4.25/5
Reviewed August 7, 2021
The not actually a sequel, not actually a reboot to the 2016 disaster of a film, this one has a few returning favorites and a whole slew of new B-list villains on a mission to destroy an evil government project. It’s certainly a treat. Written and directed by James Gunn (who insisted on a hard R rating), it’s definitely a dark, deranged, violent romp with amazing comedy. Discussion below.
The Bad:
- Killing off Captain Boomerang in the beginning was a mistake IMO. I get why it was done, but I think he could have been quite useful still, even if killed later on like a few others.
- Ratcatcher (and the second general) not saying shit about covering up from starfish when both knew about the zombies in the basement. Yes, she did say something eventually but there should have been an immediate oh shit moment.
- The structure of Jotenheim was…very strange, and didn’t make a ton of sense. How the heck were they keeping the starfish underground too, when it was easily destroying buildings later on?
- What happened to the starfish leg that Polka-Dot Man seemingly destroyed? Did it regenerate, cause later shots did not seem to show the damage.
The Good:
- The entire eating dicks on the beach exchange. Yep, leading with that. Laughed really hard.
- Acting in this is pretty damn fantastic all the way through. Margot Robbie continues to shine with her Harley Quinn portrayals, and this one seems to happen after Birds of Prey (references to red flags and changed tats). Her confusion with Javelin’s last words was wonderful, and then how she used it through the film was a solid homage. Idris Elba as “I’m not actually Deadshot but I’m a very similar character that allows for Will Smith to return if he feels like it” was really enjoyable as well, and his bits of character growth helped the movie along well.
- Daniela Melchior (Ratcatcher 2) and David Dastmalchian (Polka-Dot Man) were the heart and soul of this movie IMO. Both did phenomenal jobs, and DD had one of my favorite moments when he’s dancing in the club (more on that later).
- John Cena as The Peacemaker was, in his own words, a douchebag Captain America and it was glorious. He’s introduced with immediate competition with Bloodsport as “I’m you, but better at everything”. He’s amazing in this and plays both action and comedy scenes great. His evil turn was kind of expected by me (it’s standard in Suicide Squad lore for someone to be a double spy for Waller) but still done well, especially because it leads to the death of a great character (this time around anyway) in Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, who was also a legit action hero in this.
- The massacre at the beachhead was great, and finding out it was the clearly B team (in power) that was used as an intentional distraction by a cold-hearted Waller was brutal. Each villain got one moment before dying (or in the case of Weasel, not dying), but it was obvious by the marketing they were all toast. We didn’t see TDK die though, but he was very badly injured. Finding out Savant’s cowardice was actually written to mess with Michael Rooker by his buddy is a great gag, but it served a purpose.
- On that note, TDK’s totally ridiculous powers and then the “oh he’s just slapping them” to Rick Flag going “I didn’t choose the team” was a highlight of the film.
- King Shark planning on eating Ratcatcher 2 and her way of defusing it, and while the rest of the team shows up in battle gear but Cena shows up in his tighty whities.
- The one-upping massacre in the rebel camp, followed by them realizing those were the good guys they just totally wrecked. The lady washing dishes probably should have been a sign.
- Loved the quirky and fun transitional labels they did for the various chapters
- Harley and el Presidente’s romance montage was so much fun (the birds!), followed by her immediately murdering him for his red flags.
- Overall, really loved the humor in this one. Was definitely a lot more Marvel style, and it breaks up the dreariness of the DC’s style better. This definitely felt more like a Marvel film, so suck it DC fanboys
- James Gunn continues his streak of using great tunes to drive home wild scenes
- NOM NOM as Shark munches on a dude-“That’s the worst fake mustache I’ve ever seen”
- Taika Waititi and Pom Klementieff cameos. You might not even notice the latter, but she was the singer in the club.
- Polka-Dot Man’s backstory and how he visualizes his mother (a la Waterboy) everywhere. The scene with him in the bar dancing among his “mom” was hysterical, and him visualizing mother as the starfish was possibly the best moment in the film. Him screaming that he’s a superhero and then getting crushed immediately though, that was a bit more predictable and heartbreaking. Of all the characters, his death hurt the most.
- Waller getting rekt by her staff because she was being incredibly stupid and heartless.
- The entire Harley escape sequence from the torture chamber, complete with javelin and the exploding flowers and insanity.
- King Shark just ripping a dude in half. Gunn said it was his favorite scene in the film.
- Also, King Shark finding his new aquatic friends and them turning out to be flesh-eating monsters that try to kill him.
- The Thinker’s death
- RIP Milton
I actually commented to my friend that “oh, that’s dude’s still with them, he’s gonna die horribly” - The country’s diverse military with women and various groups in it
- Smaller bullets
- The absurd tech that Bloodsport had, and then him running out of it later on.
- The ending of this film is ripped straight from the video game A Plague Tale: Innocence. What a fantastic game though.
- Bloodsport petting Sebastian the rat at the end (who was portrayed by a real rat named Crisp Ratt)
- Sly Stallone having a blast playing this movie’s Groot
- Peacemaker lives! And will have his own show in the future, so that’s fun.
Overall it’s a wild, quirky, gory ride that’s definitely worth a watch. It truly is what the first one could have been without all the studio interference, and it’s probably top 3 DC film of all time at this point, even with the low bar.
Getting Reel with Mr. Sunshine 