James Gunn's The Suicide Squad

Gunn's Suicide Squad is an exciting blockbuster. Themes of abuse, free will, redemption, and humanity are explored potently. It also feels political, criticizing the United States' interventionism in foreign countries, which is a bold move for a genre that strives for homogeneity and apolitical neutrality.

Themes of parental abuse are explored through our protagonists, namely Polka Dot Man, Harley, Bloodsport, and Ratcatcher. Polka Dot Man becomes a metahuman through parental abuse, while Harley is defined by Joker's abuse and, in this film, being held as a trophy wife.

Bloodsport's arc finds him trapped in this cycle of abuse with his daughter, and through his surrogate relationship with Ratcatcher(2), he redeems himself and his daughter. It's a subtle yet emotionally charged arc that forms the backbone for this film.

Themes of cyclical abuse are explored through Starro. Starro itself is an entity that's been abused by authoritarian regimes (namely, the United States) and subject to grotesque experiments. This is a wry twist on a stock B-movie villain that foregrounds the film's themes and character.

The plotting of Suicide Squad is intentionally chaotic with lots of tangents. However, these tangents establish character motivations, character beats, and efficient setup/payoff. This is apparently felt when contrasting Peacemaker(John Cena)'s jingoism with Rick Flag's patriotic yet altruistic motivations.

However, the film stumbles in its political allegory. Suicide Squad treats its fictional South American continent (Corto Maltese) as a strange and bizarre foreign land. It never takes the time to establish their plight or their point of view on Starro's attack. It feels desensitized and a bit crude.

Unsurprisingly, the film never wallows in the horror that's been unleashed on Corto Maltese through American intervention and never addresses the suffering and the banality of human harm inflicted upon it. It's rather an unfortunate subtext and a sore point in the film.

Hence, James Gunn's Suicide Squad, while a tad overstuffed with its characters and tangents and an unfortunate political subtext, still provides character drama, spectacle, and heart with incisive political commentary. It's a well-done blockbuster.

Technically, James Gunn's Suicide Squad is potent. Its direction brings on a heightened B-movie sensibility with an action-adventure tone. The lush cinematography provides strikingly beautiful visuals alongside framing, subjectivity, composition, angle, and depth.

The bloated editing with its narrative tangents and non-linear flashbacks, while robbing the film of its rhythm at times, still provides momentum, pacing, and heightens the stakes. The imaginative yet detailed production design provides a degree of wonder and surrealism while embracing its comic book roots in film.

Risers, split cuts, motifs, and combat sound, explosive contribute to the varied soundscape. The needle-drop-infused score consists of rock and country music to highlight its punk sensibility. The effects consist of makeup, prosthetics, creature design, blood, and locations.

Overall James Gunn's Suicide Squad is an exciting comic book blockbuster that has a punk sensibility while in conversation with its source material and genre. It's an admirable Comic Book Movie Piece.

Writing: 8/10

Direction: 8/10

Cinematography: 10/10

Acting: 9/10

Editing: 7/10

Sound: 7/10

Score: 8/10

Prod Design: 10/10

Casting: 8/10

Effects: 8/10

Overall Score: 8.3/10