DC Rises.....Again: The Suicide Squad Review
It’s no secret that DC Comics has struggled to reach the heights of Marvel Comics in the film department. Since the inception of the DC Extended Universe (or DCEU) the films have been divisive at best, or outright unwatchable at worst, with rare exceptions like Wonder Woman or Shazam! bringing color and levity to an otherwise dour, overly serious pantheon of films. One of the earliest attempts to break from Zack Snyder’s chokehold on the direction of the DCEU was 2016’s Suicide Squad, a confused, brutally edited picture that couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a dark character drama or an over-the-top action ensemble piece a la The Expendables. Personally, I believed Suicide Squad to be a guilty pleasure film, thrilled to finally see some of my favorite DC villains on the silver screen, like Killer Croc, Katana and of course, Harley Quinn. It had some funny moments and it was great to see Will Smith on screen. However, these bright spots faded with time, and I’d come to mostly forget about Suicide Squad. So, when I heard a sequel was being produced, I was skeptical. After seeing James Gunn’s, The Suicide Squad (2021), I can safely say that my expectations were blown out of the water – and I’m excited for the future of the DCEU.
The Suicide Squad takes place sometime after its similarly named predecessor, once again focusing on Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie), Rick Flag (played by Joel Kinneman) and a host of supervillains as they are sent to the fictional country of Corto Maltese to eradicate all traces of an extraterrestrial secret weapon known as “Project Starfish.” Along with the returning cast, we have a host of new characters who distinguish themselves in the surprisingly brisk two hours we have with them. Along the way you’ll find that unlike 2016’s film, no one is safe, and this mission may very well be suicide.
Idris Elba aka Bloodsport
First, we have Bloodsport (played by Idris Elba). When I initially saw trailers for this film, I took him to be something of a “discounted Deadshot” as like Will Smith’s character from the 2016 film, he’s a master assassin forced into the Suicide Squad to help his daughter. However, that’s where the two’s similarities end. Whereas Deadshot is seen as a kind and loving father, Bloodsport is far closer to what you expect from a master assassin, a distant, cold person, and an awful role model his daughter wants nothing to do with, even trading expletives with her during visitation. Bloodsport plays the role of leader, but far more reluctantly than the charismatic Deadshot did. He has his own fears and motivations that are well-explored throughout the film, and it elevates him far beyond my initial assumption.
King Shark: Vocals by Slyvester Stallone, Body by Steven Agee
David Dastmalchian aka Polka Dot Man
Other newcomers to the team include Ratcatcher 2, Polka-Dot Man and King Shark. Ratcatcher 2 (played by Daniela Melchior) is easily the emotional center of The Suicide Squad, with a rather touching backstory and a personal attachment to Bloodsport that grows throughout the film and is heartwarming to experience. Polka-Dot Man (played by David Dastmalchian) is easily one of the most compelling characters in the film due to his surprisingly dark past and bleak, yet sardonic approach to the squad’s perilous mission, as well as the darkly hilarious effect he can have on the film’s visuals. The fact The Suicide Squad turned one of the biggest joke villains ever into something so fascinating is honestly worth the price of admission alone. King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone and played on-screen by Steven Agee) is the film’s brute and main source of comic relief, hitting a happy medium between the intelligent collaborator of the Harley Quinn animated series and the strong, mostly silent warrior from Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. He was easily my favorite of all the squad, and I was always rooting for him to survive whenever things got intense.
Daniela Melchior aka Ratcatcher 2
All that said, the standout member in The Suicide Squad was easily Peacemaker (played by John Cena). With this film, I believe Cena has cemented his transition from WWE wrestler to legitimate actor, something only Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has done up until now. Cena’s Peacemaker is a hard-edged soldier, willing to do anything and everything to preserve peace, despite any and all death, destruction or misery that might be wrought along the way. His matter-of-fact delivery makes for some great laughs throughout, and his convictions lead to some truly compelling conflicts later. After all is said and done, I’m really glad to hear that we will get to explore this character further in the standalone Peacemaker miniseries, coming to HBO Max in January 2022.
John Cena aka Peacemaker
Now, if you’ll permit me, I’d like to stand on my soapbox for a bit here. Some of you out there may be decrying this film for its deviation from the darker formula that the DCEU was founded on, especially with the recent release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. However, in my opinion, the Snyder-era of the DCEU was produced with a fundamental misunderstanding of what I believe the DC Universe’s greatest strength has been – the way it inspires others. Marvel Comics set out and succeeded by creating characters that people could relate to, that could be anyone. It’s why Spider-Man remains one of the most iconic superheroes ever made. But many people forget that Spider-Man came after Superman, after Batman, after Wonder Woman. All superheroes, while we can never be them, we always strive to be like them: to put more good into this world than the bad, to be kind and help others. That’s why Superman is my favorite hero – he is the ideal that we can all aspire to be.
Yet, so many people hate Superman because “he isn’t relatable”, so we get misguided attempts like Man of Steel, which equates trauma to relatability at best, and compares Superman to prominent religious figures at worst. Superman isn’t here to be relatable; he isn’t here to be pitied. He’s here to save the day. It’s what he does, and he does it with a smile on his face because his family raised him to respect others, to help the less fortunate and to do what’s right. So, to see Zack Snyder spend three (or more like four) films making the heroes I look up to dour, lifeless and hate-filled, feels like a spit in the face to them and everything I’ve grown to love about DC Comics.
That’s not to say that these kinds of stories shouldn’t be told in superhero fiction – The Boys and Invincible both portray a darker, bleaker world of superheroes to great effect, but in my opinion, that kind of oppressive voice has no place in a DC Film, outside of Batman. What the DCEU desperately needs right now is reform – a unifying vision that allows for more varied stories, not just the bleak or the fanciful.
Director: James Gunn
If there is one thing the DCEU has been in dire need of since its inception, its proper direction, and that’s something The Suicide Squad has in spades thanks to James Gunn – something I believe this company needs to utilize more of going forward. The Guardians of the Galaxy director brings an astonishingly vibrant color palette to the film, some truly spectacular writing, as well as in my opinion, the first genuinely brilliant cinematography any of these films have had. There are several scenes you can pause and just take in how well framed and beautiful everything is. This is something not even Marvel’s MCU can claim. James Gunn’s gory, experimental style is fully unleashed here in The Suicide Squad, something I’ve not seen since his indie film hit Super or the video game Lollipop Chainsaw, also written by Gunn. Honestly, to fully describe the impeccable cinematography, I’d have to spoil several key scenes, so all I’ll say is ‘Watch The Suicide Squad’. You won’t regret it – it’s the most visually creative superhero film in a decade.
I can only hope that DC recognizes that and gives James Gunn the reins on more films in the future. He’s proven to have the range, the drive and the vision to take DC where it needs to go: toe to toe with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Overall, I Give The Suicide Squad a 9.5/10.
