The Suicide Squad Is a Delightful DC Comics Dirty Dozen

James Gunn has brought his craft antihero A-game to The Suicide Squad, and you can feel it with a jolt immediately from the opening sequence. Whereas 2016’s Suicide Squad spent far too much time trying to set up its own rickety premise, this version of Task Force X starts up with all vigor of that first cup of coffee in the morning. No meandering around to get into the action. Most DC Comics fans are aware of the movie they’ve come to see—and in case you’re not, the film gives you the short version of the concept and jumps face-first into all the giddy and gritty thrill of villains turning antiheroes in a bizarre quest.

David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, John Cena as Peacemaker, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, and Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2. Jessica Miglio/™ & © DC Comics

The whole concept of the squad is given a much-needed kickstart in this film. We also get to see just how horrific these missions can be, especially with misfit villains who possess ridiculous powers. It only takes a few minutes for Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to give us the rundown and quickly jump into the absurd characters being thrown into brutal scenarios where survival is no guarantee.

There’s a lot of variety to the villains-turned-antiheroes, who don’t all share the same goals or worldview. Some of them have bitter pathos, as with Bloodsport (Idris Elba), a criminal who never wanted a kid but has to deal with it in his current state of imprisonment. Some of them have evil intent and nationalistic tendencies, as with the absurdly patriotic Peacemaker (John Cena). Some are wildcards, as with the unpredictable Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). Others are rather simple characters with silly concepts, as with Weasel, who is . . .  just an anthropomorphic weasel with thumbs.

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics

Despite the posters for the film carrying the tagline “Don’t get too attached,” the film finds clever ways to make us care about this band of bad guys. Though Bloodsport is given a solid arc to overcome, another big highlight is the character of Ratcatcher 2, an orphan with the power to control rats that were originally developed by her father. They form a bond, but more through the relation of their pasts and fears rather than some wholesome conversation or father-daughter activity.

I won’t reveal just who bites the dust in this movie, but it’s fair to say that the roster is severely reduced by the end. I will say that there’s a brilliant send-up of how this team is posed, where the computer techs behind Waller’s program take bets on who gets killed. The odd of survival don’t seem good from the start given the horrible teamwork and absurd powers of the players involved.

From left: Nathan Fillion as TDK, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Sean Gunn as Weasel, Michael Rooker as Savant, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, Jai Courtney as Boomerang, Flula Borg as Javelin, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Mayling Ng as Mongal. Jessica Miglio/™ & © DC Comics

Consider that Polka-Dot Man seemingly has a powerful ability to do anything with a shower of colorful and deadly polka dots but has severe depression about his powers and major mommy issues. Then consider TDK, a man with detachable arms that can do little more than slap people from a distance. Bloodsport’s early declaration that everyone on his team is probably going to die is not just a throwaway insult, as the prediction seems increasingly likely as the mission progresses.

Another aspect I really want to highlight is the typography of the film. Most recent films that have dealt with title cards and subtitles for foreign languages have been dull and often poor on grammar. The Suicide Squad, however, provides a real treat with its text. The film proceeds in a nonlinear fashion, and the passage of time is brilliantly highlighted with environmental displays of burning buildings, dilapidated structures, blood on the ground, and smoke in the sky. The subtitles are not only grammatically correct but flow throughout the screen, keeping up with the dynamic pacing and stylish edge. These aspects may seem like nothing to some viewers, but it’s these little details that make this comic book movie a step above the rest.

Bloodsport and Amanda Waller are not friends. Jessica Miglio/™ & © DC Comics

There’s also a bit more to this picture than just defeating the big baddie we’ve come to expect at the end of every superhero movie. There’s a doozy of monster for our antiheroes to best, but a more pressing issue throughout is the questioning of government corruption. The deeper the squad delves into a fictional South American country on their mission of destroying records, the more they come to realize that Waller’s plan is a gross endeavor they can’t morally agree with, even as slaves forced to do her bidding. The film not only challenges her stern patriotism but asks whether the antiheroes have the guts to stand up to such oppression rather than continue it. All of this makes the obligatory final battle feel far more meaningful than just a special-effects showcase.

The Suicide Squad delivers on pretty much everything one would expect from a James Gunn DC Comics movie and then some. It’s brazen enough to crack jokes about its ridiculous characters and bold enough to deliver a story about far more than stopping a big villain. It’s hard not to crack a smile at a movie wild enough to make you care what happens to a band of dangerous misfits, even somebody like King Shark. Sure, he eats humans for seemingly every meal, but he’s also just a lonely guy who wants to make some friends . . . when he’s not eating them.

Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics