There are many reasons as to why the UK is better than the USA, our humour, David Attenborough and….. early releases. The Suicide Squad is a follow up to 2016’s Suicide Squad – that is wildly different to its predecessor. From the mind of James Gunn, The Suicide Squad is a fresh, exciting, breath-taking affair that utilises every character over a word that can only be described as a masterclass in filmmaking.
Whilst many will ridicule the original (and I definitely didn’t 👀), that film existing allows The Suicide Squad to start as it means to go on. The pace of the movie is electrifying, that is spurred on by strong, bold, creative decisions supported by incredible characters, with a sprinkle of shocks that are truly jaw dropping, leaving you speechless, all plastered on top of beautiful cinematography, visual effects and film-making.
There is a lot of pressure on this movie, not only on James Gunn but also on Warner Bros. who have a history of meddling in DC storytelling. After getting dropped from Guardians of the Galaxy 3 (before rightly getting reinstated) Warner Bros swopped in and hired him for the sequel. It’s one thing to give the director freedom and another to embrace it and Warner Bros. after all the scolding that many have given, really backed James Gunn, with his name being plastered all over the promotional material.
James Gunn once again shows his strength in filmmaking, and so whilst of course we will go onto the story and the characters it would be amiss not to take a moment and soak in the beautiful movie that is created. When you watch the movie, above all else what is noticeable is the distinct touch of James Gunn. And, whilst some may hate the movie or love it – the scenes that are filmed have to be some of the most beautiful of the year, with the rain scene being a chef’s kiss.
Furthermore, James Gunn’s touch is embedded in the movie – as he takes a different route of film-taking, choosing to play around with time and delivering messages all over another incredible soundtrack! As expected from a James Gunn film, it is very comedy centric, which at times can be hit or miss. But, James Gunn once again revolutionises the genre, genuinely at times removing me from the movie to say : “Wow! This is art”. There is such a high rewatchability factor (at least for some scenes) because of how beautiful they are
Whilst James Gunn does everything right in creating the film, it would be nothing if the story and characters are not delivered. And, The Suicide Squad is a movie that perfectly juggles numerous characters, both old and new through its storytelling and does so by pairing together characters that add to each other, like Bloodsport and Peacemaker. But, as James Gunn does, he is able to utilise the characters, making you fall in love with them – even those that aren’t in the movie for long.
There are so many characters to balance, that the film dedicates all its time to the characters, there are so many characters in fact – for moments during the second act you forget there are other characters who are busy away from the main story having their own storylines.
Idris Elba is phenomenal as Bloodsport (as he always is in everything!), as he brings a level of maturity and realism to the chaos that is surrounding him. And the characters shine as they are teamed up, Bloodsport and Peacemaker who have an incredible conflict. John Cena as Peacemaker will definitely be a topic of discussion but he represents a very interesting perspective, and is a great character! A lot of the hit or miss comedy I spoke about falls on this character, but Jon Cena smashes it out of the park.
If there was a Most Improved Player award given out in films, Joel Kinnaman as Col. Rick Flag takes the award home, as Rick Flag becomes a fan favourite and delivers the most heart-wrenching (😉) scene of the entire film. Echoing back to characters teaming up, Rick Flag is teamed up with Harley Quinn, where Margot Robbie once again excels, taking a massive leap forward after the wayward Birds of Prey
Harley Quinn gets the best action sequence – similar to one Birds of Prey attempted – but smashes it out of the park. However I do wish we got more of her character. Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2 is the heart and soul of the movie by once again grounding the chaos. And, like the others, is paired with King Shark – who I loved! And, then there’s Polka-Dot Man who summarises the film, taking the most obscure character and making them excel!
I hear you… I do. You’re saying, if the film is so amazing, why isn’t it ranked 10/10. Well, because the film does so much, juggles so many characters, it leaves the villain being quite redundant because the film focuses so much on the characters. And so the villain is more a plot device to have a story as supposed to someone I want to see. The lack of a villain isn’t felt, because the rest of the film does so well at being different and fresh.
But the movie is all set as one mission, which adds to the pacing I spoke about, as soon as the film starts, it cracks on. Furthermore, whilst, I have just sung James Gunn’s praises. I feel like there are some themes that are not fully explored that I would have liked to have seen more of. It’s not enough just to elude to a problem. On top of that, whilst the visual effects and filmography is great and the gore allows some great shots, what I will say, is whilst the R rated certificate is appreciated, many may find it unnecessary.
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