Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

The Suicide Squad (2021) 

This film is a freaking cinematic masterpiece! Okay I just got out of a IMAX screening out of the film and if you have a IMAX screen near you then do it as this deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Theirs so much I have to say about this film first that it makes the 2016 version look like straight trash with the exception of Margot Robbie. As this film brings heart, humour insane amounts of action and a thrill ride that will leave you with an adrenaline high when you walk out of the theatre. It’s exactly what fans wanted James Gunn and his brilliant writing, directing  and style is exactly what this film needed and I would go as far as saying this is his best film he’s ever done. 

Firstly, The film avoided exactly what I hated about the 2016 film which was a exposition dump as it just set up people’s backstory for half of the film in the David Ayer version. Here the backstory is brief but gets straight to the point and then moves onto the main narrative without taking even 10 minutes to set up the story. It is a air tight narrative that grips you the moment you see the Warner brothers logo come across the screen overplaying Johnny Cash. The premise is something new that has so many twist and turns you don’t expect it to go and even has some very real emotional moments that got me teary eyed at parts. It’s ability to let every character shine was incredibly done not one character  I felt got more screen time then the other. They were all fully realized characters by the end of the film with greatly fleshed out arcs. The writing by James Gunn is incredible he brings all of the characters into a fresh story that is so grand and Wild you can’t help but smile all the way through. He’s able to also yes have explosive moments of action with over the top violence but he also is self aware too that he knows when to tone it down and have human moments for the characters. The writing is incredible it ability to tug your heart, make you laugh and truly shock you James Gunn is a masterful writer and proves why with this crackling screenplay. 

Secondly, the performances are insanely good! Everyone in this film all gave tremendous performances from John Cena who gives a surprisingly emotionally grounded performance full of laughter and bubbling darkness. Then you have David Dastmalchian who I’ve seen in so many small roles here he shines as the Polka - Dot man in a performance that is entertaining and also emotionally sincere wrapped in heartbreak. Adding to the already brilliant performances is Sylvester Stallone as King Shark who plays a very sad character if I’m being honest he is very deadly yes but he is very lonely and Stallone shows that sadness through very little words and it’ll tug at your heart while also captivating you all at once. Then theirs Daniela Melchior who gives a fantastic Performance as  Ratcatcher 2 and serves as a fantastic addition to the team for her ability to use rats at her will. Her performance is very emotionally closed off but during the second and third act of the film she starts opening up and that’s when you see her lay her heart bare and it’s amazing to witness. Then you have what in my opinion are the two real stand out performances which is firstly Idris Elba who brings his charismatic charm to Bloodsport and he easily could of just made him another tough guy with a dark past but he brought such depth to him that by the first 15 minutes your so emotionally invested in him and his personal journey he sets out on. It’s a performance that will have you asking for more as he dazzles the screen with his fantastic performance here. Then the other stand out who by the way I would go as far as saying is one one of the most brilliant casting choices to ever had been made Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. She gave such a strong turn as Harley here she didn’t just go around making jokes yes she has those moments which are so fun and brilliantly timed. But here she’s a fully realized Character as we saw her in the 2016 suicide Squad film and then Birds Of Prey and now here so we’ve seen her arc build overtime and she brings a haunting sadness with her that is surprisingly emotional and brilliantly shown by Margot Robbie in what I’d say is her best turn as the character yet. The entire cast all give terrific performances that will have you engaged from start to finish. 

Lastly, Suicide Squad (2021) is an amazing piece of film not just as a superhero film but in general. James Gunn’s stylistic humour and heart shine through in this story giving moments of pulse pounding action, a narrative that is so fresh and different you are gripped from the moment it starts. Along with terrific performances from the entire cast. This is how you do a suicide Squad film and this is easily one of the best films of the year it’s a thrill ride you’ll want to experience again and again. Suicide Squad (2021) is a freaking piece of beautiful art. I recommend everyone go see this film on the biggest screen possible. 

The film centres around a bunch of convicts that are thrown together in a team to bring down what is called operation starfish. To save the free world without dying or try at least while learning there are twist and turns they did not expect along the way. 

Rated R : Drug Use|Brief Graphic Nudity Language Throughout Some Sexual References Strong Violence and Gore

Idris Elba : Elba gives a fantastic performance as Bloodsport in this thrill ride of a movie. Idris Elba is one of those actors that regardless of the source material he will give his 100 Percent to the role every time. I still think he was snubbed for a Oscar for his work on Beast Of No Nation but that’s for another day. Here tho he comes Into the comic scene for the first time with an iron fist of a performance that shatters the screen. He plays a lethal assassin who goes by the name “Bloodsport” he doesn’t just play your typical tough guy with a haunted past. He brings a depth to the character that really made him pop. In the first time we are introduced to him we find out that the federal government are using his daughter against him if he doesn’t comply with them and so right their we learn the one thing that can get to his heart is his daughter and the soul reason he joined the team was to keep his daughter out of a life of crime. That’s all convoyed through one or two scenes in a brilliant way that is brief and to the point as Idris’s character plays things pretty close to the chest and doesn’t expose a lot of himself emotionally to anyone really on the team. He does have a bit of a connection with Ratcatcher 2 who he says reminds him of his daughter so their is an emotional connection their for him to hold onto. He may be a criminal but he dose not like hurting people and he has morales he’s a good guy doing bad things and Idris is able to tap into that quality in a very human way as theirs a great moment in the film where the enemy is tearing the city limb to limb. The team gets told to go home and you hear the destruction in the background of screaming men woman and Children and Bloodsport makes the first ever emotional choice rather then the logical one which is to turn back and save the people even tho he didn’t have to and the mission by the government was completed he knew he could of been killed for going against protocol but did it anyways because he knew it was the right thing to do. That’s a character arc as in the beginning I mentioned he’s emotionally closed off and then by the final act he does some of the most selfless acts he has ever done and it’s because he knows within himself he can do better and he does and Idris brings this Emotional depth to the surface with raw emotional truth that is gripping and charming all wrapped into one. You can tell he’s having a blast playing this part but commands the screen with fantastic character Depth and emotional complexity that will have you in total awe of his performance he gives in this film. Idris Elba is truly fantastic here giving another truly solid performance. 

Margot Robbie : Robbie gives the best portrayal of Harley Quinn to date here! Robbie was first introduced to us as the beloved Harley in the 2016 Suicide Squad and I will Stand by this as I said she was the best part of that film and was the only truly perfect casting to have come out of that train wreck of a film. Now that being said we got to see her in that film as a new character then by Birds of Prey we saw her on a path of rediscovery for heralded after the breakup with Joker and then here she’s a fully realized character. As we’ve seen the arc she’s gone on from then to now and it makes the performance she gives more special because we’ve learned so much about her on the way to this film. As their is the humour and wit she brings to Harley as always and it’s fun to watch and she times it perfectly for the joke to always land beautifully. But theirs a punch of Emotional honesty from Quinn in this film that really got to me. As theirs a moment where she almost breaks down into tears about trust and how she’s had bad luck with guys and after a while you just adapt to it and you can see her eyes get glossy and it’s a beautiful moment acted brilliantly by Robbie. What’s so great about that little scene is that it speaks to where Harley  is emotionally now and how evolved she’s become overtime and accepting of herself and her emotions. It’s very deep and I didn’t think it would go so emotionally deep like that and it didn’t feel corny or forced but it was so effective. As Robbie brings the playful wit we know her for and she lights the screen up every time she’s in the frame. She’s definitely a supporting turn in this film not to the extent she was in the 2016 film but she’s definitely not a major role in the film until the second half the story which I liked too. Because Robbie has her own thing she’s doing with Harley in the film her character gets involved in wild things before meeting the team and she really shows the complexity of who Harley is here the heartbroken, evolved and accepted aspect of herself she’s come to terms with. Robbie brings this to the screen through her truly phenomenal performance of Quinn that punches you in the heart with humour and emotional richness that will rattle you Robbie gives the best performance of this character to date in this film she is incredible. 

James Gunn : Gunn gives amazing direction that I would say is his best work he’s done period. Now I am a massive Marvel fan and I love what he has brought to Guardians Of The Galaxy. I still think what he did with that franchise is as prolific as Star Wars at least the first film of Guardians. That being said this is his best work no question about it as the amount of love and passion you see in each frame to the detail is incredible. James Gunn Gives the film fans have been asking for as it brings fun action sequences that truly put the characters in highly dangerous settings where you question if they will make it out alive. It heightens the suspense and really has you on the edge of your seat as well the violence in this film never to me felt too much or gory for the sake of it.  what made his film so rich was his ability to really make the characters feel like real people without having to take ages to set up the main narrative. as the backstories are brief yes but their emotional arcs are explored within the main narrative so we don't constantly have to go to flashbacks or long speeches. the characters are allowed to express what they are going through or have gone through in very short but emotionally layered scenes that feel earned and not forced. On top of that the balance of comedy and drama is mixed so well as it isn't trying to pull a laugh a minute as it can pull back and give some very gut wrenching moments of emotion that will hit you to your core at times. and I loved that Gunn knew how to mix the two so well and even them out so one never outweighed the other. He just made the film feel like one big party their is drama, humour, emotion and twist and turns he created such a fun experience to be had. And Some of the violence is done for comedic value and majority of the time its done to move the narrative forward. On top of the action he also has fantastic emotional moments that flesh out each character in a way that really gets you invested in each of their personal journeys. James brought such life to the frame with also the insanely good editing I can’t say enough of how incredible the titles were placed in this film so creatively done. James Gunn really soaks each frame drenched in true comic book style in a way that made the screen pop with such rich colour and texture and he also gets amazing performances from his cast. The direction and writing he brings to the film is truly top notch even higher than his work on both Guardians films. He was the perfect fit for this film and I am so glad he did it as I hope there is a sequel to this because I know Gunn could pull off a killer sequel to this. Overall Gunn did a truly incredible Job at giving us the Suicide Squad film we wanted