The Suicide Squad is a relentlessly enjoyable, graphic ride

A caveat must be added to that title, The Suicide Squad is relentlessly enjoyable as a rated-R movie for audiences that know what to expect from such a film. That’s worth saying because I mentioned to my wife that this was a wildly enjoyable movie, but that she would have hated it. Our son started to pepper me with questions, asking if he could watch it and what aspects of the film he would like the most. Having an 11-year-old see a film that is a solid R-rated movie is a personal choice. For him, the violence in the film would’ve been far too much and he would not have understood most of the film’s context or its numerous, very funny sequences. Back in the day, the 11-year-old version of me would purchase a ticket to a generic family film and then sneak into The Suicide Squad. But this is a brave new world; what’s more likely to happen is that kids will watch it on HBO Max, brag to their friends that they saw it, but not really understand what makes The Suicide Squad such a great film.

At the root of the greatness of The Suicide Squad is a person who is not even on screen, James Gunn. This film pops with an energy and zeal that makes the film seem like an older, coarser, and more reckless sibling to Guardians of the Galaxy. They both have the little-known quality in the fact that most moviegoers have no idea who the heroes are in the story, but that’s where the character’s similarities end. After watching The Suicide Squad you’ll start to re-think the quality of the MCU movies. Granted they vary in their enjoyment, but the ones that are near the top of the quality heap for us anyway, are the ones that had Gunn’s fingerprints on them.

The Suicide Squad has a massive cast; however, don’t be intimidated that you don’t know who is who. The movie plays no favorites and does a great job in faking audiences out as to who will make it around for the film’s final act.

At two hours and fifteen minutes, the film rarely takes its foot off of the gas. That’s amazing because the movie explores its characters in a depth that’s surprising and makes you feel for them. They’re not good heroes, they have odd powers and some aren’t even immediately likable, but by the end of the film, they all work and are great fun to watch.

This is a film for adults. No matter how much you middle school students want it to be, this film is one that you won’t enjoy as much as you think you will. It’ll be cool to say to your friends that you saw it, but you won’t enjoy it as much as your parents. Heads get sliced in half, bodies get ripped down the middle, people get eaten, electrocuted for comedic effect, heads explode and all manner of blood, gore, and curse words populate the screen during the action sequences. I realize that all of those things sound fun in a zombie/action/monster/superhero movie, heck a film that combines all of those elements into one total package is fun.

Rats. James Gunn. Breathtaking. Funny.
A red carpet, science-fiction/superhero/action/with a dash of Evil Dead horror welcome-back to the movies. #TheSuicideSquad

— Daddy Mojo (@Daddymojo) July 27, 2021

The genre-blending that happens in The Suicide Squad is a treat to watch. There are dozens upon dozens of jokes or insults, between the five main members that happen so quickly that the film warrants a second viewing. The film is for those adults that like fast-paced, violent films with a superhero subtext, a dash of horror mixed in, and enough emotional back story to really make viewers care about them, this film is for you. The Suicide Squad reminded us of a wild mix-up between The Evil Dead, Mystery Men, and some wild ninja cop movie with visuals that rarely stop engaging your senses. At times, the film feels like it should be familiar because you’re watching superheroes in costume, but at the same time, the ingredients to it have been shaken so much they’re barely recognizable. It is also worth saying that this is not a sequel to the 2016 movie, nor is it a reboot. The film has some of the same characters and actors that were in the very bad film from 2016. The two films are not even in the same league.