If you'd like to be surprised by the The Suicide Squad film, I don't recommend you to watch the trailer beyond 2:39, because it gives away the identity of the boss monster. However, I don't think knowing it would really take away from the enjoyment of the movie.
The Suicide Squad, movie for the DC Extended Universe (2021) - Watch the trailer on YouTube
video © Warner Entertainment (AT&T)
Article updated: 2021.11.24
The The Suicide Squad (2021) is a contemporary fantasy action film. The movie was reviewed by Kadmon.
Product: The Suicide Squad, movie for the DC Extended Universe (2021)
Original title: The Suicide Squad
Series: DCEU: Suicide Squad
Setting: contemporary fantasy Earth (DC Universe - DC Extended Universe)
Previous entries in the series about the Suicide Squad: Suicide Squad (2016), Birds of Prey (2020)?
Product type: Film, Genre: contemporary fantasy action, Style: sci-fi, fantasy, action, adventure, violence, super-human abilities, high-tech
Release: 2021.07.28
Reviewer: Kadmon, Type: Male, 40s, Preferences: Immersive, logical story, consistent setting, prefers surprises to spoilers, prefers establishing elements before referencing them
Watched: very recent (2021.08), first time
Rating: Good (2+ out of 3 points), Enjoyment: Good (2+ out of 3 points)
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This is my review of The Suicide Squad, a contemporary fantasy action movie from 2021. It's about a group of super-powered criminals let out of the prison to go on a secret military mission. The The Suicide Squad film is a violent but fun movie, I recommend it to fans of the genre.
The Suicide Squad, movie for the DC Extended Universe (2021)
image © Warner Entertainment (AT&T)
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Review (spoiler-free) - The Suicide Squad, movie (2021)
I've seen the first Suicide Squad movie, and I didn't like it. Then I've heard there will be a new one, and I've watched the first trailer, that didn't look bad, although as I recall, the first trailer for the original Suicide Squad didn't look bad either. Also, I knew that it will be written and directed by James Gunn, so that was a big bonus point. When it was released, I tried to watch it as soon as possible, before the reviews will spoil the story for me.
The The Suicide Squad movie is about a group of super-powered criminals let out of the prison to go on a secret military mission.
The story was good, violent fun. It was consistent. You might consider some changes as character arcs. I didn't find logical problems. The humour is masculine, we can laugh on weird death scenes, violent dismemberments, or gory killing of innocent people.
It was a lot better experience than the previous Suicide Squad movie. I didn't see the Birds of Prey movie, so I can't compare them. From the super-hero movies, it's probably the closest to Deadpool.
The cinematography is good, the movie was interesting visually. The action scenes looked great. Violence and gore is very visual.
I loved the abstract elements. Sure, they did work against the immersion, but also added to the overall experience. Visual effects are used to depict time, place, titles, this is a good idea.
The characters were okay. I didn't know any of them from the comics, but I think I've got enough to understand their basics. The actors were good for their parts.
The music (by John Murphy) was okay.
The Suicide Squad is an interesting contemporary fantasy action movie, I think fans of the genre will enjoy it.
My experience
I was satisfied with The Suicide Squad (2021).
Rating: Good (2+ out of 3 points). The Suicide Squad is a well-made action film.
Enjoyment: Good (2+ out of 3 points). The Suicide Squad is interesting, I liked it.
Rewatchability: Probably. It had some good scenes that might be fun to watch again.
Chance of watching it again: There's a chance. I liked it enough that I might watch it in the right circumstances.
Chance of watching a sequel: High. I'd sure watch it.
The Suicide Squad, movie for the DC Extended Universe (2021)
image © Warner Entertainment (AT&T)
Will you enjoy this?
If you are interested in the DC Extended Universe, you'll probably watch The Suicide Squad anyway.
If you are into super-hero movies, this is probably not your usual fare, but it's a good action film.
If you like action movies, you'll probably like The Suicide Squad.
If you are a heartless inhuman being, who likes humorous violence, careless massacre of innocents, dismemberments, lots of blood and gore, you might enjoy this.
If you like heist movies, you might like The Suicide Squad, although the focus is not really on that.
If you hated the first Suicide Squad (2016), you might enjoy this, as it's a totally different experience.
If you loved the first Suicide Squad (2016), you might enjoy this, but you might also be disappointed by the totally different style.
If you enjoyed the Deadpool movies, you might be interested in The Suicide Squad.
If you hate super-heroes, you should probably avoid this.
If you prefer visuals over story, you will be still satisfied, even though the story is also good.
If you hate seeing human beings killed violently for fun, avoid this movie, you'll hate yourself for watching it.
If you hate super-hero movies, this is still a good fantasy action story, but it probably won't change your mind about the genre.
Do you need to see the other films in the series to enjoy this?
There's enough explanation that you'll understand what's going on without seeing the first Suicide Squad film. Actually, in my opinion you are better off without watching any other DCEU movie.
Watching for plot points
If you are interested in action stories, I think it's worth watching the The Suicide Squad movie for the plot points and twists.
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The Suicide Squad, movie for the DC Extended Universe (2021)
image © Warner Entertainment (AT&T)
Review with spoilers - The Suicide Squad, movie (2021)
I liked the The Suicide Squad movie.
Cover
The covers of the movie are okay, they depict the protagonists, and don't spoil the movie.
The trailer
Unlike most modern trailer, this one was just fine.
Promise of the first scene
Bad guys are recruited for a mission. I assume they will act like bad guys, some of them will die, some of them want to double cross the others.
Execution: I think we got exactly that. I was satisfied.
Plot summary / Synopsis
A group of violent psychopaths are recruited by the leader of a secret organisation (Viola Davis as Amanda Waller) from a prison to join a team to complete a suicide mission.
The first team (Joel Kinnaman as Colonel Rick Flag, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Michael Rooker as Brian Durlin / Savant, Jai Courtney as George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang, Pete Davidson as Richard "Dick" Hertz / Blackguard, Nathan Fillion as Cory Pitzner / T.D.K. (The Detachable Kid), Sean Gunn as Weasel, Flula Borg as Gunter Braun / Javelin, Mayling Ng as Mongal) that gets deployed gets mostly killed, but they distract the guards long enough for the second team (Idris Elba as Robert DuBois / Bloodsport, John Cena as Christopher Smith / Peacemaker, Sylvester Stallone as the voice of Nanaue / King Shark, David Dastmalchian as Abner Krill / Polka-Dot Man, Daniela Melchior as Cleo Cazo / Ratcatcher 2) to land safely.
The second team tries to rescue the captured survivors of the first team. The first "captive" was actually a guest of a rebel leader (Alice Braga as Sol Soria), so the guards they killed are innocent casualties. The second captive already got out by herself by the time the team arrives.
They then join forces, and capture the leading scientist (Peter Capaldi as Gaius Grieves / The Thinker) who lets them into the secret facility. As they try to destroy the building, the bombs go off early, wrecking the building, trapping some of them, but letting a giant monster (Starro) out of its prison. The monster rampages through the city. The team is sent back to the extraction point, but they decide that they'll defeat the monster. They do.
The setting
Contemporary alternate Earth, in the DC Universe.
There are multiple fantastic elements in this universe, magic, futuristic technology, aliens.
The Suicide Squad, movie for the DC Extended Universe (2021)
image © Warner Entertainment (AT&T)
Characters
Blackguard
Probably a normal human? Not bulletproof.
Bloodsport
Although it's said that he is not super-powered, but he seems to be able to take an inhumanly amount of damage. So he might as well have some super-human endurance.
He is able to create or conjure different kinds of weapons, that fits his current needs.
Harley Quinn
She is a one-woman hit squad. She is able to take down dozens of skilled and armed soldiers without problem.
King Shark
He can fall from a building, that will only cause some confusion, but doesn't seem to damage him. Even his team mates take shots at him to catch his attention, so I assume shots don't do much damage. Pain from damage causes inconvenience, he tries to get rid of things that cause pain.
It can rip a lightly armoured human in half, using both hands. It can bite a lightly armoured human in half, using both hands and his mouth.
Mongal
Able to jump up dozens of meters. Not fireproof.
Rick Flag
Probably a normal human?
Starro the Conqueror
A giant alien starfish. Able to create small copies of himself that attach to humans to control them. I'm not entirely sure if you can remove them after they attached. It's also not clear if they regain their consciousness after Starro was killed.
It is able to feel pain, but probably due to its size, it's very tough to cause serious injury, even with military ordnance. A magical javelin was able to breach its eyes, letting a huge swarm of rats in, causing massive damage.
T.D.K. (The Detachable Kid)
He can detach appendages, that can fly, and he can use them as if they are normal appendages. They don't seem to be extra strong. He can probably feel the pain of damage that his flying appendages receive. Otherwise he seems like a normal human. He probably needs to see his hands to use them properly, otherwise he'd be considered blind.
Weasel
A humanoid weasel. He can't swim. He doesn't look very clever or skilled.
The message of the story
I'm not sure there's one. "It's not nice to kill your team mates"? "Don't go on suicide missions"?
The structure of the story
The scenes of the The Suicide Squad film are mostly played in sequence, following the same storyline. There are some cuts in the story, showing us earlier events from a different perspective. There are also some flashbacks.
It has the usual arc of the dramatic structure - beginning, action, resolution.
Plot points of interests
The were a couple of changes to the setting and characters.
Setting
Project Starfish: Secret research facility on Corto Maltese, experimenting on Starro, an alien captured in space by US astronauts. The project was sponsored by the US, but due to the recent change in regime, they want to destroy the facility and any evidence that they were involved.
Changes to characters
Amanda Waller: Her colleagues actively and openly work against her if they disagree.
Harley Quinn: She seems like a nice person in this episode. Also, someone upgraded her combat skills to Batman-like levels.
New characters
Blackguard
Bloodsport: Some kind of dangerous mercenary.
Javelin: Has a magical javelin.
King Shark: A humanoid shark.
Mongal: Some kind of alien.
Peacemaker: A dangerous killer.
Polka-Dot Man: Able to shoot destructive energy.
Ratcatcher: Father of Ratchatcher 2.
Ratcatcher 2: Daughter of Ratcatcher. Able to control rats.
Savant
Starro the Conqueror: A giant alien starfish. Able to create small copies of himself that attach to humans to control them.
T.D.K. (The Detachable Kid): He is able to detach his arms. And probably other appendages.
Thinker: He is probably clever?
Weasel: A humanoid weasel.
Characters killed
Captain Boomerang: Has was probably shot.
Blackguard: Shot in the head by soldiers.
Javelin: Has was probably shot.
Mongal: Stuck in a burning helicopter.
Savant: Killed by Waller, when he tried to flee.
Polka-Dot Man: Starro stepped on him.
Ratcatcher: Died of some illness?
Rick Flag: Killed by Peacemaker.
Starro the Conqueror: Killed by the Suicide Squad.
T.D.K.: I'm not exactly sure what happened to him, he was probably shot.
Thinker: Starro tore him to pieces.
Fan-service
There were probably fan service moments, but I didn't catch any.
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Things I liked
- When it was revealed that the guards around Flag were good guys
- When Harley freed herself, and escaped from the building
- Fight seen in the reflection of helmet
- Harley penetrating the eye of Starro with the javelin, and swimming in the vitreous humour, while the rats were gnawing on the optic nerves.
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How does it compare to the other works of the creators?
I have seen a couple of works of the writer / director (James Gunn). In the super-powered genre, it was similar in quality to The Specials, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Super was also good, but probably less fun. Slither was similarly good, but it's a horror. Thir13en Ghosts and Dawn of the Dead was just written by him, but they were also good stories. PG Porn: Nailing Your Wife is very different, but I also recommend it, if you like porn movies.
How does it compare to the original source?
I have to admit that I've never read any Suicide Squad stories, so I can't tell.
How does it compare to the other films in the series?
From the DC Extended Universe movies, I've found The Suicide Squad probably the most interesting and most fun.
I didn't like Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman, Aquaman, Suicide Squad, and Wonder Woman 1984. Justice League, and Wonder Woman were a watchable action movies, but not very interesting, and both of them too long. I didn't even dare to watch the Harley Quinn movie. I liked Shazam!, but I have no clue how does it connect to the rest of the universe.
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The Suicide Squad, movie for the DC Extended Universe (2021)
image © Warner Entertainment (AT&T)
Analysis of the story - The Suicide Squad, movie (2021)
I liked the story, I didn't find problems that would have prevented me from enjoying The Suicide Squad.
Problematic elements
Incompetent agents: Yes, I know, that's the premise of the series, but if the missions are really important, they could do a little better job at preparing the volunteers.
Deaf Flag: As Ryan George points out, how come that Flag doesn't even notice the commotion outside of his tent?
Body guards for the president: Where are the guards? Why don't they enter immediately after Harley shoots the guy?
Unanswered questions
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Possibilities of improvement
How it could have been better?
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The Suicide Squad, movie for the DC Extended Universe (2021)
image © Warner Entertainment (AT&T)
Uses for the film - The Suicide Squad, movie (2021)
Plot
- The government sends dangerous inmates to fulfil a mission.
- There's a secret research facility, used for nefarious purposes.
- The secret research facility must be destroyed.
- Astronauts meet an alien, that is brought to Earth to be experimented on.
Scenes
- The scene when they prepare and land on the beach is a good way to depict an incompetent team starting a mission.
- The scene when they rescue Flag is a great action scene.
Scenario ideas - Role-playing game scenario ideas
Scenario ideas - Wargame scenario ideas
Ambush: After the attacking force is chosen, they get an extra guide model, who will try to find the objective they have to take. The defender puts a number of possible objectives on the playing area, and they will know which one is the real objective. The other army has twice the number of the attackers, and they start hidden. When the guide finds the objective, it's revealed that the guide was a traitor, and the model gets out of play. The attackers win if they defeat the defenders, it's a draw for them if at least half of their force retreats, and they lose if they lose more than half of their force.
The Trial: A group of attackers assault the base of the defenders. Each attacking unit is played by a different player, while the defenders are played automatically, or by another player. The attackers try to compete how viciously do they kill the defenders, or how funny is the way they do it. The players have to rate each other. For example, setting a landmine, then herding people towards it by scaring them with a flamethrower, so they blow up might earn extra points. Or putting explosives in the tank of a porta-potty, then shooting at people to force them to cover inside, before blowing it up can be hilarious. I'd give extra points for the models that get covered by the contents of the tank. Before you start the trial, set up the playing area in a way that allows the most fun game. The winner is the player who gets the most point, but in a game like this, I consider everyone a winner, except for the poor souls who got massacred.
For bonus fun content, the base can be a hospital, a home for elderly people, or even a kindergarten, if you have the appropriate models. If the players are not savage inhuman brutes, you might decide that the people inside these places are zombies, or possessed by demons / aliens. It might makes it more okay for some people to toss a grenade into a group of kids in wheelchairs.
Break-in campaign:
#1A: There's a leader of a project who was spotted with a small detachment of guards. If the attackers can capture the leader, he can be used to enter the objective building. If he escapes, entering the objective will be harder than normal.
#1B: A good soldier / a team of soldiers are captured. If they get rescued, they will strengthen the attacking force. However, if the rescue fails, and any guards escape, the attack will be harder.
#1B.2: The soldiers are not captured, but held as guests. When the team finally rescues them, it turns out that the guards are actually allies. The surviving guards join the team in the attack.
#2: Entering the building to retrieve / destroy a device. There's a basic level of security. If they captured the leader, it will be easier to enter. If the leader escaped, it will be harder to enter.
There are dangerous test subjects in the facility. If their holding cells get damaged, they can get out, and randomly attack everybody - the attackers and the defenders alike.
Break out: There's base that is not on alert. There are some armed guards on patrol, but most of the guards are unarmed. There are stockpiles of weapons locked away. There's a prisoner in the middle of the playing area, that got free. The prisoner can leave the cell, and wins if he leaves the playing area through the doors or windows. He can either hide, or kill the guards silently. If combat starts, the guards get alerted, and even the non-armed guards go to the stockpiles to arm themselves.
Miniatures - 1/50-1/60 (28-32mm scale)
Bloodsport: Modern/futuristic Human-sized (S3) human in full armour and full helmet.
King Shark: Large (S4) humanoid shark.
Starro the Conqueror: Super Giant 3 (S11) starfish.
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Similar stories - The Suicide Squad, movie (2021)
Graphic novels
Suicide Squad: The graphic novel series the movie was based on.
Movies
Deadpool (2016): A super-powered assassin kills people in humorous and violent ways.
Suicide Squad (2016): A group of imprisoned super-powered criminals are sent on a secret military mission.
The Dirty Dozen (1967): A group of imprisoned criminals are sent on a secret military mission.
World Gone Wild (1987): A group of criminals go on a mission. It has similarly violent humour.
Computer games
Tegel's Mercenaries (1992): A group of imprisoned criminals are sent on secret military missions.
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Frequently asked questions - The Suicide Squad, movie (2021)
Is the The Suicide Squad film based on a book or comics?
Yes, The Suicide Squad is based on the Suicide Squad series from DC Comics.
Is the The Suicide Squad 2021 a remake or a reboot?
You may consider The Suicide Squad a sequel, or a reboot.
Is there a post credit scene in The Suicide Squad?
Yes, there's a post credit scene in The Suicide Squad.
Is Harley Quinn in the new Suicide Squad movie?
Yes, Harley Quinn is in The Suicide Squad film.
Where can I watch The Suicide Squad online? Is The Suicide Squad available on Netflix? Is The Suicide Squad on Amazon? Is The Suicide Squad on HBO?
As of 2022.10.17, The Suicide Squad is available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, HBO Max, Microsoft Movies.
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Resources - The Suicide Squad, movie (2021)
Official
The Suicide Squad: Official website.
Information
IMDB: The Suicide Squad (2021): Database article.
WikiPedia: The Suicide Squad (film): Database article.
Letterboxd: The Suicide Squad 2021: Database article.
Rotten Tomatoes: The Suicide Squad 2021: Database article.
Reviews with no spoilers - The Suicide Squad film (2021)
Marianna Neal: The Suicide Squad 2021 ★★★½: Review article about the The Suicide Squad film with no spoilers.
Meagan Navarro (for Bloody Disgusting): [Review] James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ Is a Joyous, Ultra-Violent Crowd Pleaser: Review article about the The Suicide Squad film with no spoilers.§
Reviews with spoilers - The Suicide Squad film (2021)
Mike & Jay (for RedLetterMedia): Half in the Bag: The Suicide Squad: Review video of the The Suicide Squad movie, with spoilers.Ł
Neil Smith (for Total Film): The Suicide Squad review: "James Gunn’s lively, funny, and very bloody take on Task Force X": Review article of the The Suicide Squad movie, with spoilers.Ł
Reviews with spoilers - The Suicide Squad film (2021) - Hungarian
Bakay Botond (for Seventh Row): The Suicide Squad - Review (in Hungarian): Review article of the The Suicide Squad movie, with spoilers.
English version by Google Translate
Analysis - The Suicide Squad movie (2021)
Filmento: Why The Suicide Squad Worked where Garbage Squad Failed | One v One: Analysis video, comparing Suicide Squad (2016) and The Suicide Squad (2021). Very thorough analysis, I recommend watching it.Ł
Ryan George (for Screen Rant): The Suicide Squad Pitch Meeting: Humorous analysis video.¤
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Buying the product - The Suicide Squad, movie (2021)
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Have you seen the The Suicide Squad film for the DC Extended Universe? How do you like the movie? Would you recommend it to others? Do you know reviews or resources you'd like to add? What further thoughts do you have about it? Tell your opinion in the comments!
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