Have you ever wondered what an R-rated Guardians of the Galaxy would look like? Look no further. The Suicide Squad (2021), from the same director in James Gunn, is the answer. *The first section will be spoiler-free and the second section has more!*
You might remember there was another Suicide Squad back in 2016 starring Will Smith. Unfortunately, that film was an utter disaster. The director, David Ayer, had a quality track record including Training Day and End of Watch. Both of those are award-winning/worthy films. It's true that Warner Bros sunk their claws into his vision and changed it a lot. This happens more than you think, so we may never know what his actual movie would have been like.
This time around, Warner Bros let James Gunn complete his version, and it is much better.
They searched high and low for all kinds of actors including Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Nathan Fillion, John Cena, Joel Kinneman Michael Rooker, Sylvester Stalone, Viola Davis, Daniela Melchior, and others. The cast works well together including Robbie and Elba in their leading roles. Stalone is hilarious as a giant shark, and there is a cute little rat that may be my favorite character.
What character has the best character arc? It's surprisingly Ratcatcher #2. Her story is compelling and goes through a wide range of emotions. Bloodsport makes a good case for the best too. Also, let's remember that Polka-Dot Man is the DC universe, and it's fantastic. It's better than I could have expected.
Personally, I understand the humor and pace. I like the jokes, dialogue, and action. I'm all for a little rat waving at people he wants to be friends with. You'll understand that if you watch the picture. However, I do understand if you do not since the audience score was 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. It isn't for some, but it was for me. I was skeptical coming in because the recent DC movies have not been consistently good to me. While Wonder Woman and Aquaman (review here) were at or above average, I was not impressed with Batman V Superman, Suicide Squad (2016), or even Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) (review here).
The action really is good. One to mention is at the guerilla fighter camp and another involves Harley Quinn on her own. It proves the idea of a group of villains can be compelling protagonists. Also, the twist isn't shocking, but it is satisfactory. I hesitate to say more to not give anything away.
There is one part I'll mention in the spoiler section that takes away some points, but it's really only one.
***Want to see Slyvester Stalone as a giant shark? Want to see a guy shoot polka dots? Want more of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn? Want some great action sequences? This may be the movie for you! It's probably the 2nd best DC Universe movie so far. My film rating is an A-.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The part I didn't like involved Harley Quinn's interaction with the Maltese dictator. The entire scene was unnecessary. I don't believe it progresses Harley but rather regresses her character. Although it's not explicitly shown, her sexual interactions with him are known and... it's offputting. Besides that, it was just a way for James Gunn to throw in a snide anti-American comment which was also unnecessary and regresses the story. That was a solid 10 point reduction putting the movie at an A-. That was basically all for the issues.
The beginning was certainly a surprise killing half of the introduced Suicide Squad in a Deadpool 2 style. I think it worked pretty well setting up the other characters.
I thought the scene where they accidentally kill the freedom fighters was creative and comedic. It's what we thought we were getting back in 2016 but didn't. Bloodsport and Peacemaker have some memorable moments.
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