The Suicide Squad Movie Review

John Cena & Idris Elba (r) star in The Suicide Squad

Welcome to Anything

Rotten Tomatoes Plot: Welcome to Hell - a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out - even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today's do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone's favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave... and Amanda Waller's government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they're dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself.) If anyone's laying down bets, the smart money is against them - all of them. Directed by James Gunn.

Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, and Peter Capaldi.

What's Good: Who says one man can't make a difference? Gunn's The Suicide Squad is sooo much better than 2016's Suicide Squad, it's hard to put into words. But let's try. It starts with a great story (also Gunn) and a dazzling array of characters who manage to make you fall in love with them instantly. There's familiar faces, sure, but the new recruits are 10 times more engaging, led by Cena and Elba, who trade barbs with unrivaled gusto throughout 2+ hours of this year's best movie (to date.) The sounds and visuals are first rate... A myriad of gorgeous colors, convincing CGI and killer tunes, snugly wrapped in a blanket of originality. Why can't all movies be this good?

What's Not: Not much. The ending is a bit of a reach, but I encourage you to overlook it.

Budget: $185 million (and worth every penny of it.)

Runtime: 132 minutes (Literally flies by.)

Target Audience: DC & Marvel Comics fans.

Bottom Line: Bloodsport declares, "Nobody likes a show off," but it's hard almost impossible to find fault with any of the players involved (man, woman or shark.) Some moviegoers might be offended, but odds are they weren't going to see it anyway. If you liked Kick-Ass or Tropic Thunder (and hats off to you for your good taste) you're going to love The Suicide Squad. Action, innovation and laughs aplenty. Thank you Mr. Gunn. 

Grade: A- (Considering how bad Suicide Squad was, an A- is truly impressive.)