This summer’s “The Suicide Squad,” written and directed by James Gunn was a good movie. 

Watching it gave you the sensation that you were taking in a mix of different genres, yet watching a film that had been executed to near perfection.

Let’s start with whether the plot was predictable. We all know the cliche formula for modern superhero movies: basic origin, romance, giving up, final battle, etc. However, Gunn took his own approach to the formula to subvert audience expectations. From the start, Gunn’s vision was irregular but polished enough to make moviegoers feel as though they had never seen anything like it.

Gunn knows how to grab your attention, and, in this film, keeps you in a state of anticipation of what would happen next on the screen. Gunn also found a way to distract viewers from the movie’s sequential plot through his engaging storytelling.  

Now, of course, no unpredictable story in this genre can be truly great without an amazing cast of characters. The range of the characters and the talent of the actors that played them complimented almost everything that works within this film. From characters such as Bloodsport to Pacemaker to Harley, to even the infamous king Shark voiced by Sylvester Stallone, the chemistry was intense. Characters constantly played off each other with hilarious banter and emerged from awkward situations (mostly made by polka-dot man).

Toward the middle of the film, we started to get more heart and understanding of some of our main cast. The actors delivered sincere, yet subtle scenes that didn’t shy away from the fact that these “villains” were still human. 

This isn’t a perfect film. As with any such work, it has its strengths and its flaws. The one and only problem with this film we could definitely find was its use of certain side characters within the plot that felt like filler. They simply didn’t add much to the overall story or to the development of its main characters. 

Granted, their weakly drawn personalities didn’t fully take away from the importance of the characters to whom we had already been introduced, but they seemed to be involved in what can very much be deemed unnecessary plot points.

“The Suicide Squad,” nonetheless, is a perfect example of how a clear direction and a new take on the superhero genre can rejuvenate a tired brand. The film proved its worth and outclassed its 2016 predecessor, “Suicide Squad.”

All in all, “The Suicide Squad” created a theatrical, colorful cast of characters and at the same time blasted out loud volumes of fun, violence, and tight editing that made the film feel like it came straight out of a comic book. It has definitely made its place as one of the best DCEU films to date.

We give “The Suicide Squad” an 8.5/10