Let’s get this bit over with: ‘The Suicide Squad’ is rated R, meaning the movie contains adult material (such as harsh language, intense graphic violence, drug abuse and/or nudity). Now, the reason I started with the rating is that it’s one of the many ways in which the upcoming ‘The Suicide Squad’ is different from the 2016 ‘Suicide Squad’. Its predecessor was rated PG-13 as it contained “sequences of violence and action throughout, disturbing behaviour, and suggestive content and language”. Will this help the sorta-sequel pull off what the first movie failed to do: which is, quite simply, to be a good movie?
With the recent release of the trailer, the difference between the two movies is quite evident. Where the 2016 version was a colourful, comic-book-like affair, ‘The Suicide Squad’ – while still colourful – a dysfunctional, gory, fireball-filled spectacle with everything from a giant shark, to rats and… a giant starfish? ‘The Suicide Squad’ is, after all, not exactly a sequel nor is it quite accurate to refer to it as ‘Suicide Squad 2’. It’s more of a ‘soft reboot’, bringing back some familiar faces from its critically trashed original:
• Viola Davis as ‘Amanda Waller’: the ruthless director for the deadly missions of Task Force X, who often uses her political connections (and sheer intimidation) to achieve her goals, often in the name of national security.
• Margot Robbie as ‘Harley Quinn’: does she need an introduction?
• Joel Kinnaman as ‘Colonel Rick Flag’: the heroic military leader of the Suicide Squad.
• Jai Courtney as ‘Captain Boomerang’: you know, the Australian with the boomerangs.
While also introducing a host of new faces in the upcoming movie. The plot of the movie will see Walker put together a new ‘Task Force X’, following a series of unfortunate events that has left her only with Quinn, Flag and Captain Boomerang. A new mission that’s presumably just as dangerous as the first one – involving the decimation of a Nazi-era fortress/prison/laboratory known as Jotunheim – sees Walker bring in some ‘fresh’ faces.
Honestly, the number of villains introduced is shocking. Although most of them will probably play smaller roles with less screentime, the few that will play bigger roles and thus make up the ‘newer’ (though just as suicidal) Task Force X are:
• Idris Elba as ‘Robert DuBois’ / ‘Bloodsport’:
DuBois is a mercenary with a technologically-advanced suit that only he can use. After shooting Superman with a Kryptonite bullet, he shortens his prison sentence by joining Task Force X so he can reunite with his daughter Tyla (starring Storm Reid).
• John Cena as ‘Christopher Smith’ / ‘Peacemaker’:
Ironically, ‘Peacemaker’ is a violent extremist and a ruthless killer who believes that he is entitled to killing, hurting, maiming, or emotionally destroy as many people as necessary, in order to achieve peace. He has no powers but is at “peak physical condition” and is an expert marksman.
• Pete Davidson as ‘Richard Hertz’ / ‘Blackguard’:
A mercenary who is easily manipulated into ruining his own schemes, Richard ‘Dick’ Hertz is armed with a suit that acts as both a shield and a weapon holder, as well as a cocky, overconfident attitude.
• Sylvester Stallone (voice), Steve Agee (on-set stand-in) as ‘King Shark’:
Nanaue, also known as King Shark, is a man-eating shark-metahuman hybrid whose father is believed to be the so-called Shark God from Hawaiian mythology.
• Peter Capaldi as ‘Clifford DeVoe’ / ‘Thinker’:
A highly-intelligent supervillain.
• David Dastmalchian as ‘Abner Krill’ / ‘Polka-Dot Man'”
Krill is a criminal with the metahuman ability to generate multi-coloured discs from his body/suit. Each colour represents a different weapon (such as explosives, a deadly blade, or a snare).
• Daniela Melchior as ‘Ratcatcher 2’:
Originally from Gotham City, Ratcatcher 2 (her real name is unknown) was mentored and trained by Otis Flannegan, the criminal known as the Ratcatcher. As his protégé, she was taught to tame, train, and control rats (using both her connection to them and a mind-controlling ability specific to rats). When Flannegan was taken down by the Batman, she took up his mantle and became Ratcatcher 2, turning to a life of crime while being aided by her army of small rodents.
• Michael Rooker as ‘Brian Durlin’ / ‘Savant’:
Genius computer hacker Brian Durlin, bored of having nothing to do with his vast fortune, became the vigilante ‘Savant’. He uses his knowledge of computers to commit crimes via blackmail, disable alarms in theft, tracking criminals and stoping them in a brutal fashion.
• Sean Gunn as ‘John Monroe’ / ‘Weasel’:
Once a respected university professor, John Monroe transformed into an anthropomorphic weasel during an experiment gone wrong.
• Nathan Fillion as ‘Floyd Belkin’ / ‘T.D.K’:
TDK is a metahuman with the ability to detach his own arms. Yeap. He does this painlessly, and while his detached arms cannot be placed back in its sockets, they are said to regrow in a matter of minutes. He can detach them at will and use them to distract, bewilder and as weapons to hit his enemies with.
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And helming his massive project is – if you couldn’t already tell from the styling and soundtrack of the trailer – none other than filmmaker James Gunn. ‘The Suicide Squad’ will mark Gunns’ entry into the DCU from the MCU, with his experience helming the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ films. ‘The Suicide Squad’ will hit theatres and on HBO Max on August 6, with the full synopsis for the movie reading:
“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.”
Which villain are you most hyped to see? Let us know in the comments!
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