The Suicide Squad
review by Bobby Blakey
![THESUICSQD21_WW_4KOSLV_FINALSKEW_3D_1000782119_6403f4f4[1][2]_edited.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/088b68_528e37a99e7847d5924efe1abb07ea81~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_378,h_512,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/THESUICSQD21_WW_4KOSLV_FINALSKEW_3D_1000782119_6403f4f4%5B1%5D%5B2%5D_edited.jpg)
In 2016 director David Ayer brought the most unlikely team to the big screen with Suicide Squad. I loved the film but not everyone did. Thankfully it’s not the last we’ve seen of the team now that Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has stepped into bring his vision of the bad guys bringing the chaos to the back with The Suicide Squad. Could this latest version step up what can be done with this unlikely group or will it be literal suicide?
The Suicide Squad welcomes you to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.
This time around the film features some returning cast from the original film including Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman and Jai Courntey with new additions joining in on the fun including David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Joaquin Cosio, Nathan Fillion, Mayling Ng, Flula Borg, Sean Gunn, Julian Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Steve Agee Tinashe Kajese, Daniela Melchoir, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, Idris Elba and Michael Rooker. Right out the gate this film lets you know it’s going to be a different type of film and nobody is safe, no one!
James Gunn has taken everything that made his Guardians of the
Galaxy films so great and not only amped it up, but gave it a heartfelt demented twist to create the perfect film worthy of the Suicide Squad title. While it does clearly connect to the previous films in the characters it is very much its own thing in every way possible. Despite it featuring a plethora of characters Gunn juggles them to perfection giving them their moment to shine in varying ways. Some of the more standout are ones like Dastmalchian’s Polkadot Man whom I had no interest in and ended up being one of the best. Elba gets the most to do bringing a hard edge leader character to the forefront with some great weaponry and more story there that has yet to be fully explored.
While King Shark isn’t a Hammer head like in the comic and instead more akin to Erik Larsen’s Mako from Savage Dragon still manages to work. He is a fully fleshed out fun character bringing the laughs and destruction throughout all brought together with Stallone’s perfect voice casting. Robbie is great as Harley Quinn again with probably the best version of the character to date and clearly having a blast with it once again. After seeing his character Peacemaker and John Cena’s hilarious performance it is not surprising that he is getting the well-deserved spin off series on HBO MAX.
We get to see more behind the curtain of the Belle Reve Task Force X program complete with Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller being as vicious as ever. Where this film really shines is the action that is fun and hyper violent. There is plenty of blood, body parts and carnage from beginning to end and rightly so. It makes no sense to make a movie with this kind of team that isn’t Rated Ra and here it fully embraces it in every way possible. I love this movie and have no issue saying it rates right up at the top of one of my favorite comic book flicks ever.
This is a world tailor made for Gunn and I hope he will be diving back in to bring us more obscure villains to bring the chaos. I was baffled by the choice of big bad here, but it makes so much sense for the insanity of it all and a blast to see a character I never would have expected come to life. Be sure to stay to the end of the credits for an after credit scene that is important for the future of the franchise.
In addition to the film this release also includes bonus content including a gag reel, deleted & extended scenes, trailers, commentary, and numerous featurettes taking fans behind what it took to bring this latest chapter of the heroic villainy to life. Grab your copy of The Suicide Squad available now on digital and then on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on October 26th from Warner Bros Home Entertainment.