The Suicide Squad – A Ridiculously Fun Ensemble Piece (Early Review)

2016’s Suicide Squad, despite earning a decent haul at the box office that year, divided audiences and critics alike with many audiences since launching a campaign geared towards convincing Warner Bros. to release director David Ayer’s much different cut of the film. Regardless, the titular squad of villains are getting a refresh in the form of a new film from the twisted mind of James Gunn called The Suicide Squad. The biggest difference between both films is arguably the latter’s 14A/R rating which is something that hindered the former by not letting its characters go the lengths they need to go to be effective. These characters are not great people and maybe we need to be reminded of that and this film certainly earns that rating thanks to its body count. Meanwhile, known for the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Gunn definitely adds some of that same style and personality to this film as he handles its large cast in a balanced way while giving each moments to shine (though it of course favored some over the others). In the end, the film is a blast as it is clear that the cast is having a good time so it’s easy to have a good time right with them.

The Suicide Squad, just like the other film, revolves around a group of convicts (some old and some new) who were roped in to joining a secret, black ops task force known as Task Force X by the cunning Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) in exchange for a lesser sentence. However, they would have to comply or risk death at the hands of a bomb implanted in the base of their skulls. Waller and her team kept watch as the task force embarked on a dangerous mission on the remote island of Corto Maltese where it was unlikely that they would all make it out alive. Suffice it to say that there were some personalities at play here which was one of the many aspects that made this so much fun to watch. Meanwhile, a large collection of personalities can make for a bunch of noise if not handled properly. This film definitely handles these characters where they worked together and sometimes played against each other in a compelling way.

Originally selected for each of their skill sets, the actual mission perhaps did not go according to plan but it was in this disorder that the film was ultimately at its best. While it wasn’t clear whether or not these characters and the task force would work out together, watching their relationships cultivate over the course of the film was another highlight. This fact is simply a testament to the script, direction, and chemistry of the actors. When it came the mission, the task force soon figured out that it was not as clear-cut as it seemed as they found themselves embroiled in a civil war in the midst of their main mission to destroy anything connected to an experiment called Project Starfish. Things were not so black and white as the human side of it all became increasingly apparent though being the wildcards that they are, the mission (and the film itself) would not be a straightforward process. Despite plenty of hijinks, they somehow still keep finding a way.

Underneath all those hijinks, the big action set pieces, and the blood and gore, The Suicide Squad also excels when it comes to character development where they actually grow as characters over the course of the film in an engaging way. Instead of having them just be there as a gimmick to play against each other for comedic effect, the film shows considerable care towards its characters regardless of how long they may last in it. This made it easy to care about them and connect to them on an emotional level as audiences. Having the majority of characters be lesser known comic book characters only added to this as many will be learning about them for the first time here. That being said, the action sequences were inventive and many were grand in scale and were exciting to watch, boosted by some decent special effects with a lot of them being practical and adept camerawork. The fight choreography should also be commended, following in the footsteps of last year’s Birds of Prey.

Now it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the performances across the board were all stellar as the impressive cast of The Suicide Squad give it their all while having a blast as their admittedly ridiculous characters. Robbie, Elba, and Cena may get top billing here and all deliver as Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, and Peacemaker respectively, surely attracting some attention for the film, but it was those who are further down the list that deserve to be recognized. David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, and Sylvester Stallone as the voice of King Shark were all scene-stealers for how they each bring heart to their characters. Finally, for those wondering if more will come of this new franchise hopeful beyond that of the already announced Peacemaker series, the door is left open and those who stay until the end will be treated to a few tidbits.

At the end of the day, The Suicide Squad doesn’t take itself too seriously and embraces the ridiculousness to its benefit, making for a fantastic ensemble piece and one of the best DC live-action film adaptations.

still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.