In a relatively non-controversial take, I hate the 2016 Suicide Squad. The movie has possibly the worst editing of any movie I have seen, the writing is shockingly bad, and the film is generally very poorly executed in every conceivable way. It is truly one of the worst movies I have ever had the displeasure of watching. 

So you have to take my word when I say James Gunn’s 2021 film The Suicide Squad is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. The movie is a pure manifestation of fun. I have not had that much fun watching a movie in a very long time. I loved all the characters, the action was extremely violent and bloody, and I loved it. 

The film’s writing was incredibly fun. Just the first ten minutes of the movie have so much personality and humor. Every character is unique, and many of them grow into complex and deep characters. Although a large part of the movie is dedicated to action and basic plot elements, the film had a solid emotional core. Ratcatcher 2 and Bloodsport have a very enjoyable and engaging dynamic, and all of the main cast was given a lot of depth for their characters. 

I also enjoyed how silly the movie was. The Suicide Squad decides to embrace the comic book weirdness of its source material and somehow make that weirdness seem entirely at home in the world of the film. One of the best characters is the Polkadot Man. Gunn managed to make these ridiculous and obscure comic book characters legitimately compelling and fun to watch. 

I do not have many issues with the film, but unfortunately, my only complaint is the thing I was most excited for based on the film’s marketing. As a big 2005 New Doctor Who and The Thick of It fan, I was very excited to see Peter Capaldi, one of my favorite British actors, play the Thinker, a role that fits him perfectly. But he ultimately had minimal impact on the plot, and for a character whose power is to be a genius and think at light speed, he does not do anything smart in the movie. Capaldi did have several good jokes, and his performance was great as always, but his character most likely could have been replaced with any other scientist. 

Overall though, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is a gem among modern superhero movies. Marvel has created an environment in which their movies and shows are relatively formulaic and follow very basic superhero movie conventions, but The Suicide Squad greatly deviates from that formula. The film is the pure vision of James Gunn and is one of the best superhero movies of all time. It is currently underperforming at the box office, so go out and watch the movie in theaters whenever you can. It will definitely be worth it. Easy 9/10.