#REVIEW: “THE SUICIDE SQUAD”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is an outrageous, action-packed thrill-ride loaded with humour from beginning to end. It’s hard to remember the last time this much fun could happen in the cinema!

This time around the Squad consists of many new additions. Most notably Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher (Daniela Melchoir) King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and more. But don’t fret, the fantabulous Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Col. Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) are still hanging around this motley crew. The new group is sent by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to the island of Corto Maltese to destroy what their government is hiding inside the Jotunheim building.

Gunn’s particular style of filmmaking is perfectly suited for this band of quirky supervillains. His new and improved The Suicide Squad shows us from the opening scene that it’s a gruesome, violent, witty, non-stop joyride. There is so much action and tension in The Suicide Squad that it feels as if the entire Film is a climax. But then we arrive at the climax and Gunn manages to go even further. Yet, no matter how violent it gets there is comedy laced throughout. Even in the bleakest, grimmest moments a line of dialogue or a character’s reaction slices the tension and causes laughs. In signature Gunn style, The Suicide Squad has a killer Soundtrack. It amplifies the characters’ inner turmoil, setting, themes and more.

This isn’t a Film just to show supervillains doing bad things. Gunn’s Script is loaded with touching moments and universal themes. His central storyline is about war and government corruption. But further, it shows the manipulation governments use to get what they want. He shows this mainly through Waller who this time around is more intense about getting the Squad to do what she wants. Davis gets to show a more sinister side to Waller and — as usual — excels. Although these supervillain characters might have outrageous superpowers, one guy literally shoots polka-dots out of his body, there is a deep humanity to each of them. This is where the theme of loneliness comes in. Each of these characters is alone in the world. They want friendship, family and a sense of belonging. This is what makes us relate to them.

Gunn has brought together a group of brilliant Actors who understand the assignment in this delightful cocktail of action, gore and humour. This is a massive Cast filled with supervillains from the comics that fans are going to love seen on the big screen. However, with a runtime of just over two hours, it’s an immense task to give everyone their time to shine. But Gunn manages to do just that. The entire Ensemble including its Supporting Actors is cast perfectly. Out of the supporters, one stands out above the rest. The immensely talented Storm Reid, who plays Bloodsport’s daughter, has a powerful scene during a visit with her father. In one scene, she shows the entire range of human emotions.

It’s remarkable to think about the makeover’s Harley has had in just three Films. Robbie shines every single time by building off of Harley’s previous escapades while still making her new. It’s impossible to think of anyone else playing her. A highlight is a scene where Harley is being tortured and manages to set herself free. Elba hits the target playing Bloodsport as a “deadbeat dad” trying possibly a little too late to become a good father. Cena’s comedic flair gets put to good use with the Peacemaker, which throws audiences off when his twist comes. Additionally, he has a great rapport with Elba. Kinnaman brings the Rick Flag we’ve seen before but gives him a deeper desire to be the good guy. One newcomer who steals many scenes is Melchoir who plays Ratcatcher. She’s the youngest of the Squad and always acts out of love which sets her apart. Melchoir has a quiet power to her performance that causes you to think about Ratcatcher long after the credits roll.

Overall, The Suicide Squad never disappoints and most impressively it’s entirely unpredictable. It’ll leave you laughing, cheering, gasping and it just might bring a tear to your eye.

Warner Bros. Canada release THE SUICIDE SQUAD on August 6, 2021.