A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Suicide Squad” (2021).
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
What a difference a “The” makes! The original “Suicide Squad” from 2016 was a botched and lacklustre affair, getting just 2.5 stars from me. James Gunn’s semi-reboot is hyper-violent, overlong, totally ludicrous but a whole bunch of fun.
One of many impressive visual images within the film. (Source: Warner Brothers).
Plot Summary:
Amanda Walker (Viola Davis) is again assembling a rag-tag mob of superhero villains – a Dirty Half-Dozen if you will – to undertake a dangerous mission on a foreign island for US interests. Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone) make up one of the teams. Their mission is to kidnap Thinker (Peter Capaldi) to gain access to a secret laboratory where “Project Starfish” is being undertaken. But the foreign government is very much out to stop them, and not everyone can be trusted!
A happy ending at last for Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)? (Source: Warner Brothers).
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, John Cena, Viola Davis, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, David Dastmalchian, Sylvester Stallone.
Directed by: James Gunn.
Written by: James Gunn.
TDK (Nathan Fillion) is a most disarming character. (Source: Warner Brothers).
“The Suicide Squad” Review:
Positives:
- “From the horribly beautiful mind of James Gunn” gushes the trailer. But in this case, they ain’t kidding. The film is (at times) hugely inventive in its visual gags as well as its dialogue. On the DC/Marvel superhero spectrum, this is right up at the “Ragnarok” end in terms of comedy value. It made me guffaw a good dozen times.
- To match that, the action scenes are suitably ludicrous and over-the-top. They feature the most “out there” big-boss since Mr. Stay Puft terrorised New York in the original “Ghostbusters”!
- All the cast seem to be having a blast, which carries you, as the audience, along with the fun. Both Viola Davis and Idris Elba add real gravitas at the middle of it all, but Robbie’s reprise of Harley Quinn tends to get all the best lines and the most memorable sequences. Her petal-strewn decimation of a platoon of security guards is something to behold.
- But of the lesser-known names it’s Daniela Melchior who really stood out for me as Cleo Cazo – Ratcatcher 2. This appears to be the first non-Portuguese feature she’s done, and a great future beckons I think. Such extraordinary screen presence! Loved her character too: a “millennial” who sleeps in and questions what an OHP is!
- Great music choices, as you would expect from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” guy.
Real screen presence. Daniela Melchior, here with Idris Elba. (Source: Warner Brothers).
Negatives:
- Like Polka-Dot’s mum, the comedy style is all over the place! (You have to have watched the movie to understand that gag!). I guess that’s true of any comedy, but a number of the jokes feel contrived and didn’t fully land.
- There is just so much gratuitous violence in this one that I am frankly amazed that the BBFC awarded it only a UK “15” certificate (this is my second query in a row to the BBFC – they need to employ me!). I reckon this will prove to have the highest body-count of any movie in 2021. It’s all done in a comic-book style, but when “Army of the Dead” (review still to follow) gets an “18”, I’m not quite sure why this is much different.
The man is a movie-make superhero. James “Guardians of the Galaxy” Gunn. (Source: Warner Brothers).
Summary Thoughts on “The Suicide Squad”:
I’d mentally set myself up to really hate this one. But the opposite turned out to be true. As a comedy it made me laugh like a drain at times, and although some of the violence went somewhat over the top for me, I thought it to be a fine summer popcorn blockbuster (but very much for adults).
Trailer:
The trailer for “The Suicide Squad” is here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg5ciqQzmK0.
