The cinematography was beyond amazing and the film presented some new ideas. Like, in one scene (dw no spoilers) two characters were fighting and we were seeing it through the reflection of a helmet. Or in a specific fight scene, instead of "blood" coming out of the bodies, it was "flowers" which made the 3 or 5 min action sequence very colorful and fun to watch. The camera movements were also great and felt that they sometimes were steady handheld which was so unique. Also loved how the film picks slow motion in certain times only to show the chaos that's happening around and they were very limited which is a good thing.

For the third time, Margot Robbie proves that she is the best portrayal of Harley Quinn and I cannot imagine anyone other than her as Harley Quinn. She presents the beauty, craziness, and wildness of the character. Idris Alba really surprised me. His character was very well written and Idris played it so right. The real surprise was John Cena. Personally, I don't like Cena's acting. But, in this film his acting was alright and the thing that helped him is how good his character (Peacemaker) is written. Especially that Peacemaker has a huge impact on the story of the film and the future of DCEU. Daniela Melchior gave the film such a warm/soft vibe and her acting was well done especially in the emotional scenes. The whole cast was just amazing and each actor/actress played their role perfectly.

Really loved the music in the film. And if you have seen Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) you'd know that it has the same style/vibe. The costumes were brilliant and loved how James kept the original costume of each character from the comics which made the film/character even more special & real. Also, loved how the film jumps back in time suddenly to explain where a specific character is or how things ended up that way and there was something different about it which I can't tell what it is.

My rating is 8/10 WATCHED: in an IMAX Theatre.

In "The Suicide Squad," the action-packed sequel to "Suicide Squad," the thrill starts right from the beginning. Set in a lush jungle on a mysterious island, the movie immediately captivates the audience with its promising backdrop. The second installment outshines its predecessor in various ways, particularly in the realm of characters.

While Will Smith's performance in the first movie was rather commendable, Idris Elba takes the reins in part 2, displaying his immense talent and becoming the perfect leader for the squad's perilous missions. The addition of Peacemaker brings a refreshing dynamic to the team. Harley Quinn's character undergoes significant development, making her role even more delightful. Unlike the first movie, where some superheroes seemed out of place, each character in "The Suicide Squad" has a well-justified presence, contributing to a greater character arc.

Engagement and entertainment remain consistent throughout the film, with very few dull moments. The writers skillfully follow a classic approach, bringing the story full circle by ending with a scene that harks back to its origins. Among the diverse cast of superheroes, Bloodsport shines as one of the best, while ratcatcher 2 also impresses with her captivating performance.

While the script is engaging overall, there was one instance that seemed implausible even in a lighthearted context. A character's head is chopped off, the peculiar part was that his eyes continued to move. Although this added an element of dark humor, it might have stretched the bounds of believability even within the superhero genre.

In conclusion, "The Suicide Squad" surpasses its predecessor by delivering a gripping and action-packed adventure. With improved character development and a smart balance of humor and action, it keeps the audience entertained. Director James Gunn masterfully crafts a superhero spectacle that fans and newcomers alike thoroughly enjoy.