Suicide Squad came out in 2016, and it was…divisive. The story of a bunch of DC villains banded together and sent to stop evil in exchange for a reduction on their sentences had a lot of energy and plenty of big stars, but not much in the way of vision. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Warner Bros. and DC Films are acting like it never happened and taking another swing.
Enter The Suicide Squad, from Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. This re-up will keep a couple of elements from the original, namely the basic setup and Margot Robbie as the daffy Harley Quinn, and change pretty much everything else. Gunn has turned the star power way up: the cast is huge, and includes the likes of Idris Elba (Bloodsport), David Dastmalchian (Polka-Dot Man), John Cena (Peacemaker), Nathan Fillion (The Detachable Kid), Pete Davidson (Blackguard), Peter Capaldi (The Thinker), Sean Gunn (Weasel), Michael Rooker (Savant) and Sylvester Stallone (King Shark). It’s gonna be wild.
And now we have some early impressions. What do people think of The Suicide Squad? Sample their opinions below, as drawn from Twitter, the modern public square.
People who got to watch The Suicide Squad early love it
Friends, I'm able to share with you that @JamesGunn has ushered in a new era in @DCComics movies with @SuicideSquadWB. Fun, exciting, violent, a roller coaster of emotions. See it in theaters!https://t.co/ZqWwnKz4eT
— Gabriel Torres (@jgtorresa) July 15, 2021
#TheSuicideSquad is a cosmic mix of the action of the 90s combined w/ exploitation films of the 70s. It's hyper-violence but it knows that it is. It's a little bit Tarantino. Definitely a little bit Michael Mann. It's kind of a cosmic gumbo. It almost moves to the beat of jazz. pic.twitter.com/AezZQVVASJ
— Caleb Dubbed Over ❓0❓❓ (@Iceman_34) July 15, 2021
Idris Elba’s Bloodsport & David Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man are major stand-outs for me (Bloodsport has the coolest weapons, btw). I also thought this was the best we've seen of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Her journey in this film is actually quite lovely… and quite bloody! pic.twitter.com/UaeWzU4P5X
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) July 15, 2021
So far, so effusive. Mind the blood, though:
I can't believe James Gunn made me fall in love with a rat named Sebastian.
— Kirsten (@KirstenAcuna) July 15, 2021
Saw some asking about this. Lots of violence (duh). Bloody. Not for the squeamish. This stuff doesn't bother me, but I can see some thinking a scene may feel a little unnecessarily gross. But the film knows what it is.Feel like people have wanted a hard R and that's what you get
— Kirsten (@KirstenAcuna) July 15, 2021
I can’t tell if this is shading Idris Elba or giving him a compliment:
I see we're talking about THE SUICIDE SQUAD? Lots to say about this one. Biggest headline for me? Idris Elba FINALLY has a great role in a big movie that works. This guy deserves a better filmography.
— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) July 15, 2021
So The Suicide Squad is a superhero movie, but not one that takes itself very seriously. James Gunn is a million miles from Zack Snyder:
It’s hysterical! https://t.co/khUQZjyIsH
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) July 15, 2021
For instance, here’s Nathan Fillion’s character in action:
Nathan Fillion's The Detachable Kid is about as useless as he sounds in this hilarious exclusive clip from The Suicide Squad. pic.twitter.com/IKdQhlbBt1
— IGN (@IGN) July 23, 2021
there are people on this app who are genuinely disappointed and annoyed that a character called the detachable kid who’s powers are that he can detach and telekinetically control his arms and legs is being given incredibly silly scenes in a movie about The Suicide Squad
— Luke (@qLxke_) July 23, 2021
More praise incoming!
Got to see @JamesGunn #TheSuicideSquad tonight! A hilariously violent and heartfelt story that’s surprising in all the right ways. Enjoyable for everyone — hardcore DC comics fans and newbies alike. Go see this movie.
— Vanessa Armstrong (@vfarmstrong.com on Bl***ky) (@vfarmstrong) July 15, 2021
Are you convinced?
The Suicide Squad comes out in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6.
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h/t SyFy Wire