When it comes to comic book movies, it seems that DC has been on the losing end of the battle for years now. With the exception of major franchises like Batman and even Birds of Prey, the movies do just good enough to justify making more – but not enough to compete with the MCU. They have rebooted the DC franchises so many times now you have to ask which actor or version is your favorite.
But The Suicide Squad, this reboot is different. After the last version and so many weird editing and changes – it seemed like this movie needed the update and yes, even a different cast. Other than Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, the new version of The Suicide Squad completely replaces the cast from before. While it doesn’t seem like something a franchise would normally do – the movie needed fresh blood and a new start. with the exception of Robbie, who of course, is now cemented in our minds as Harley.
Like every other origin story, The Suicide Squad has to establish backstories and introduce several characters all in the movie – while you’d think this might bloat the film time, director James Gunn does this seamlessly and makes it easier for viewers. And while the first few minutes introduces a lot of characters – it seems that they deftly remove the most annoying ones quickly. As much as we love Nathan Fillion as an actor, his character seemed limited and we weren’t too sad to see him go (this time).
What they did right with this reboot of The Suicide Squad is they made it a fun ride for viewers. They didn’t just jump from character to character – yes, there is some back story and some interesting presentation of the member’s pasts. But they don’t use that as the only way to build the story. Instead, they tell the story in a semi-linear fashion and you find yourself empathizing with the criminals more than the good guys – which there really aren’t too many of in this movie.
What you will find, however, is a lot of action, some nudity, and sex, a lot of cussing, and a really fun movie overall. No, it doesn’t matter that your kids love one of the characters – this is definitely not the film for them. But it is a lot of fun if you love the villains in the story. There are a lot of gross moments and some of the more interesting ways to dispatch bodies throughout the film. But the characters are played as they were written, and they are just bad enough for you to love them.
The Suicide Squad will be in theaters everywhere on Friday as well as on HBO Max. We think, that this might be the reboot that DC and Warner Brothers needed a long time ago, kicking off a franchise that might actually be around for a while.
Overall Rating:
THE SUICIDE SQUAD:
(In Theaters and HBO Max) Welcome to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.
Starring Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson.