🎥 Movies of 2021, 45: The Suicide Squad
I had planned on skipping this one, for reasons I’ll get to, but positive reviews from people I like led me to change my mind.
I should have stuck with my instincts.
Before getting to that I should say that I think this whole cast was strong. It’s rare to see Idris Elba give much of a shit about what he’s in, and he’s really good here. Though I think any King Shark not voiced by Ron Funches is bullshit. Also I should point out that Joel Kinnaman may be a awful person.
Initially I was avoiding the film because I don’t like James Gunn films that much. He strikes me as someone who constantly wants to prove to you how clever and surprising he is. He will pummel you with DIRECTION until you give in and agree that he’s super clever and surprising. Wow, you have characters walking in slow motion while a Pixies song plays?! You are so clever Mr. Gunn!
I find his films smothering, focused on Proving Themselves and never just Being. On occasion (the Michael Rooker stuff in Guardians 2) Gunn steps back and the films improve.
But with The Suicide Squad Gunn would be free from the Strict Rules that Marvel enforces (have to stick to the Phase Plan, have to stick to PG-13 rating, have to keep characters A, B and C alive, etc.) and given free rein to show off his smarts. That did not sound fun to me.
And all of those concerns turned out to be valid. This movie will not stop trying to ‘surprise’ you with its ‘coolness’. It is relentless. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it never fucking stops. Even in a brief moment of emotional quiet they made sure to have Taika Waititi drop by for a cameo wearing a bonkers wig. So glad you didn’t let that moment breathe, Mr. Gunn.
But then the movie trotted out even more reasons to dislike it, endless racial stereotyping! Ah, the most fun one can have at the movies, a gang of mostly-white, mostly-American folks murdering brown people. Is there a military dictatorship? You bet there is. Is it run by a grizzled older general who chugs rum? Yep! Is there a secretary with huge boobs? Naturally.
The film tries to hang a lantern on all this by pointing the blame at the USA, but the film follows this twist with 20 more minutes of death and destruction of brown folks. How entertaining.
Gunn is an edgelord and he wants to have it both ways. He wants to trot out all the stereotypes and then use this late twist to defend himself. “Oh, it was all just a joke/commentary about the US, trust me.” No thanks.
