Directed By:
James Gunn
Written By:
James Gunn
Starring:
Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena
Genre:
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Rated: R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity
‘The Suicide Squad’ is the revamped pseudo-sequel to 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad’ and is directed from James Gunn. We see some of the original Squad along with a litany of other new team members as they are sent on a top secret mission where if they accomplish it, they get years off of their prison sentence. If they try to escape, the bomb implanted into their heads explodes, so running or failing is not an option.
The cast are all incredible, the standout characters for me being Polka Dot Man, King Shark, & Bloodsport. I loved the introduction of characters I never knew like Ratcatcher 2, and the return of fan favorites like Margot Robbies Harley Quinn. James Gunn again sets up the characters very well in this film with interesting backstories that work with the story.
Story and pacing in The Suicide Squad is where we start to run into problems. There are a lot of non-linear sequences that put you right in the middle of the action but perhaps cut and edited in a way that is more confusing than it is narratively energizing. There were only a couple times I felt a little lost in the story, but if you forgot halfway through eating a delicious meal how you got to the second course, you aren’t paying attention to what’s in front of you.
That being said, I think this film is marred with way to much infighting with the DC fanbase, in which a very vocal group insist Gunn should be fighting for David Ayers cut of Suicide Squad rather than his own film. These people would never be satisfied with The Suicide Squad one way or another, and should consider that moving into Matt Reeves The Batman.
Overall, I had a good time with this film! Is it perfect? No, but it’s damn good fun in the R-rated tone we wanted the first time. James Gunn did a great job and I hope to see him return for more DC properties in the future.
