The first "Suicide Squad" movie was a train-wreck of concepts and studio interference that is so bad I just never really cared to do a review of it because everything that has been said about it has been said already. So, when James Gunn was given the mantle to create a follow-up following his brief firing from Disney, he wasted no time in making a movie that not only surpasses the first film in every way, but make a proper adaptation of the titular comics. The story follows the titular squad or Task Force X as they are given a mission to infiltrate an island nation that is enemies with the U.S and destroy whatever secret weapon they have locked up in their secret base. The squad of villains, of course, have their banter, cooperation and skills that are put to the test as things get out of hand in an unexpected way. The premise alone is what the characters are suited to do, unlike in the 2016 film where they needed to save the world from the Enchantress. There are world-ending stakes of course, but only as the film progresses and the mission derails in a natural matter. Obviously, the tone is both identifiable and all trademarks of Gunn's, which is both silly, over-the-top and vulgar, but offers a lot of heart, depth, and clever commentary. It's not the funniest film Gunn has ever done, but it's not really meant to be. The film is more in spirit to the comics, which offers its share of fun and comedy, but ultimately acts on a shared theme about the U.S's role in international affairs and politics mixed in with the graphic violence and colourful characters. Speaking of which...
While the 2016 film can be debated if the characters were good or not, the 2021 film completely ensures that the characters are both well-written and characterized. There are so many characters that I have to skim through one by one. Bloodsport is the team leader and central protagonist played by Idris Elba, who is forced into the mission by Waller. While Bloodsport is very similar to Deadshot in concept, Elba's performance offers both humour and heart while having a different type of charm Smith is known for. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn is as perfect as ever and continues to function as the wild card for the group, which makes her all the more enjoyable. John Cena as Peacemaker is both hilarious and bad-ass in how he holds his life-long mission of achieving world peace while also being a symbolic theme of the film's commentary. Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag manages to be far more likeable in this film as Flag is allowed to be far more loose and humanizing compared to the 2016 film. Viola Davis as Amanda Waller is just as good as ever as the ruthless mission director who continues to show how evil and inhuman she can be to achieve her goals. Sylvester Stallone as the voice of King Shark is just so loveable as the child-minded creature that has an appetite for human flesh, David Dastmalchain as Polka-Dot Man is both goofy and sad in his characterization, and Daniela Melchoir is great at being the heart of the team as the morally uncorrupt Ratcatcher 2. There are a ton of characters I haven't got into such as the other Squad members, the Colto Maltese citizens and leaders, and Waller's employees, but they aren't as developed or interesting as characters, despite all serving a sense of purpose to the commentary of the film. This does make the human villains (The Thinker, Silvio Luna and Mateo Suarez), feel one-note in personality though, which is kind of an issue, but it does all click together by the end once you understand what the movie is trying to say. Regardless, the central characters are extremely charismatic and likeable thanks to the talents of their respective actors and actresses along with Gunn's writing.
For those who don't know, Gunn started out working at Troma Entertainment, a company known for their exploitation films and overabundance of over-the-top violence and vulgarity. While the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films don't have that type of aesthetic due to Marvel being Marvel, Warner Bros lets Gunn go all out on the things that he loved to do for film, only with a massive blockbuster budget. There are the usual personality-filled visual gags such as the scene headers being comprised of things from the environment. Colours are far more muted and unfiltered as colours only comes out from the costumes, blood, and action sequences. Gunn clearly has inspiration from certain war films as well as the 1970's aesthetic to have the Squad feel like they are taking part in Vietnam, but also has an independent, Troma feel to it. Case in point, this is perhaps the only time where a Troma-esque project feels mainstream and commercialized. The cinematography by Henry Braham has a more hand-held approach that tries to feel both gritty and stylized at the same time with the occasional eye-candy shot. It manages to feel both cinematic and indie-inspired at the same time. The score by John Murphy is very standard as it's pretty generic action beats. The music that plays in the third act with King Shark and Ratcatcher stand out however thanks to a good use of choir and how perfectly well it fits with the respective scene. The licensed soundtrack however is a real banger though, which is not only thanks to Gunn knowing what songs fit well with each scene, but also trying to pick a more selection of songs than just 80's pop or even ones that are overplayed/popular. While the CGI is pretty good in its own standards with the detailed King Shark being the highlight, it's the use of practical gore effects that really steal the show. Not only is the film gorier than any R-rated comic-book film of its kind, but the practicality of the gore and kills help make it stand out. While there are cases where kills and gore are CGI, they still look visceral and Gunn tries to use as much practical effects as possible, even when a CGI character is doing the killing. The action sequences are unique in how each one is structured and shot differently while offering a variety of scale and ambition. I can't really describe any of them without going into spoilers, but the action is engaging thanks to the creativity of Gunn and the charismatic characters that work off on one another.
"The Suicide Squad" is constantly being called as both the best DCEU film and one of the best comic-book films ever made for plenty of good reason. While the human villains don't really offer much character and the score by Murphy can be hit-and-miss, the rest of the film is fantastically put-together. From a story that feels ripped out of the original comic books with its mission and political commentary, the crazy Gunn tone and humour now cranked up to an eleven with a R-rating and vulgarity, the returning and new faces of Task Force X being extremely likeable and developed thanks to their respective actor or actress, Braham's camerawork giving a more personal yet stylized feel that has a throwback feel to it, a fitting and memorable soundtrack, the CGI is well-rendered and animated for the characters that are applied with the effects, the practical gore and make-up is just great to see for those wanting a return to Gunn's more independent projects, the action sequences are all given a unique flair and identity along with stand-out highlights and kills, and Gunn's direction allows him to be at home with himself with an independent and 1970's inspired aesthetic that complements the bizarre nature of his tone and the original comic run of the infamous supervillain team. There's so much that I haven't even discussed because I want to keep this review spoiler-free in order to make your viewing feel as fresh as possible. It's surprising how great this movie is and I do hope Gunn returns to DC to make more movies that can breathe new life to the genre.
Verdict: 9/10. A fascinating blockbuster that has endless entertainment while offering great commentary on the side that makes it both philosophical and mindless at the same time. On par with "Man of Steel" in regards to flawed excellence.
No comments:
Post a Comment