With the insertion of the word “The” to the title as the only acknowledgment that it is the second film in the series, the title seems to be a dig at its 2016 predecessor, Suicide Squad, which was widely panned. Even though that movie could have been a random take on The Suicide Squad, the new movie is The Suicide Squad, and that’s what counts.
In the DC Cinematic Universe, the Suicide Squad occupies an odd spot. Though it’s not the sequel to Suicide Squad, it’s a kind of sequel nonetheless. Even though it isn’t a reboot, it works in the same way. There is a new creator with this film – James Gunn who did the Guardians of the Galaxy. A much more violent version of the already ultra-violent original, it is rated R. Characters from the show are some of the same ones (and actors), while others are different. The film does not feature Jared Leto as the Joker, which is a good thing. While definitely better than its predecessor, it isn’t all that great by itself.
James Gunn’s track record as a writer and director would fit well with such a film. In addition to being based on characters in the comic books who were relatively unknown at the time of the films, the Suicide Squad is a throwback to Gunn’s early days in film making.
In summary, The Suicide Squad is cheesy, gory, funny, a bit goofy (always a plus for a DCEU film), but it makes little or no sense. Death is a common occurrence in the plot – mostly violent – and the villain is a monster starfish that threatens to end the world. For all its flaws, The Suicide Squad isn’t a bad film in the least. It was very humorous to see all the characters interact with one another and the brutal deaths that took place in the movie.
The main problem with this film (as with the Guardians of the Galaxy films as well) is that the antiheroes are, on the whole, not that exciting or likable. During the course of the second film, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) is the only fascinating character who develops a wider-eyed perspective.
While the other characters have their moments, such as John Cena as Peacemaker and Idris Elba as Bloodsport, King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone as Steve Agee) offers a lot more entertaining moments than his predecessor did.
Although The Suicide Squad is an entertaining movie, there are two significant problems. A major problem with the story is its lack of involvement. As the Squad is assigned a top-secret mission, there is little room for plot development or character development if the mission does not make sense. It’s not unreasonable to expect a film called The Suicide Squad to have both of these elements.
As well as the flaws discussed above, The Suicide Squad depicts shocking violence in an overly violent manner. The gore and violence aren’t a problem for me, but the casual viewer would find it excessive. The first DC movie’s R rating opens the floodgates for more blood and even some sex scenes, as the Deadpool films experienced in the outer reaches of the Marvel universe, however, the blood and guts eventually subside. When presented with extreme violence, an audience is close to being anesthetized.
The Suicide Squad would have been better if it demonstrated a certain amount of self-restraint and tact. However, a film which is populated with criminals probably shouldn’t ask for too much of either. I can see what a DCEU entry might have become if the movie had been a part of the wider DCEU. However, this one appears to be anomalous as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Suicide Squad, an improvement over the 2016 film and it made me forget that it even existed. This is DCEU’s Guardians of the Galaxy in its finest and most violent form, and I can see myself watching it again!
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