The Suicide Squad
Yes, The Suicide Squad is better than David Ayer’s abysmal Suicide Squad (2016), but it wouldn’t have taken much to merit that accolade.
Perhaps it’s that subterranean bar, a desire to bring his schlocky Troma roots to the mainstream, or any number of others factors, but James Gunn’s take on a rag-tag group of criminals, sprung from prison by the U.S. government for a top-secret, world-saving mission, doesn’t aim as high as it seemingly could.
From the start, however, it’s clear that someone with good sense is behind the camera. Comfortable with big-budget filmmaking after two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Gunn flexes his visual skills early and often as Savant (Michael Rooker, looking like a relic from the grunge era) is pulled out of custody by Director Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), injected with a tracking device that will explode his head if he goes rogue, and thrust into a new Task Force X mission.
The helicopter ride over teams Savant with Suicide Squad survivors Col. Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and Boomerang (Jai Courtney), plus some new faces played by the likes of Nathan Fillion and Pete Davidson, and the mysterious Weasel, a bizarre, wheezing humanoid rodent whose power appears to be making people uncomfortable.
Working with feature-length R-rated material for the first time since Super (2010), Gunn fills his frames with carnage and profanity as the crew attempts to infiltrate the South American island nation of Corto Maltese and destroy a former laboratory with U.S. ties before the newly instilled military regime gets its hands on the tech inside.
Things don’t go quite as planned, but in an odd bait-and-switch, the action quickly pivots to a second unit arriving with far less fanfare just up the coastline. Led by talented assassin Bloodsport (Idris Elba), the group also includes the similarly gifted yet allegedly superior Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher 2 (Portuguese TV star Daniela Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian, Ant-Man and the Wasp), and the fish/human hybrid Nanaue, aka King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone, giving his best performance in years).
As they proceed toward their target, Gunn works in such creative sights as a fight sequence seen in the reflection of Peacemaker’s shiny helmet and an origin story flashback for Ratcatcher 2, involving her namesake father (Taika Waititi), that’s projected on an automobile window.
Imagination technically abounds throughout The Suicide Squad, especially when the gonzo King Shark is on screen, but often takes the form of details that are weird for weird’s sake rather than in the service of developing its numerous characters. These elements are also tied to a mediocre story that takes about seven tangents too many, including several flashbacks that aren’t as witty as Gunn apparently thinks and disrupt the tonal consistency viewers have come to expect from the filmmaker.
Nevertheless, it’s a good, at times very good adventure whose greatest achievement may be its “third time’s the charm” joy of finally getting Robbie’s Harley Quinn right. After botched attempts in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, she at last has sharp, funny dialogue, is properly directed, and her action sequences are legitimately badass, rooted in skill rather than luck.
Even so, the film’s unevenness strongly suggests that Gunn’s misfit humor and storytelling belongs with Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot. Hopefully he’s content with having proven he can succeed in the MCU and DCEU and can stick with what he does best.
Grade: B. Rated R. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Biltmore Grande, and Carolina Cinemark. Also available to stream on HBO Max until Sept 5.
(Photo: Warner Bros.)
