James Gunn could have destroyed an entire island if he wanted to. Accurate numbers for upcoming movies are difficult to come by, but with the original Suicide Squad budgeted at around $175 million, it seems safe to assume that the writer and director of its sequel had some pennies to play with when constructing his take on DCs bankable squad of incarcerated villains-turned-reluctant-antiheroes. What did he do with all that money? He did not create a sci-fi cityscape or do mind-blowing stunts that would make Tom Cruise jealous. No. No. The Suicide Squad's gleefully absurd, anything-goes mayhem feels like a huge-budget version the Troma Studio productions that gave Gunn his start. Thank goodness.Reviews and Reviews of The Suicide Squad B+B+ Director James Gunn Rating R Language English Cast IdrisElba, MargotRobbie, John Cenaman, Daniela Melchior. Sylvester Stallone. Peter Capaldi. Viola Davis. Steve Agee Availability Theaters all over August 6AdvertisementYou have your Ant-Mans and your Shazam!s, but American superhero cinema has taken on the heavy responsibility of being a demigod among a world of helpless victims. The Suicide Squad offers a refreshing alternative to this self-seriousness in tone and content. The simple fact that these supervillains take a lot off the weight is enough to make it worth it. Gunns' film opens with a mass of bodies being torn apart in a wild beachfront massacre. The film shows no regard for civilian or superpowered life and the characters are feigned with such reckless abandon that anything can happen. The film's giddy effect can be compared to eating whippits and doing donuts in a grocery store parking lot.The film's intro is explosive and carries on to the expository scenes. Amanda Waller, boss lady, retrieves Bloodshot (IdrisElba), incarcerated master assassin, from his Belle Reve prison cell. She informs Bloodshot that he has two choices: join Task Force X (a.k.a. His teenage daughter can be sent to Belle Reve jail for shoplifting or the Suicide Squad. This film's Waller is more sinister than the convicts that she manages and her mission is quite simple. Step one: Invade Corto Maltese (a fictional South American banana republic), which has recently been overthrown by its American-backed government. Step two: Free a mysterious piece of alien technology from a laboratory located in the capital under the control of The Thinker (Peter Capaldi), an evil super-scientist. Step three: Do you want to spread freedom or something else?Bloodshot is joined by a whole crew of D-list DC criminals when he arrives on the beach bearing a cache full of very large guns. Peacemaker (John Cena), an ultra-patriotic vigilante dedicated to protecting America's shadier interest; Ratcatcher 2 Daniela Melchior, a thief who has a special affinity with rodents, which she inherited from her dad, was played in flashbacks. Taika Waititi also performed Flashbacks. The Polka Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), is a neurotic mess with mommy problems and a lifetime case of color poisoning. Prince Nanaue (Sylvester Stallone), an imposing galoot who holds a book upside-down and rumbles, so smart me! Enjoy the book! They'll also meet Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), and Harley Quinn(Margot Robbie), who were dropped of the previous night on a top-secret mission with another team of costumed heavies.AdvertisementGunn is a master at creating the dynamic between colorful and offbeat characters. He has three of them in this film. It almost feels like he is displaying his brilliance. The Squads are there, but so is Task Force X HQ's Wallers staff. They watch and comment on the action, much like The Cabin in the Woods' control room crew. Similar to the meta commentary, it is very funny. In one scene, staff place bets on who will die first. They do this in an office conference room, much like they are at an underground dog fight. Steve Agee is Wallers second-in command John Economos. However, it's a difficult task to choose a favorite among the supervillains. King Shark with his large body and childlike mind will be a crowd favorite. Cena is once again a skilled comedic actor, as Peacemaker proves. Melchior is the film's secret weapon. He keeps the crew together even when the guys get too macho.There is a difference between smart-dumbness and just plain dumb. Gunn's cleverness in choosing his targets puts him in the latter category. The Suicide Squad mocks American intervention and exceptionalism, mocking Waller's willingness to commit atrocities as long the public isn't aware. The Squad marches slowly towards the camera, in slow motion, in front of an American flag. This shot is familiar from movies about the U.S. taking names and kicking people in developing nations. This film exposes the absurdity of defending freedom.It's hard to not see that shot as Gunn's flex. He reclaims the stylized aesthetics from Ayers Suicide Squad as his own. The film was apparently recut to look more like Guardians Of The Galaxy. Gunn is certainly more skilled at needle drops than the 2016 Suicide Squad. However, he also has better choices (Guardians of The Galaxy fans will enjoy the AM Gold soundtracks) and the film's fabric is more organically woven. Even though the action is often overwhelmed by CGI mayhem during the finale, Gunns colors and compositions are more vibrant, clearer, and his storytelling is much more engaging than Ayers'. As most superhero films are, this is a lengthy film. It doesn't feel long, in large part because the script contains a lot of jokes that actually land.AdvertisementThe best way to compare Suicide Squads is the way they treat Harley Quinn. Ayers' film features Harley as a side character who is obsessed with her boyfriend. The camera constantly ogles at Harley in shorts and high-heeled shoes. Gunns has her wearing a red ball dress and work boots throughout the film. The most important subplot is a save the princess scenario in which the princess chokes an innocent man with her thighs, before smashing into the skulls of several dozen flunkies. Gunn continues the brightly colored whirl director Cathy Yan brought Birds Of Prey with bright blooms CGI flowers that spring from the wounds shes killed. Although the set piece gives us a glimpse into Harley's mind, it is also very violent and bone-crunchingly violent. It raises the question whether this is a way to avoid an NC-17 rating, as was the case with the black-and white sequences in Kill Bill Vol. 1.This thought might even occur while watching the DCEU blockbuster, proving how important a reset The Suicide Squad has been for the genre. It was time to pop the balloon now that superhero movies are no longer viewed as a disreputable entertainment option for children. The Suicide Squad is a pulpy, outrageous, irreverent, and ultraviolent comedy that makes you smile.
