REVIEW: THE SUICIDE SQUAD.

4/5

Squad Goals.

132 Mins. Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Daniela Melchior, David Dastmalchian, Alice Braga, Jai Courtney, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Jennifer Holland, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Taika Waititi, Peter Capaldi, Sylvester Stallone & Viola Davis. Director: James Gunn. 

The Gunn cut. Cocked and aimed for Bloodsport. He's a natural Deadshot. Even without Will there's still Idris' way. This is 'The Suicide Squad' reloaded by 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' legendary director James Gunn. So let's arm up and meet this team of recruits standing in front of the stars and stripes like Rick Flag. All with a hand over their dirty hearts for Viola Davis' mad boss. Getting away with murder again and swinging for the fences and making sure no one with a chip in their pretty haired head leaves the perimeter like a velociraptor. Not a creature stirring...not even a weasel. We all know 'Altered Carbon' star Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag. One of the surviving members from the last movie. I mean it is called the 'Suicide Squad'...it's kind of their thing. Kinnaman kills it here. Stepping it up for the last go round. But is he in charge? It seems like the Godmother Viola pulling the strings as always like a violin wants to make a leader out of Idris Elba's Bloodsport. Using this sharpshooter's daughter as collateral. Sound familiar? An inspired Idris is not steeping in for the stetson of Will Smith's absent and missed Deadshot. He's making how whole new character and name under that helmet as 'The Gunslinger' of 'The Dark Tower' returns with another Wild West following this fall in the Strong Black Lead of Netflix's 'The Harder They Fall'. Mounted up like regulators and featuring everyone from 'Watchmen' Regina King to He Who Remains, the conquering Kang of Disney's 'Loki' series Jonathan Majors. WOO! Some say this is an epic Elba's best role. Steady on, this guy played Mandela. But the Great British Lutheran who has over the years been linked to everything from Bond to Doctor Who is certainly at his most entertaining. Shaking and stirring everything up. He doesn't need a license to kill. He's got carte blanche on everybody. But is the villain of the 'Hobbs and Shaw' Rock starring spin-off really in charge? Or does that honour go to the latest wrestler to hit the ropes as a 'Fast and Furious' villain in John Cena? It's certainly his Summer with this and the latest part of 'The Fast Saga' and now his Peacemaker character has been given his own spin-off series on HBO Max, I guess that toilet seat on his head really is a beacon of freedom. And how about the comic timing you never saw coming from a man who would kill every man, woman and child and eat a whole island of d###s, just for peace? 

Devil in a red dress, The Joker of Jared Leto may no longer be on this film (hell of a cut 'Justice League' cameo though), but how about the new iconic jester and the amazing Aussie that has made this role her own like Heath Ledger's Clown Prince Of Crime? Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is back with another iconic look for Daddy's Little Monster after her fantabulous emancipation in the R-rated siren mash-up with a mallet of the 'Birds Of Prey' movie. One of the best actresses in the Academy has redefined this cult character. And if you like how she swung her way through a precinct with a Louisville slugger and the stock of a blunderbuss, just wait until she goes down under with an Australia's javelin in this Olympic Summer of Tokyo, 2020. Speaking of Aussie's the "I know that guy" of Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang comes back around like his signature stick as he lowers the boom on some classic kills and one-line put downs ("everyone's name is letters mate"). Saturday Night Live star and 'The King Of Staten Island' Pete Davidson is here in your face too. Whilst Gunn favourites like the whistling Yondu of the 'Galaxy' Michael Rooker (also playing with cars with Cena in pole position for a big payday with 'F9' this Summer) and 'Fifefly' cult captain Nathan Fillion help round out a legendary team as our dynamite director gets in the sandbox and literally plays with all the posable toys at his disposal. Even giving his 'Guardians' brother Sean Gunn and wife Jennifer Holland roles that they truly earn, no favours. Just new favourites like the animal that is The Weasel with those crazy eyes you can't take yours off. All so what's left of 'I Am Legend' star Alice Braga's team can overthrow an oppressive government and a face-hugging starfish that thankfully at least has nothing to do with buttholes. Take note, Cena. 

"HAND!" We have something more to say as this comic-book fodder team still isn't complete like our need to watch furious 'Fury' director David Ayer's full movie in this year of justice like 'The Snyder Cut'. Fans have called it. Despite all the big names here, there are two star players who steal the show. One being the Portuguese Spider-Gwen of the amazing animated 'Into The Spider-Verse', new rising star Daniela Melchior. Carrying the torch as Ratcatcher 2 with an actual live rat winning our hearts (even if we fear them like Elba's Bloodsport) and a beautiful backstory with Korg himself Taika Waititi (much more lovable than his abhorrent villain in this week's 'Free Guy' with Deadpool Ryan Reynolds). The heart and soul of this movie. The other being 'The Dark Knight' villain David Dastmalchian who lived long enough in comic-book lore (the Marvel 'Ant-Man' franchise, 'The Flash', 'Gotham' and 'Batman' animated movies) to see himself shout, "I'm a superhero" and become a cult hero to this world expanding genre. With more comic characters than his character has polka dots. You see, this Polka Dot Man throws these very spots at his enemies...just so long as he can picture them as his overbearing mother to hilarious effect. Now if you want an even sweeter story Google the one about the Polka Dot Cat. I smell another spin-off and sidekick that could even steal the thunder from the Tesseract furball coughing up 'Captain Marvel' feline. But dun-dun, dun-dun, nom-nom, when it comes to show stealing we smell blood in the water with the jaws of 'Rocky' and 'Rambo' himself, action legend Sylvester Stallone. After starring in 'Guardians Of The Galaxy 2' and starting his whole new volume of team-up characters, he steals some s### as King Shark in surfer shorts. Getting his Vin Diesel Groot on to a fellow man of few words ensuing hilarity. A team like this can certainly put up a real fight to a real Doctor Who in the bald from of Peter Capaldi, who with so many tricks sticking out of his Megamind head almost looks like the coronavirus. Wanting to infect the world with a sucking type of mask that does anything but keep you safe (wear yours though...especially when seeing this on the big-screen, people). Thanks to Viola Davis and James Gunn assembling a crack team though, this 'Suicide Squad' lives to fight another day after David Ayer's much-maligned and studio mangled movie. But in this world of toxix Twitter takes, good and bad, the original 'Suicide Squad' is not a terrible movie like people make out (and it inspired a lot of cult following, not just "all I got was this lousy 'Daddy's Little Monster' t-shirt"), just like this one is far from perfect. People social media memories like their forgiveness is short. Loving this movie does not mean you have to take a Peacemaker helmet crap on the first one. Both can coexist like Gunn directing for DC and Marvel. Another galaxy is coming like we're sure another squad team-up. DC sometimes feels like a multi-verse mess, but hey if the M.C.U. can play with the timelines then so can they like alternative graphic novels. Gunn may just be given the keys to this darker comic kingdom, and just imagine if the man who wanted Superman as a villain here originally-but in the end got a starfish-gets to step on the red cape one day. Anything is possible for the man who can turn comic character from the margins into cult movie heroes. Career Russian roulette for Gunn and his squad has never seemed like 'Suicide'. The whole comic-book galaxy is now under his changing guard. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'Suicide Squad (2016)', 'Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)', 'Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2'.