By Gilberto Campa
There are many elements that will often make or break a movie whether it’s the editing, the tone, or the direction. One that doesn’t really get talked about is vision, or in other words the actual way that the director wants the audience to experience the movie. James Gunn, who isn’t a stranger to making unique and interesting films that tear at the heartstrings (due to troubling circumstances) got the opportunity to present his take on “The Suicide Squad”. The track record for DC Films isn’t necessarily the best with critics and audiences having split opinions on them for different reasons. Much of this is due to the fact that Warner Bros is usually hesitant on the reactions to their movies before they come out, which has ended up having a damaging effect on them. This time around Gunn was given the complete authority and reign to tell whatever story he wanted, with any character or characters at his disposal.
Given Gunn’s history with troubled people who end up doing incredible things, it was pretty easy to tell that “The Suicide Squad” was right in his wheelhouse. The first thing to mention is that there is no need to see or know the previous installment (2016’s The Suicide Squad) that is well known for its very negative reaction (from critics), before seeing this film. James Gunn did a masterful job of introducing everyone to the overall premise and what The Suicide Squad is all about, while also giving you a sense of the level of violence and action that you will see throughout the story which when used in moderation helps to keep the audience entertained.
A few of the standouts from the previous installment return for another round as Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman & Jai Courtney reprise their roles as Amanda Waller, Harley Quinn, Rick Flag & Captain Boomerang. With each one of them getting much better material and moments to shine, especially Flag who is much more of a “hero” in this movie and is actually likable. The big bad this time around (without going into spoilers) is very much so worth the sacrifice and importance that the story gives it, and is presented in a very exciting way as one of DC’s oldest and most unique villains get its time to shine. Not every character survives by the end (they are called the Suicide Squad for a reason) but the way that those deaths are presented and handled is intended to keep the audience on their toes and surprised. It was very difficult to love one character over another as some of the new additions to the team did an amazing job.
Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Polkadot man, Ratcatcher 2, and King Shark (my new favorite character) are all introduced and played so well that it’s almost criminal. Idris Elba who is usually very good in anything he is in steps into the reluctant role of leadership and has some very sick action sequences that show how dangerous he can be. John Cena brings his very serious but also somewhat humorous tone to the character of Peacemaker who has a very exciting arch in the movie (with more to come). King Shark (voiced by Rocky himself) is the cutest yet, a most terrifying and powerful member of the team as his antics and empathy for friendship delivers some very heartfelt moments in between all the craziness. By far the character who won the movie for me was Ratcatcher 2 played by Daniella Melchior. Her powers are definitely unlike any other villain/hero as she has the ability to control rats in a very cool way, but it’s the way that she influences some of the members of the team to do better which pays off in a big way in the third act.
Everything about this movie was intentional, direct, emotional without being forced, and looked beautiful all at the same time. Much of the movie was filmed in Panama which was nice to see as this was one of the last movies to be filmed before the Pandemic. The level of detail and passion that Gunn has for these characters and stories overall really translated well on the screen, as a lifelong DC Comics fan I was very impressed with what I experienced. It was nice to see a story that wasn’t trying to set up another movie or mention other characters just to have a name drop, this was a fun, exciting, crazy, and overall great adventure that gave me everything I wanted. I hope Gunn is able to come back and do something else in the world of DC Comics again.