WARNING! MINOR SUICIDE SQUAD SPOILERS AHEAD

Going into seeing Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Suicide Squad, I could be more excited. Who better to helm a DC film that features a group of misfit characters than the director that brought us Guardians of the Galaxy. But wait a minute… I felt the same way going into the theaters in 2016 thinking who better than the director that was responsible for Training Day, Fury, and End of Watch? Was I going to be let down once again by Warner Bros. and DC?

The simple answer is No. The Suicide Squad, directed by Gunn is fantastic. It is constructed in a way that both the casual viewer and die-hard comic book fan will enjoy it. Well, that is assuming that you like a film with a well-balanced cast, comedy, pacing, and violence, lots of violence. Despite the fact that it has returning cast members from the first go-around including Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, and Joel Kinnaman, The Suicide Squad quickly makes you forget about the past and keeps your focus on the story at hand.

It’s All About The Characters

Some of the newcomers in the film include John Cena, Idris Elba, Nathan Fillion, Flula Borg, Mayling Ng, Pete Davidson, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, Daniela Melchior, David Dastmalchian, Alice Braga, Peter Capaldi, and Silvester Stallone. When making a film like The Suicide Squad, you need a deep cast like this. Why? Well, the name of the film says it all. The fact is that people are going to die in this film. Some you may have guessed and others will come as a surprise.

Part of the brilliance in this film is Gunn’s ability to make certain characters shine that you’d never expect. His story gives the opportunity for a variety of characters to have their moment in the sun without it feeling overwhelming. This gives The Suicide Squad so much heart as many deaths end up feeling heavier. Finding yourself connecting with the characters.

Specifically, the chemistry between Idris Elba’s Bloodsport and John Cena’s Peacemaker is great. Their quest to always be the alpha male in the group makes for a very entertaining rivalry that at one point is the result of a bloody mess. What I appreciated was that while I love Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Gunn did not force her to try and steal the show. She is very much just as part of the squad as the other members. I won’t go into further details as it will be fun for you to learn about some of the others on your own.

Fun Story With Great Pacing 

Speaking of story, the film adds twists and turns that will have you questioning who really is the villain in the story? Is it the government that was keeping Starro? Is it Starro? Amanda Waller maybe? Despite being surrounded by villains the whole film, Gunn keeps everyone guessing as to who we can label the antagonist of the film. If there even is a specific entity or character to blame.

ALSO SEE: THE SUICIDE SQUAD CLIP OF THE DETACHABLE KID IS SO FREAKING WEIRD

The Suicide Squad is also well-paced. Despite the large cast Gunn does a great job at not just shifting back and forth between characters. Even if they are in the same situation. He allows the scenes to develop and then takes us back to see what everyone else is up to. Even if it means moving forward or backward in time. But don’t worry there are very clear cues that will let you know what is going on. It feels like it is the appropriate length as far as runtime and I don’t recall any specific moment where the film dragged. It seemed like it was go go go the entire time.

Final Thoughts

Overall, The Suicide Squad is plain and simply a lot of fun. In my opinion, it could be one of the top stand-alone comic book film adaptations of all time. It is clear that Gunn was able to tell the story that he wanted. It’s funny, violent, weird, but overall entertaining. If there is one drawback about this film is that it’s rated R for obvious reasons. This means that there are going to be a lot of disappointed youngsters that for the time being, will not be allowed to watch it. But it wouldn’t be the amazing film that it is without the over-the-top content that grants it the R rating.

I had a great time watching this in theaters and I hope that you will too. I cannot wait for next week to see it again. I won’t go into any more details as I do not want to water down your experience. If possible I do suggest seeing it in IMAX, the mayhem looks better on the giant screen. But if you don’t feel comfortable going to theaters yet, it will also be available on HBO Max.

Final Grade: A

Warner Bros. Pictures The Suicide Squad will drop in theaters on August 6th, 2021. As well as on HBO Max for 31 days.