Review: "The Suicide Squad"

James Gunn had crafted arguably one of the most successful franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and outside of that he has seen success in smaller films so when it was announced that he had jumped ship to do The Suicide Squad there was a good bit of hype behind the film. The Suicide Squad was largely butchered in it's previous installment with poorly written characters as well as a poor and uneven plot that was ruined probably by studio pressure. The marriage of Gunn and Suicide Squad on the surface seemed like a perfect pairing as his eye for comedy and off-beat characters fit the bill really well for the franchise. Unlike a majority of DC films as of late, The Suicide Squad doesn't miss the mark. Gunn has crafted one of the best films to date and possibly the most purely enjoyable films to have released so far this year.

The plot picks up fast as we find Amanda Haller (Viola Davis) and Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) once again leading a rag tag group of horrible criminals in a mission that could see the criminals lose time off of their prison sentence. However, the mission doesn't ensure their safety and if the group veers off target from their mission Haller can easily have them executed. They send in Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (Slyvester Stallone), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and other supervillains to the remote enemy infused island of Corto Maltese. The group trek through the dangerous island on a search and destroy machine set to help protect the United States all the while Flagg is in charge of keeping them all on their best behavior.

The biggest difference between the original Suicide Squad and Gunn's iteration would be the tone. Gunn excels in leaning into the wackiness of the characters, their costumes and overall existence which then in turn leads to plenty of laughs making the film an easier, more enjoyable watch. For instance, Kinnaman's Flag, now is more likable as a warmer character and more idealistic as opposed to the cynical version of himself in David Ayers' Suicide Squad. That change makes the film easier to follow and truly care for these characters. A familiar tone is also present in Gunn's iteration as family plays a massive part throughout. Daniela Melchior plays Ratcatcher who isn't a recognizable character by any means to the public, but in many ways she is the heart of the film as we learn more about her backstory along the way. As the action slows down in spots her and Elba's Bloodsport shine the most.

Margot Robbie, of course, will always be a massive draw in any DC film she appears in as her performance as Harley Quinn is always going to be a standout. The way she embodies the character should be mentioned along with the greats of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. She does a masterful job in nailing the voice of the character and her unpredictability. In lesser hands the character could easily fall apart, or be played too much for laughs. It is so hard to say one character really stands out in this film or one actor because Gunn truly gives every character their due and all of the main actors do a fantastic job. However, I do expect their to be a rallying cry around more of King Shark. Surprisingly, even John Cena does a remarkable job as Peacemaker. Normally he is a bit lack luster but he fit the role perfectly.

The film is also not without stakes. The name of the film is after all Suicide Squad so you could expect some deaths, and boy it does not shy away from such. It is almost as if James Gunn relishes in such. It also seems, unlike the previous film, that Gunn's take doesn't try to fit into the grand scheme of a bigger universe. DC allowed Gunn to create his own little world and do whatever he pleased, which helped create a more cohesive film. Fans of the director will also notice that a lot of his friends and familiar faces from previous films of his pop in and out of Suicide Squad, sometimes for a laugh and sometimes in a blink and you miss it scene.

Once again, if I haven't hammered the point home yet, The Suicide Squad is just fun. It, however, isn't a perfect film as not many are and does have some pacing issues in the second act that bog it down a bit. The laughs are nearly endless and may just be one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time, in a time that is incredibly difficult to do so mind you. The plot is well done, even though it loses some traction midway through. The action is incredible once it gets going and it features some of the most likable characters, which is it's biggest triumph over previous missteps under the DC/WB umbrella as of late. The film has plenty of heart to go along with the laughs and endless amount of blood that gets splattered throughout.