When I left James Gunn's new film, I was exhausted yet satisfied. Walking to my car, "The Suicide Squad" was humming in my head like one of the classic tunes (a Gunn staple) featured in his DCEU entrance. Ladies and gentlemen, this is how you make a splash.
This film isn't derivative at all of its predecessor; simply the inside of the St. Louis native filmmaker's wildly unhinged brain, turned to high heat for two-plus hours. Those going into the latest collection of supervillains should know this isn't your grandpa's squad. "The Suicide Squad" isn't the watered-down, thanks-for-trying-but-no-thanks version that Warner Brothers Pictures shredded from David Ayer's cut five years ago; Gunn's joint flat-out sizzles for 132 non-stop minutes.
There's enough visual dazzle in this film for three regular movies; the equivalent of the kitchen sink being tossed at the wall... twice for good measure. But in Gunn's world, that's the point. Go for all of it instead of a half-measure. Love or hate Ayer's infamous cut, that's what it was. A collection of types. This new take is something else.
We got a taste of his heartfelt anti-hero soulfulness in the two "Guardians of the Galaxy" films for the Marvel Cinematic Universe — but in DC's new go-for-broke playground, the filmmaker is let off the chain in a big way.
Let's go over a tasting of the plot without giving too many goods away. A collection of Earth's most dangerous and wicked, yet highly entertaining, (and that's a good way to sum up the entire film) criminals: Idris Elba's Bloodsport, John Cena's Peacemaker, Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn among other misfits--including a few cast members from Ayer's film (Hello, Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang). They are brought together to retrieve and destroy evidence relating to a mysterious Project Starfish. Forget the plot here. In this film, the devil is in the details.
"The Suicide Squad" is stuffed with colorful characters that are nowhere near your normal cinematic gang of anti-heroes. Cena gets to tap into his most endearing traits, and that's a combination of action heroism and raw comedy. The part-time wrestler plays the corrupted Captain America type that you can't trust much further than you attempt to throw him, which allows Cena to spew hilariously profane dialogue and have a ball playing a character.
Elba is thrilling as ever with a cunningness attached to his charisma as the alpha of the group. He also gets to work outside the box as Robert Dubois, the man who put Superman in the ICU.
Robbie showed us her femme fatale's show-stopping skills in last year's "Birds of Prey," and she gets her moments here to show Quinn's knack for unexpected humor during adventures.
Joel Kinnaman supplies dry wit and energy as the noble one who inadvertently became the leader of the group. He adds a poetic touch to one of the very few good eggs of the operation.
There's also a deadly (sorry, Flag) weasel, a wild-eyed Michael Rooker with lovely long hair and even better hand-eye coordination, the under-appreciated David Dastmalchian, and Pete Davidson. Get ready to see familiar faces play Texas hold 'em with the superhero movie genre.
Gunn subverts our expectations early on with an unconventional-yet-genius plot twist, and the insanity only goes up from there. "The Suicide Squad" doesn't slow down that often and even when it does, it's more of a flyover bathroom break suggestion than a giant unneeded plot thread.
Everything that happens between start and end here is inspired, hitting the mark or getting close enough. Whatever you don't love, you'll still laugh at and admire. Yes, Sylvester Stallone voices King Shark, and it's absolutely hilarious. The stunning Viola Davis is as ruthless as ever as the lady in charge of the whole stunt, bringing a viciousness to the table that gives the film a good portion of its backbone. The intense scene in the trailer between her and Elba's mad man plays just as hot during the actual film.
But thankfully, Gunn's "Squad" never gets too heavy or morbid. You'll laugh at character deaths here more than you'll want to cry. It stays light on its feet with some unpredictable outcomes delivered in sometimes brutally blunt fashion (we literally see a man stabbed in the heart, like inside the chest). But it's relentless in its pursuit of unfiltered action-comedy. If ingested with the right amount of heart, the effects can be stimulating. No one outside of Quentin Tarantino can challenge Gunn's soundtrack selections, and they are top notch here — kicking things off with a Johnny Cash classic.
It's no lie. "The Suicide Squad" is a bit much at times (my eyes are still recovering 10 days later) but if you want something different with an authentic sense of humor, this is your ticket. There's something here for everyone, comic book fans and casual moviegoers alike. You don't have to watch Ayer's film beforehand, but it won't hurt anything. Gunn clears the deck, delivering some eclectic summer madness at the movie theater.
