Writer and director James Gunn was given the keys to the kingdom for The Suicide Squad, and it clearly shows from the first few moments of the film through its post-credit scene. Is it a sequel? Is it a reboot? At this point, who fucking cares? It’s a guttural, visceral experience laden with gory and explicit violence. There’s foul language aplenty, and an inappropriate, dare I say, vile sense of humor that permeates the vibe throughout the film. We’re exposed to gruesome death at every turn, and yet, I can’t stop laughing. “Why am I laughing right now?” “Is my fiancé secretly judging me for laughing at this right now?” “Am I a sociopath for finding the humor in this?” All thoughts that crossed my mind while watching Gunn’s gonzo, bonkers ass affront to the concept of refinement and class.
But, aside from all the lolz, there’s an interesting, fresh, and heartfelt story underneath, and I think that’s something that Gunn has shown a particular knack for in his foray into comic book movies. In a weird way, we get our own sort of hero’s journey with Bloodsport (Idris Elba), who starts as a grizzled, feisty antihero, and ends up becoming a true leader. Elba played the role to a T, clearly having fun with it, but putting some real substance behind the character when called upon. The dick measuring between Bloodsport and Peacemaker (John Cena) made for some of the most fun and unexpected humor in the film. The chemistry and the dynamic between Elba and Cena was fantastic.
But, if you ask me, it was Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2 who stole the show. The arc of Ratcatcher 2, to me, is what really gave this movie real heart. I know a lot of folks are praising Cena and David Dastmalchian, and rightfully so, but without Melchior’s performance, I don’t know that The Suicide Squad hits quite as hard as it does in the feels department. That’s definitely an added bonus to me. I also liked the way the Harley Quinn was used in this movie. This may be a separate conversation for a different day, but I feel like there is sometimes a tendency to rely on fanboys’ infatuation with Quinn to sell shit, and I’ve never been a big fan of the character (even back in the days of Batman: The Animated Series). But, Margot Robbie was really dialed in for this one – there weren’t any zany one-liners from Quinn that took me out of the story, the comic relief was timed and placed well, she wasn’t so over the top like a caricature of the character, and her fight scenes were fucking badass. Gunn got this jaded stick in the mud to come around on the Harley Quinn character – I’ll concede that.
We all knew that Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) could be downright ruthless, but Gunn wrote her in a way that made her intentions a little more vague, and at times, she felt like one of the antagonists of the film. Hell, maybe she was in the end. But, she was just one of many characters that were presented as complex and were interesting for it. Even Starro the Conqueror – you understand why that big bastard might be a little bit pissed off and eager to take down a whole fuckin’ city.
The whole beautiful tale (Beautiful? Really? I’m re-thinking what I know about myself because of this movie…) is tied together wonderfully by Ratcatcher (Taika Waititi), who shows up in a flashback to really hammer home the soul of this movie – if rats have a purpose, so must we all. I don’t want to get too deep, because I don’t think that’s the real spirit of The Suicide Squad, but I do enjoy meaning in a movie, and I always look for that one good thought or idea in a film that rocks you and this was it. While The Suicide Squad takes obvious and blatant shots at American imperialism and foreign policy, this is the most powerful, and harmonic, takeaway from the movie to me – that no matter who we are (or what atrocities we’ve committed), there can still exist a greater purpose for us all.
It’s really hard to compare this to the other Suicide Squad movie, and frankly, I don’t know that there is a comparison. It just shows what a shot in the arm getting the right writer and director for these properties can be. Thankfully, we’ll be getting more of it, as Gunn and Cena will reunite for a Peacemaker series on HBO Max. There’s no word on an official sequel for this flick yet. Though it didn’t exactly rake in the dough at the box office this weekend, I wouldn’t exactly be concerned about it. The reviews are, by and large, positive, and I’d imagine that the surge in Big Delta is probably keeping a lot of people at home who were more open to a return to theaters about a month ago.
And, in case you’re wondering how our resident film critic, Brandon Vick, weighed in on The Suicide Squad, he rated it the elusive 4/5 on the #VicksFlicks meter:
Writer-director Gunn is delectably gaga in his more reboot than sequel comic book spectacle about a band of supervillain deviants w/ no choice but to do America’s dirty work. It’s ultra-violent, darkly funny, & surprisingly sweet. There’s hardly a character that doesn’t get their time to shine, giving viewers a peek into their scarred souls & adoring them all the more for it. Elba, Cena, & Robbie are the champs, but it’s extremely evident as to why King Shark (voiced by Stallone) is a fan favorite. Getting off on mirthfulness & mayhem, this is inarguably one of DC’s very best. The determining factor is Gunn’s unyielding & unparalleled vision that’s splattered far & wide, assembling a much more superior Squad.
If you’re asking me for the old gun-to-my-head ranking, I’d say this movie is a master class in how to make a comic book movie with a wealth of source material still feel fresh and original. It’s right up there with Deadpool in my book in that regard. I think it’s instantly the best movie DC has trotted out in this iteration of its “universe,” and this might sound like in-the-moment sensationalism, but I really believe that it at least belongs in the conversation with the greatest comic book movies of all time.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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