However, the plan goes awry as soon as it begins thanks to Blackguard’s betrayal, leading to the deaths of most of Task Force X. Unbeknownst to them, Waller had set them up as a distraction for a second team to make landfall on another beach on the island. This smaller team is led by Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and features the likes of Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior), Peacemaker (John Cena), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone). With the odds stacked against them, Task Force X’s bravo team has surely earned its nickname as they try to accomplish their latest mission.
To say that David Ayer’s Suicide Squad failed to live up to its potential would be an understatement. Early marketing painted the film to be DC’s answer to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, a film about anti-heroes doing heroic things, but with a darker twist on things. The film certainly had a style and presentation akin to Guardians of the Galaxy, but the end product was a misshapen mess with some well-documented studio mandated changes that drastically changed the movie. However, because the film was a financial hit, we eventually got to this point where at a moment of opportunity, Warner Bros. saw fit to bring in James Gunn for this follow-up.
What audiences get from this film is the realization of the promise that the original movie sold audiences on and more. From the get-go it is apparent just how much freedom Gunn was given to tell this story about incarcerated wack jobs and psychopaths. Fully embracing the weirder and more obscure side of the DC Universe, we’re introduced to a wide assortment of characters to help set the tone of what to expect. In contrast to the long buildup of the previous film, Gunn throws audiences right into the fire, before pulling back to properly introduce the stars of this film.
With this film it’s easy to see how Gunn seamlessly transitioned from Guardians of the Galaxy to The Suicide Squad. There are certain characters that can be viewed as parallels to each other, but the common theme both franchises now share is that at its core it’s about teams of misfits learning to build connections with each other. Keeping things as simple as that allows these new main additions to be fully rounded out with their characterizations and motivations, without dragging down the pacing of the film.
From Bloodsport to Polka-Dot Man, each new member of Task Force X becomes endearing in their own way to audiences as Gunn never forgets to shine a spotlight on each member, which is hilariously emphasized with the conversation about the character of Milton. No one is forgotten and it makes the film all the better for it.
However, you can’t have a cast of characters as affable as these if the performances aren’t there and the cast that Gunn assembled is simply fantastic. Idris Elba leads the way and delivers a typically strong performance, but adds some new twists to Bloodsport that humanizes him, while adding nuance to his character. Viola Davis is very much his equal with her commanding screen presence, while Sylvester Stallone and John Cena provide some of the film’s bigger laughs as King Shark and Peacemaker, respectively. Robbie and Kinnaman return in fine form, reprising their roles from the previous film, but the biggest surprises have to be Daniela Melchior and David Dastmalchian.
The latter two stars are the heart of the film and are more victim than villain as they are where they are due to circumstance rather than choice. Both actors bring some sympathy to their roles and make the characters their own in a way that legitimizes them as real threats of power in spite of their status as being lower tier villains and jokes in the comics.
The action is bloody, the laughs are riotous, and the visuals are bonkers as Gunn just goes for it with every frame of this film. This is a comic book film that goes above and beyond what we’ve come to expect from Marvel and DC and shows just what a director can truly do with a property when given free rein to realize his vision.
The Suicide Squad is without a doubt the comic book film to see this year and is sure to delight, amuse, and excite audiences. ~Paolo Maquiraya
4 out of 5 stars
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