In this sorta sequel/sorta reboot to 2016's Suicide Squad (yeah, I don't know why they didn't just use a subtitle to differentiate the two,) stone cold government operative Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis), sends Task Force X, a black ops team comprised mostly of arrested supervillains, to the island nation of Corto Maltese in order to take out a dangerous project it possesses.
This was just excellent viewing. It's directed and written by James Gunn, who did the Guardians of the Galaxy, and it really has that magic touch he had there but in an R-rated format. What unfolds is just a well-told tale that combines dark humor and quirky characters who become surprisingly relatable for a bunch of crooks. Really, this feels like a love letter to DC Comics' B- through C-list villains, basically characters you'd never think would make the live action theatrical films. Of all the MCU directors/screenwriters, Gunn probably played the most fast and loose when it came to consistency with characters' comics origins. He does this again to perhaps better affect, as he takes characters that don't have a fan base, so he can change their history or other aspects in order to create more moving backstories or interesting characteristics.
Gunn definitely improves upon the first Suicide Squad movie. (Yeah, yeah, I know that one suffered from heavy studio interference and a director's cut would most likely be stronger, but director David Ayer is a victim of his constrictive "make it about the streets" wheelhouse and stuff like gangster Joker and stereotypically black Killer Croc are on him). This movie is probably a relief to fans of the original comics. None of that "the team is created to take down a Superman-level threat when a lot of them aren't capable of that" plot hole. The team's going back to it's original purpose: doing secret "suicide missions" where the government can't officially be. Infiltrating a Latin American country is exactly the kind of storyline I expected and wanted. This movie does a better job of keeping you guessing as to who'll live or die (a staple of the comic). Also, this movie features Amanda Waller's support crew, a staple of Ostrander's seminal run. They add a little bit of humor and more of a human element to contrast with Waller's cold approach.
This movie also doesn't make you care that a couple elements are recycled from the last film: a certain villain type and the fact that the mercenary Bloodsport (Idris Elba) has a daughter, just like the mercenary Deadshot in the last film. I excuse the whole daughter reuse thing because it's done a lot better here and Elba does a greater job than Will Smith, and that's not a knock to Will Smith, he was good in the last one. (Also, in regards to the redo, the grapevine is that the role was originally written for Deadshot, but Smith was unavailable and they decided not to recast the character in case Smith returned for a future project.)
The Suicide Squad definitely earns it's R rating. Action and violence fans will appreciate the extents Gunn goes to. However, he also knows less is more, it's paced pretty well, never feeling like overkill.
Visually this whole thing looks good with one playfully dark scene that will particularly stick in your mind. Costumes and appearances fit the comics while working well in live action. (I'm especially impressed they managed to make Peacemaker's costume, a design that screams "I was created in the sixties and am not practical, work.) Harley has her best outfits in this.
The movie does a remarkably fantastic job of juggling a huge cast, letting all the characters have a chance to shine. Though, there are two parts in this that felt like a scene got cut, but they're minor situations and not dealbreakers.
Really great cast. Unfortunately, there isn't enough time to go into all the characters here. Gotta say the Peacemaker (John Cena), a soldier who kills A LOT in the name of peace, is my favorite of the new faces. Harley Quinn's scenes and Robbie's performance is/are the best to date. If you're afraid of the character being overused, it isn't yet. I know a lot of people are loving King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone), sort of the Groot of this film, but personally, I think he may be the weakest element. I know he's fun, but what with his limited vocabulary and goals, I find him the least interesting and he takes up time that could've been better used elsewhere.
Highly recommended, unless you're just not a fan of R-rated movies or antiheroes in general. Gunn brings two hours and twelve minutes of just well-crafted cinema. If you didn't like the first one, you should still give this a shot.
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