It sadly feels like I’ve missed something here?
Yep this semi re-boot of 2016’s Suicide Squad from Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is a very worthy, sometimes very funny (particularly at the start), more adult-orientated take on the superhero genre.
But after all the glowing plaudits pre-release, it still seems to be missing that ultimate
X-Factor that apparently the online critical furore glowingly hinted at.
Did it resonate like Gunn’s acclaimed first Guardians film? Not really. Was it even as grossly funny as the first Deadpool? Not quite.
Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely a ‘thumbs up’ movie – but with all the hype I expected just that little bit more.
Idris Elba’s mercenary Bloodsport and John Cena’s ruthless Peacemaker – and their on-screen comedic chemistry – are definitely big plus points, alongside returning Task Force X members Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie – who does her thing competently even if her ‘schtick’ is getting a little repetitive), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Boomerang (Jai Courtney) and Viola Davis’ hardliner Amanda Waller, for ‘fanboy’ continuity purposes.
As the team is tasked with destroying a Nazi-era prison on the dictator-led island of Corto Maltese – which is rumoured to be holding political prisoners as part of a mysterious top secret project codenamed Starfish – new members Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and the Sylvester Stallone-voiced King Shark, all prove to be crowd-pleasers alongside Elba and Cena.
And it all works pretty well, with some unexpected and surprising deaths thrown in too –particularly in the exhilarating cameo-filled opening salvo (which is arguably the best part of the entire film) – but the second hour definitely doesn’t prove to be as enthralling or as humorous as the first, with the finale proving to be a little over the top. Some may find the ultimate alien villain of the piece refreshingly different, but it didn’t work completely for me.
But as a whole, as a superhero movie for grown-ups, Gunn does a stylishly commendable job with providing something different for the genre, even if for myself it didn’t quite live up to expectations. Almost as if The Suicide Squad thinks it's a little cleverer than what it actually is.
And to be honest, it’s arguably only a touch better than the much more-maligned first John Ayer effort.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion right? Don't always have to run with squad mentality...
ESP Rating: 3.5/5
Gavin Miller
Cast: Idris Elba, John Cena, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Daniela Melchior, David Dastmalchian, Viola Davis, Peter Capaldi, Jai Courtney, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, Sean Gunn, Taika Waititi, Michael Rooker & The Voice Of Sylvester Stallone
Running Time: 2 Hrs 12 Mins
Director: James Gunn
Go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux
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