In terms of movies that have the most attenti9on, this film has to be 9unrivaled in the year 2021. All eyes were on James Gunn and his brief endeavor onto the DC side following a brief exit with Marvel.
that only serves as the first part of the story behind this movie as it is also a soft reboot of the franchise that was supposed to spawn the rest of the DC Extended Universe, and after its disastrous reception (despite a good Joker by Jared Leto) it would have been obvious that Suicide Squad was dead in the water as a property.
For those who believed that it is clear that being wrong has never felt better, as The Suicide Squad is easily one of the most refreshing superhero movies in a long time.
And it is because the film is simple, sticks to the basics but subverts the expectations of the normal comic book movie cliches at its most important moments.
From the start, the ensemble cast is on full display as Idris Elba, John Cena, David Dastmilchian, Daniela Melchoir, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis all get character-building scenes that allow their quirks to be on full display. This is where the acting really shines as Gunn seems to direct them to be this heightened reality-version of these characters; something indicative of the comic-book movie but properly highlighted here.
In terms of plot, the film is very straightforward with its narrative as the group known as the Suicide Squad go on their “suicide” mission to stop a foreign dictator, which turns into a whole metaphor for capitalist influence in insurgencies in other countries with financial/power gains but Starro does offer a different kind of villain to the DCEU as it is neither a beam nor in the sky at night.
The cinematography of this film is boldly gorgeous, in the sense that it is actually a little too crisp and clean for the sake of the film, as it could have benefitted from straying away from that overly colorful palette at times but it does give the film a real comic-book-like luster.
Musically, the film has use of source music and popular music to give it an energetic edge that encapsulates its fun nature but it doesn’t become obscenely overused or constantly changing like a jukebox like the 2016 version, which just seemed to play a new song every 90 seconds just for the sake of it.
Margot Robbie is in full swing as Harley Quinn, and whether its experience in the shoes of the criminal or just purely great casting, she is and has been one of the highlights of the DCEU and her arc as she fell in love with a dictator (played by Juan Diego) was excellently executed as it allowed her character to breathe as a uniquely chaotic hero.
It must be noted that this movie, in all its glory, is not to be enjoyed by all. It would be easy to see this as an exploitation film in the realm of the 70s schlock but it shouldn’t prove to be a gate on casual viewers as the sharp writing and comedic timing of the actors should offset the openly violent nature of some of the action scenes.
Overall, this movie is a bit goofy in its tone, unforgiving with its treatment of its characters and extremely entertaining at every turn while showing off that James Gunn flair that rides on the heights of pop music while flying with the genuine wave of strong storytelling that makes cinema feel alive again.
9/10
FINAL NOTES:
This is an awesome movie. Totally fun and doesn’t seem concerned with appealing to the mainstream audience, this is a niche film for a niche crowd from a niche director and its beautiful. Really. I think this film has a personal aspect of mine where I want to defend this picture because it just seems free from most of the normal Hollywood tethers and te fact that this movie exists is enough to keep the spirit of cinema alive. Especially for the comic book movie genre.