With the muddled edgelord mess of a film the first live-action Suicide Squad (2016) was, the brand’s fate as a franchise at Warner Bros. was in question. But then the movie went and grossed $750-million at the global box office, meaning it would be like leaving money on the table not to develop a sequel. But where do you go from there?
Do you go with Option A and give audiences more of the same thing that they clearly kept throwing money at even if it’s not any good, or do you go with option B and lean into a reboot of the brand as something new and fresh in hopes they stick around? Warner Bros. decided to go with option C; All of the above. Enter director James Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad (2021).
The Suicide Squad (2021) is an effective soft-reboot of the franchise that brings back minimal key cast members from the first film like Margot Robbie‘s fan-favorite Harley Quinn and Viola Davis’s hardass government liaison Amanda Waller, and keeps the general premise of “expendable imprisoned bad guys do good in exchange for time off their sentence.” It thankfully bins the rest in order to give audiences a much more enjoyable film from start to finish.
Gone is the “trying too hard to be edgy” tone of the first film and in its place is Gunn’s patented quirky sense of twisted humor coupled with a sense of earnestness. Yes, all of the characters are genuinely “bad guys”, but with the way Gunn writes, they (almost) all have some redeeming qualities to them. You can’t help but root for this rag-tag group of assholes that are doing their best bad for the good of the world.
I won’t delve too deep into the details of the story or plot to avoid spoilers (you won’t learn more here than you learned in the trailers), but the general rundown of the film is that Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is up to her old tricks recruiting former villains of the DC Universe that are deemed expendable to go on deep cover operations. That way, if they are caught or killed, the government can disavow any knowledge of their involvement. Never mind that Waller has each member of the “Squad” injected with an explosive at the base of their skull should they decide to go “off mission.” This time, the mission involves destroying all evidence of a top-secret project that was taking place in the (fictional) South American nation of Corto Maltese following a recent regime change. Waller selects her team and sends them into the heat of battle to complete the mission or die trying.
Storywise, The Suicide Squad is a much more contained movie than many of the other comic book adaptations in recent memory. They don’t waste time with larger world-building and stick to what needs to happen in their own movie, which is a refreshing change of pace. The film cohesively juggles its tone in a way that few directors could pull off. One moment we’re seeing heartfelt character moments, and the next, we’re watching some of the most batshit insane graphic violence ever put to film (You have not truly lived until you’ve watched an 8-foot tall shark-man tear a man in half down the middle!). While there is plenty of action and violence, the movie has more heart than anything else; something that Gunn thankfully brought with him from his time working for Marvel. Gunn’s sharp wit and humor shine through this brilliantly assembled script and make the times between action sequences an absolute dream to sit through.
Even if you ignore the well-written script, just looking at the surface level of The Suicide Squad is a visual masterpiece. The film is, both literally and metaphorically, one colorful series of explosions after another. Between Harley’s “flower” sequence, to Polka-Dot Man‘s powers, to the first-ever live-action adaptation of Starro The Conqueror (which is as colorful as it is ridiculous), and those insanely comic book accurate costumes that many of the Squad members wear, there are very few dull moments in this film. The Suicide Squad‘s 2h12m runtime seems to just briskly breeze on by. Each set piece manages to be memorable and Gunn doesn’t waste a minute of screentime, pulling absolutely no punches with the graphic ultra-violence as various characters meet their fate.
DC Comics fans will definitely be pleased with the level of love put into this movie. The Squad’s roster is packed with lots of deep cuts from the DC Universe, including plenty of characters most general audiences would have never heard of. Hell, even many well versed comic book readers would struggle to name a few of the team members here, with the majority of them making their live-action debut like Blackguard (Pete Davidson), Weasel (Sean Gunn), Javelin (Flula Borg), Mongal (Mayling Ng), Savant (Michael Rooker), T.D.K. (aka The Detachable Kid, played by Nathan Fillion), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), The Thinker (who is present, though technically not on the team, and played wonderfully by Peter Capaldi), and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior)!
We also get the feature-film debut of King Shark (who has appeared in live-action on The Flash television series). Voiced by Sylvester Stallone and played on set by Steve Agee (who also plays John Economos), he steals every scene he is in and somehow makes an 8-foot tall maneating shark-man into the equivalent of The Suicide Squad’s Baby Groot. Rounding out the team are a few fan favorites from the previous film; Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman). We also get some great DC Comics cameos like Calendar Man (also Sean Gunn) and the original Ratcatcher (Taika Waititi).
While everyone gets decent screen time, the real shining stars here are the ones we all keep seeing in the trailers; Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Ratcatcher 2, Polka-Dot Man, and King Shark. To the surprise of no one, Margot Robbie continues to blow away all expectations with her representation of Harley Quinn. The actress has truly come to embody the character and continues to make her mark on her. It has been refreshing to watch Harley evolve into her own person throughout the last few films. And her big action sequence this time around? *Chefs Kiss* Perfection.
Idris Elba’s turn as Bloodsport took over the unofficial ‘leader’ title from Will Smith’s Deadshot in the first film. Elba manages not only to fill those boots but to re-lace them and give them a fresh coat of polish as a much more interesting character. As the world-weary assassin who doesn’t care an ounce about this mission outside of protecting his daughter from Amanda Waller, the nuances of Elba’s performance are breathtaking. Bloodsport is tired. He doesn’t want to be here, but if he is going to do something he is going to do it right.
After seeing his performance here, it isn’t surprising at all to see that Warner Bros. is giving John Cena’s Peacemaker his own television series that is set to serve as a prequel to this film. (Don’t worry, it will be on HBO Max and should be filled to the brim with graphic violence.) Cena has a flawless delivery for several jokes that could have easily fallen flat, and his no-nonsense straight-laced mannerisms elevated what could have been a very forgettable character into an immediate fan favorite. I really look forward to seeing more of him in the new show.
Then there are Polka-Dot Man and Ratcatcher 2. Two characters that upon viewing the early trailers you would probably expect to be throwaway gags but who end up being the heart of the entire film. Both have tragic backstories that will hit you right in the feels, but they both also have many redeeming qualities. Polka-Dot Man is suffering from severe depression and is generally delusional, while Ratcatcher 2 is a truly pure soul who just happens to control an ever-growing army of rats. Both of them feel out of place on the team, but as almost the entire Suicide Squad is made up of outcasts and rejects, they are right at home among the rest.
Finally, we come to King Shark, who is… shockingly adorable? You wouldn’t expect it, but King Shark is big, soft, and loveable once you get past those rows of sharp, pointy teeth and the fact that he casually eats people on a regular basis. He may not have a whole lot to say, but there is just something about this big goof that you can’t help but find endearing. Yes, we watch him nonchalantly eating a man’s head as if it were an apple, but King Shark is just a big hungry toddler that cares deeply for his new friends.
Even those who aren’t the film’s main focus have some great moments. My personal favorite member of this massive ensemble was Weasel, but Javelin, Savant, and T.D.K. all have some truly funny moments. Carryovers from the previous film like Boomerang and especially Rick Flag are given more to do and better characterization so that you actually care about what happens to them.
Every single member of this film’s gargantuan cast fits their role perfectly, even if that role is just more meat for the grinder. Before the release of the film, James Gunn has been quoted saying “don’t get too attached to any of these characters,” and he absolutely stayed true to his word with the majority of them are gone before the end credits roll. Many of these characters are downright scummy, and they make sure to establish early on that they are the bad guys just “playing hero,” so when we see them go, it isn’t too jarring. I won’t name names, but there are several actors in this film that I can’t stand. I don’t even have a good reason, they just annoy me, and I am generally not a fan of their work. That said, it is VERY satisfying to see them gratuitously dispatched on screen here.
As always, with a new James Gunn film, the soundtrack is loaded with plenty of bangers that will be stuck in your head for days. There are newer hits like ‘Can’t Sleep‘ by K. Flay and ‘Rain‘ by Grandson and Jessie Reyez, plus plenty of classics like ‘People Who Died‘ by The Jim Carroll Band, ‘Folsom Prison Blues‘ by Johnny Cash, and ‘Hey‘ by The Pixies. Then, of course, there is the epic action-oriented score by composer John Murphy, who gives this ensemble project so much of its chaotic energy. Murphy is severely underrated but has consistently pumped out some of the best scores in the industry for years, making him a perfect match for this project.
There may not be such a thing as a “perfect film,” but what James Gunn has given with The Suicide Squad is pretty damn close, as far as comic book films go. The frantic energy and quick-witted humor combined with over-the-top visceral carnage and a profound level of sincerity make for a film that checks all the boxes and provides a rollercoaster ride that launches at full speed and never lets up.
To be blunt, The Suicide Squad is probably the most fun I have had with a movie in ages. I am greatly looking forward to countless rewatches in my future, and I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. Go see it! Or watch it at home on HBO Max. Just watch it as soon as possible. You won’t regret it.
