Let me put it out right now, I’m one of the nerds who appreciate DC’s films feeling distinct and different than their peers. As much as I love the humor and charm of many MCU movies, and even though I feel some of the grimmer comic films from WB have missed the mark somewhat, if every superhero film tried to stick with one type of structure then it’d get old fast. This newest Suicide Squad feature from James Gunn (with an important “The” on the front) certainly has his signature style all over it, and he directed this version (which is a standalone sequel to David Ayer’s 2016 Squad) with a goofy, gory sense of naughty and childlike fun. Yet Gunn does this with a touch of sweetness and sympathy for how his Squad broke so bad to start, so all of the adult content never feels “edgelord-ey”.
One thing I liked was how he crafted a group of rogues who eventually do bond together like the Guardians of the Galaxy did, without coming off like carbon copies. He’s able to define these supervillains-turned-mercenaries as despicable people who have just enough of a conscience to help save the world when it’s being threatened by conspiracies and monsters. The filmmakers don’t hold back with their R-rating, letting its cast say things you’d never hear in a Disney Marvel film, and taking out their enemies in violent ways that the MCU’s Rocket Raccoon might threaten to do, but he actually never would.
Viola Davis returns as Amanda Waller, who feels more like a proper villain than just a generic commander. She sends another group of imprisoned baddies to DC’s fictional violent island Corto Maltese, whose dictators have secretly stowed away the powerful alien starfish Starro and plan to use the powerful creature for their own ends. Margot Robbie is her usual quirky and manic Harley Quinn, joined by Idris Elba as the weapon-wielding criminal Bloodsport, David Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man, and John Cena as the patriotic assassin Peacemaker.
Sylvester Stallone voices the boy-like but still fearsome King Shark/Nanuae, who strikes up a friendship with Daniela Melchior’s rodent-commanding Ratcatcher-2. Along with Joel Kinnaman once again as Rick Flag and Peter Capaldi from Doctor Who fame as The Thinker, Jai Courtney’s back as Captain Boomerang and he along with Sean Gunn’s freakish Weasel make good use of their cameos.
As the team presses through the island slashing, shooting, and in some cases devouring their enemies, they not only build up their relationships but also are forced to come to terms with how much Waller’s A.R.G.U.S project is willing to protect its secrets. It never feels like the writers are trying to preach to the audience, but there are some sly digs at imperialism and foreign interventionism within the plot.
While I watched the movie, I started to realize in more clarity some of the issues I had with the first Squad. David Ayer’s version had some interesting visual flair, but I didn’t necessarily *like* any of the characters. Your protagonist doesn’t have to be a boy scout for me to get behind you, but the 2016 movie did more showing than telling in terms of defining its characters as bad guys, and they mostly spent a lot of time complaining before they came to something of a consensus in that bar scene 2/3rds through it. The 2021 Squad gets a bit more time to get to know each other and I understood their motivations better, so it feels more meaningful when the team starts having internal conflicts.
I won’t spoil anything for you, but Gunn realizes this movie is titled “Suicide Squad” and thus this sequel’s got a higher mortality rate than your average comic book movie. Since they’re ex-villains that means they’re inherent;y less sympathetic and you see a lot of comically violent demises, almost in the mold of an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon (also, Harley goes into weird psychedelic fantasies when she’s taking out troops, which is an odd touch). When it’s time for the plot to become more serious, the style of action transitions fairly well, and there are still some slightly humorous touches while it’s still able to keep the audience engaged.
Even though this sequel feels brisker than before, the crew’s still able to mine plenty of memorable character moments from their actors. My one issue on that front is outside of some cool moments with Starro and Waller getting pissed- and this is a mild complaint I had about GOTG1- like Ronan the Accuser, the generals of Corto Maltese are more of an obstacle for the protagonists to overcome, as opposed to a true breakout villain, one that could be featured on the “Vile Eye” YouTube channel. Juan Diego Botto as one of the dictators tries to mack on Harley a bit, but aside from that, like the Guardians, the Squad has to primarily get through their own past traumas to save the day. I guess that was the intent with Jared Leto’s Joker the first time around, but the problem was it felt like he was acting out a different movie than the rest of the cast.
I can see why Cena’s Peacemaker is such a breakout character- he’s a genuinely chilling hybrid of the Punisher and John Walker as Captain America who’s convinced all his bloody deeds are for a greater cause, while also coming off like a goofy blowhard. And as charismatic as Will Smith is, I’ve never bought him in the sort of gritty roles that Ayer tried to mold him in with Bright and the 2016 Squad. Elba as Bloodsport, who’s also on this mission to help his daughter, feels much more believable and desperate, like a mercenary who’s legit seen some shit.
Granted, I do realize Gunn was specifically trying not to make King Shark look too cute, but he still comes off pretty lovable thanks to his childlike innocence and Stallone’s sweet big lug performance. Melchior’s Ratcatcher is easily the heart of the film, basically guiding the Squad’s morality evolution, and Polka-Dot Man’s backstory is amusingly morbid.
So long as DC is willing to give its directors and writers the range of creative space it did with Gunn’s Suicide Squad, I think their film division can move past the black eye that Batman vs. Superman along with the first Squad and Justice League’s mixed receptions left them. It should be to where Marvel can diversity with things like GOTG, the Captain America stories and things like Spider-Man can each feel distinct, while DC can also display its variety with more upbeat fare like Shazam, Aquaman, and the Donner-like Wonder Woman while also making room for a little bit of gallows humor with heart, as this film has.
I can easily recommend it for the Detective Comic faithful and anyone looking for an action film that sticks out. If you’d had the chance to peep it, let us know your thoughts on FAN’s social media as always!