Revision | The Suicide Squad – James Gunn delivers a masterpiece

When “Suicide Squad” hit theaters in 2016, high expectations about the project faded on the first weekend, when audiences realized the size of the bomb they had paid to watch. The waste of known comic book villains was almost appalling, given the lack of creativity, courage, and daring in the script and also in the directing. Directed by David Ayer as if it were a music video, the film was a real tragedy that practically buried other future DCU projects that escaped the core core of the Justice League. At the time, a popular criticism associated with the film was that it did not attempt to replicate the style of Guardians of the Galaxy, a Marvel hit that adapted little-known comic book characters to the big screen. So, with the controversy surrounding that film’s director James Gunn that led to his temporary resignation from Disney, Warner sued him to try to entice him into making a Superman movie. The director declined the offer, but said he was interested in giving the squadron a second chance, as long as he was free to do so as he saw fit. The studio gave the green light and thus began drawing the most daring film in the entire DC universe in theaters: The Suicide Squad.

The film is released this Thursday (5) in cinemas across Brazil. Officially a sequel, but with a reboot feel, Suicide Squad is a whimsical summary of James Gunn’s career as a director and screenwriter. Without using a comic book arc as a base, the director and screenwriter was free to bring several elements from different eras to the comic book crews and used all of the classic elements from his pre-Marvel films, such as violence gore, typical of B horror films, politically incorrect humor, tension, sexuality and a caricatured use of colors that fits very well with the proposition of the comic strip. Not to mention, of course, the sharp musical score which, while not functioning as a character, packs the action sequences without sounding like a music video. And the dialogues flirt with silly and genius in a fine line, which guarantees plenty of laughs, even if they come out uncomfortably.

And this uneasiness, whether in the funniest scenes or the most tense scenes, is the great differential of the film. He manages to develop his characters as easily as he has to dispose of them with terribly explicit deaths. This is where it gets interesting. Because even though these are terrible massacre scenes, the staging conducts them as if it is a deadly dance that prompts you to see and hope that your favorite character does not die in the scene. next. After all, what’s the point of having a “Suicide Squad” if the creative team behind it doesn’t have the courage to justify that “Suicide” in the title? There is therefore no point in getting attached to the characters because their chances of finishing the story well are slim.

By embracing this context that they are all consumable for the unscrupulous Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), the film manages to bring to the screen this danger that no one is safe, but at no point does it attempt to take yourself seriously. At this point, it’s commendable how much management is concerned with developing and working on characters that will never reappear. It shows a great affection involved in the project, made by people who love the Suicida Squad and love the cinema. It’s a macabre adventure, fun and with a personality that both shocks and entertains at the same time. It’s a glitzy, dark festival that leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth and features characters who will rise to a new level in the pantheon of pop culture icons.

Speaking specifically of the characters, some are returning from the original bombshell, though now living in different situations, while dozens of new villains are introduced to the team. Each has its own particularity and each contributes to the show. The big highlight is the Caça-Ratos II, played by the Portuguese Daniela Melchior. She is the ‘millennial’ of the group, so she manages to bring a lot of depth to herself and to other older members of the team, such as Tubarão Rei. to many with the cutest brutal violence in the DCU. Finally, it is worth mentioning the use of Arlequina, which is not sexualized, not forced and has an incredible take on Margot Robbie, who is still very comfortable in the shoes of everyone’s favorite madman. In fact, it’s not absurd to say that she was more emancipated in this movie than when she last appeared. And not having that need to be the protagonist of the story, which doesn’t bow to her all the time, gave the character a fantastic lightness. Of course, there are a lot of other amazing characters in the movie like the Peacekeeper (John Cena) and many more. However, let’s stick to these three to avoid spoilers.

Either way, O Esquadrão Suicida is a sequel that doesn’t require you to see the previous one to understand the story. It’s standalone and expands the pantheon of memorable DC characters on the big screen. James Gunn’s narrative structure, character approach, and directing style turn this virtually episodic adventure into an instant classic of comic-based movies. Filled with violence, personality, action, severed limbs, zero slow motion, and a more than relevant political message, The Suicide Squad is another DC hit in theaters. What makes us regret that they wasted so many years to follow a style contrary to the 80% of their characters portrayed on the screen. On the other hand, it opens up a whole new horizon for truly daring and new films in the genre at UDC. Just keep that proposition from really good directors, like Gunn, who work around the characters they choose and have the freedom to bring their visions to the big screen.

Ah, important to warn: if you are afraid, disgusted, disgusted, trauma or phobia of rats, stay away from this movie. Almost every scene in the film shows a rodent.

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The Suicide Squad debuts on August 5, 2021.

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