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David Ayer’s SUICIDE SQUAD was a moderate success in 2016, but rumored edits and cuts ordered by the studio resulted in a film that felt over-produced and sometimes confusing. The most successful aspect was the introduction of Margot Robbie as “Harley Quinn”, the devoted moll to Jared Leto’s Joker. Robbie went on to play the character a second time in HARLEY QUINN AND THE BIRDS OF PREY last year, which did just okay, though some of that could be based on Coronavirus shutting down movie theaters. Now, Robbie is back in the role once again in the SUICIDE SQUAD sequel titled THE SUICIDE SQUAD, and directing chores are now in the hands of James Gunn (Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movies). She’s joined by an all-star cast that includes Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson, Joaquín Cosio, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Nathan Fillion, Steve Agee, Sean Gunn, Mayling Ng, Flula Borg, Jennifer Holland, Tinashe Kajese, Taika Waititi, Sylvester Stallone, and Viola Davis. And for fans of the DC Comics these characters come from, yes, that is in fact Starro the Conqueror toward the end of the trailer. Devin and I avoided talking about it in our review for The Big Film Show (which you can see in full below), but comic fans will know that visual well, and it’s handled beautifully (and terrifyingly) in the movie. I loved seeing crazy characters like King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, and Weasel realized on the big screen… or for you perhaps a small screen, depending on how you see it.
One thing Gunn did with this film was make it feel like a true team movie, as the original film seemed to focus a great deal of attention to Will Smith’s “Deadshot” and Robbie’s Harley. Here, Harley is definitely in the spotlight more than she’s not, but most of the other principal characters get their time to shine as well. Gunn, who also wrote the film, makes sure they get background stories, key character moments, and memorable dialogue and iconic visuals. No character feels wasted… except for the ones that, you know, get wasted. But even the deaths in the movie feel appropriate somehow, in a sort of “You got that character, you really don’t need more of them” kind of way. The film also feels like a throwback to 1970s action cinema, which was intentional, especially evidenced by the theatrical poster art you see above. Gunn wanted to make a DIRTY DOZEN movie with comic book characters, and that’s exactly what we got. My only major gripes about the film are the length (two hours and 12 minutes), which does feel a little bloated at times, but not offensively so… and there are certain key moments toward the end with Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis) that are fun, but lack the sort of payoff I’d expect to follow with that character, knowing how her mind works. I also wanted more David Dastmalchian as Polka Dot Man, as he is easily a fan-favorite character here, but I’m very happy with what we did get for him. Check out my full thoughts in the video belwo, and if you haven’t already done so, please Subscribe to The Big Film Show on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. THE SUICIDE SQUAD hits theaters and HBOMax on August 6, and it’s definitely worth the wait.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
