The Suicide Squad

I really liked THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021).

I’m a big comic book fan, always have been, and a big fan of films like SEVEN SAMURAI, THE WILD BUNCH, THE DIRTY DOZEN, 13 ASSASSINS, and ROGUE ONE. If you offer me the story of a disparate group of ne’er-do-wells with no choice but to complete an impossible mission, one they most likely won’t come back from, but one where they may find redemption, and I’ll give you my attention.

Right away, a lot of people will ask: “Should I watch the first one before seeing this one?” The immediate answer is “No, don’t. It’s terrible,” followed by: “There is no first one. This isn’t a sequel. But also, again, no… don’t. It’s terrible.” To this, people will ask: “but… isn’t there a similarly titled film with some of the same characters?” To which I would answer “Yes, but this one has a THE in the tile, it’s THE Suicide Squad, so it’s different from just… Suicide Squad.” Also, in comics, when a new creative team takes over a continuing title, they will often use the same characters, but sometimes, the things that happened in the comic before they took over will not directly affect the new story, not in any specific way at least, and if it does, it will only be if the new story demands it, in which case, they’ll fill you in as needed. This isn’t the case here, for the most part, so don’t worry about it.

Also, no, don’t watch SUICIDE SQUAD (2016). It’s terrible.

Anyway, is this movie violent? Yes. Gory? Oh yeah. Is there swearing and nudity? Yes, there’s a lot of swearing and a little bit of nudity. Is it also funny, sweet, and a really good time? Yes to all of that too. There’s an inevitable comparison to Guardians of the Galaxy here too, being that they’re both James Gunn films, and it’s fair to say that they have similar characterizations/interactions, but the ideas are completely different, the intent is completely different. This is Gunn welding his GOTG aesthetics onto his old Troma inclinations, and the Suicide Squad, as a franchise, is the perfect place for him to do this.

So… pop music, jokes, violence, and blood galore.

Does it work? Yes, I think so. Some might find that the pacing hitches a little, and the sometimes non-linear script doesn’t always help, and that, while the cast is great, the characters don’t quite mesh in a lovable ragtag way, BUT… they’re also bad guys, so maybe that’s how it should be. Honestly, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, John Cena, Joel Kinnerman, Steve Agee (and Sylvester Stallone), Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, and David Dastmalchian, and all the others, are all fantastic, and they make some iconic characters out of some of the silliest throw-away villains in DC’s particularly deep bench of silly throw-away villains. Then they add Starro the Conqueror into the mix too? The original Justice League of America villain? So good. Perfect. For me, the best part about THE SUICIDE SQUAD is that it takes the DC comics universe seriously, which highlights how god damn ridiculous the whole thing is, but Gunn understands that this the right way to do it. It’s all silly, but that doesn’t mean it’s a joke.

That’s the real sweet spot.

So, yeah, I loved the film, but I’ll admit it, this is another genre where I do give it a bit of rope, and sure, it almost hangs itself, but also, it’s a comic book film, you should know what you’re getting by now, and whether or not you like that kind of thing.

In the end, this gets a big thumbs up from me. It’s funny, smart, surprising, and exciting. It delivers exactly what its supposed to. I loved it. In the greater context of the whole superhero/comic book movie genre, it’s easily the best DC comics movie, and it may even rival some of the better Marvel movies too.