James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is a bloody good time

In 2016, we got Suicide Squad, and I was on cloud nine because I knew we were about to get an epic blockbuster featuring a bunch of anti-villains, and well, it was a bit of a letdown. So does James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad prove as a worthy successor? Let me tell you why I think it does.

Right out of the gate, James Gunn sets the tone for what to expect from the movie with loud over-the-top, action-packed sequences with fantastic music and takes the whole ‘you don’t know who is going to die’ to the next level.

Of course, we all know that studios are terrified of killing comic book characters in fear of repercussions from the fanbases. Still, WB seemed to let Gunn do as he pleased with these characters throughout the entirety of the film.

Now, with the freedom they give Gunn, we see some issues holding back the film from taking that next step to greatness. First, the story’s structure is a mess and often, you can get lost in the razzle-dazzle in front of you, making you forget how rough the structure is. Next, the third act fails to bring the story together in a way that makes sense.

However, I can’t overlook everything else that James Gunn does get right in the film. How does a man write a movie with such oddball characters that end up providing all the heart in this film? I’ll start with Ratcatcher 2, who Daniela Melchior played.

The story progression of her arc was magnificent and she brought much-needed empathy to the film that was lacking from the 2016 version. John Cena was terribly miscast in F9, but Gunn brought out the Cena we all loved from Blockers within his role of Peacemaker and he shined brightly.

The rest of the cast plays their roles to perfection, which leads me to say that Margot Robbie belongs in the comic-book casting hall of fame for her portrayal as Harley Quinn. Robbie is on that same level within this role as Robert Downey Jr. is to Iron Man. I can’t see anyone else handling this role as well as she does.

I also credit Gunn for his action sequences in the film. He knows how to shoot a mega-blockbuster movie of this nature with insane, wild, and crazy action, but he took this to the next level with the gore. It is a BLOODY good time (as my man Idris would say).

Let me close by saying this ranks really close to Shazam and Wonder Woman as my favorite movie of the DCEU. I can’t wait to watch this again, and again, and again. Also, I am the president of the King Shark fan club, please inquire within.

Have you seen The Suicide Squad yet? What did you think? Let us know your thoughts!