The Suicide Squad

Mild spoilers for The Suicide Squad to follow.

James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is an insanely entertaining, hilarious, and gory delight of a comic book movie. The director gets to let his traditionally R rated sensibilities shine on a huge comic book movie for the first time, and the result is a film that makes you completely forget that the first installment even exists.

I don’t want to talk too much shit about the original Suicide Squad. We all know it’s bad, nothing can change that now. But one of the true miracles this new entry achieves is that it immediately washes the bad taste of that movie out of your mouth by setting up a new (ish) squad and a new mission within the first five minutes and never looks back.

Returning this time around are Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Viola Davis as the SOB in charge Amanda Waller, and of course Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.

As for the new cast? Shit. It’s madness. Idris Elba, John Cena, David Dastmalchian, Pete Davidson, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, Steve Agee, Flula Borg, Sylvester Stallone, and newcomer Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher II.

Everyone here is cast and used to perfection. Some are only around for 10 minutes, others not much longer, but they all get some kind of moment to stand out, and it’s a testament to Gunn’s abilities to be able to juggle such a huge cast so well. Oh, and he definitely kills off a few characters that you thought were 100% safe.

Anywho, I have to highlight this cast, as they are simply too good to not talk about.

Idris Elba is a mountain of charisma here. The actor is clearly relishing the chance to just have fun, as he goes from hilarious to badass often in the same scene. What’s even better is that his character is quite clearly a piece of shit, as an early scene demonstrates with a heartbreaking and often hilarious exchange with his estranged daughter. Elba carries the film with ease, and I’m hoping we get to see his Bloodsport pop up in the future.

John Cena’s The Peacemaker is the best fit for Cena yet as an on screen performer. I think the former wrestler excels with comedic material, and The Suicide Squad finally finds the perfect balance of both his physical and comedic abilities. There is one scene is particular where Elba and Cena are trying to out do one another while on a raid that had me howling thanks to Cena’s timing and axe wielding abilities.

David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight, Prisoners, Ant-Man, Blade Runner 2049) plays Polka-Dot Man, an actual character from the comics that emits radioactive polka-dots that disintegrate anything they touch. This is one of the weirdest characters in the movie, whose backstory is a tragi-comic bit of insanity, and Dastmalchian is the perfect kind of odd to make it work.

Joel Kinnaman is an actor I’ve had a hard time getting used to all these years. No, I never saw The Killing. No reason, just never happened. Everything else I saw him in he was never anything more than adequate, so I just didn’t understand all the love. But I just recently started watching For All Mankind, his show on AppleTV about what would have happened if the space race never ended. It’s a really cool concept and Joel is really great in it. And here, he feels more loose and relaxed than ever, even nailing a few jokes. I guess I’m finally joing this Kinnaman train.

Daniela Melchior plays Ratcatcher II, and yes, she has the ability to control rats. Melchior is effortless onscreen, showcasing a natural vulnerability that keeps her from being overshadowed by this movie star filled cast.

Finally, there’s Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. I think it’s safe to say at this point that Robbie’s casting as Quinn is up there with Heath Ledger as The Joker or Christopher Reeve as Superman. Robbie embodies the character to perfection, equal parts funny, deadly and all the way deranged. Each outing Robbie has had with this character as gotten better (I fucking LOVED Birds of Prey) and The Suicide Squad is no exception. Quinn spends a good portion of the movie on her own after she gets separated from the rest of the group fairly early on, so we get to spend some time with her while she is being courted by a wannabe dictator from Corto Maltese, where the mission takes place. In one 10 minute sequence we see Harley go through a roller coaster of emotions that ends in one of the most fun set pieces in the movie.

Oh yea, and Stallone is flat out great as King Shark, because duh.

Highlighting the cast I think is the best way to recommend The Suicide Squad, because the movie almost feels like a Hang Out movie. I mean, this whole flick is about the dynamic of this group and the laughs and theatrics that follow suit. The plot or motivations don’t really matter that much (which is sometimes the point). Thankfully, Gunn didn’t just make a mindless movie that wastes a good cast (AHEM), but rather he went with a very Comic Book type of scenario that fits this particular world perfectly.

All in all, I loved The Suicide Squad. I think the cast was aces across the board (I would really love to watch a Weasel movie) and writer/director Gunn keeps the vibe weird, unique, unexpected, and above all else, funny.

Zack Snyder’s justice league

It’s tough to say how I would have felt if this was the version of Justice League we got right after Batman v Superman. This is how I felt about BvS when it originally came out in 2016. In the years since I’ve come to terms with the film that I got instead of pining over the movie I wanted. This seems to be a trend I have with all Snyder’s DC superhero output. Yes, I like his director’s cut of Watchmen, but it took me multiple viewings to get there. Yes, I love Man of Steel, warts and all. And as I said, I accept BvS for what it is, an ambitious failure that happens to include an A+ Batman performance from my man Ben Affleck.

And now, after four years and endless noise from internet idiots, we can finally see how Snyder would have capped it all off with Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Spoilers for Zack Snyder’s Justice League to follow.

Having watched the movie twice now, I can say with confidence that this film is, top to bottom, the best of the Snyder trilogy. ZSJL is filled with hope, heartache and humor (that doesn’t betray the tone). Snyder corrects a lot of wrongs in his depiction of both Batman and Superman here, and both actors portraying them excel because of it. The Flash and Cyborg both get extended sub plots that better flesh out their characters respectively. Aquaman’s motivations and worries are a little more clear here than the theatrical cut and Wonder Woman is at her most hardcore, killin’ dudes in front of kids and chopping off heads like it’s just another day on the job. Honestly, the movie just makes a lot more sense too. We finally understand just what the hell Steppenwolf was doing and why (though it’s tough to say if we should still care or not though) and there is a clear through line as to what was to come. In short, I loved Zack Snyder’s Justice League despite itself.

First and foremost, four hours and two minutes is too long. To be fair, it goes by fairly quickly (Snyder’s choice to break the film into 6 parts helps), but it’s very obvious that at least an hour could have been cut out at the very minimum. Not entire scenes mind you, just bits and pieces that add up. The over length has a numbing effect on the films rather exciting ending, but more importantly, it takes too damn long to get to Superman.

I was very curious to see how Snyder would treat the Man of Steel here after making him such a Negative Nancy in BvS, and I am very happy to report that even with his limited screen time, Snyder let Cavill bring that calm confidence and leadership to the character that he showed signs of in Man of Steel. The film treats Superman with a sense of awe and wonder befitting the character (even if it’s a little unearned by Snyder). But still, it takes almost 2.5 hours for the film to resurrect him and the film suffers for it. Granted, I’m sure Snyder wanted Superman’s absence to be felt so his return was more impactful, and perhaps a shorter runtime could have yielded better results, but in the end the movie suffers from its lack of Superman.

As I mentioned, Cyborg and The Flash both benefit from more screen time here, with Cyborg quietly becoming the heart of the entire movie. Early in the film, as he is testing out his newly learned internet superpowers, he slips $100,000 into the bank account of a hardworking, single mom of two who just got evicted. It’s probably the most heroic act of the whole movie and Ray Fisher has a natural intensity that suits the character well.

Now this is the part where I must admit that I don’t love Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, though I can’t deny he is much less grating here than he was in the theatrical cut. I love Miller as an actor (his performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin is an all time creeper), and I’m willing to give him a fresh chance with his solo flick, but for now I’m just not sold yet.

Once again, Ben Affleck steals the show. His Batman is no longer operating out of spite or hatred, but rather that of hope. Hope that he can bring this league together, hope that they can stop what’s coming. Affleck gives us even more reason to be depressed that his solo Batflick will never come to life, as he embodies the perfect leadership and charisma to lead these iconic characters.

But it’s this sense of hope that stands out, not just in Batman but throughout the entire movie. Snyder seems to have finally figured out that that’s what makes these characters so endearing. No matter how dark Batman can get as a character he is still a hero after all. The same goes for Superman obviously and Snyder finally understands that a positive and hopeful Superman is the best Superman.

It should also be noted of course that Gal Gadot is once again bringing her all to Wonder Woman, but that character had the benefit of an actual good movie prior to this, so I can’t give too much credit to Snyder on that front. Same goes for Aquaman. Momoa is great here and his character has some great moments, but Snyder’s handling of Atlantis and its supporting characters pales in comparison to what James Wan did with Aquaman’s solo flick, so again, can’t give too much credit to ZSJL there.

Being a Zack Snyder film, Snyder is gonna Snyder, and this is no exception. The film is filled with questionable needle drops and overly long slow mo sequences, but that’s also part of Snyder’s appeal too. He always, always makes HIS movie. He always swings for the fences (and more often than not fails to reach them) and I just cannot deny that I love watching him try. Even a resounding failure like BvS is infinitely more interesting than almost anything included in the theatrical cut of Justice League. And to be fair, the slo mo sequence of Barry rescuing Iris West mid car crash is a beaut. But still, Snyder makes choices and takes chances that no one else would and for that I will always be curious to see what he’s got up his sleeve.

It’s a minor miracle that this movie got to see the light of day, and while I’m not exactly happy with the way the fanbase went about yelling for it, I am truly grateful that we got to see it. Batman and Superman and the actors playing them are better served here, and even though the overlong runtime squashes a good deal of the momentum, the film successfully makes for an emotional and entertaining introduction to the Justice League. Even if we can’t see where things would go from here, at least we got to see how it started.

Superman: The Movie

I don’t remember the first time I saw Superman: The Movie. As far as I can tell, it’s just always been there in my life, existing as one of my favorite movies of all time. Between seeing this and Tim Burton’s Batman as a kid, my love for superheroes was forever cemented in my manboy brain, but Superman: The Movie, and more specifically Christopher Reeve’s performance, to this day stands tall as the best on screen version of Superman, and my personal favorite interpretation of the character.

Spoilers for Superman: The Movie to follow.

The movie opens with a child’s voiceover detailing the heroic reputation of The Daily Planet during the Great Depression. ”A great metropolitan newspaper whose reputation for clarity and truth had become a symbol of hope for the entire community!” By using a child’s simple yet accurate description, director Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon, The Goonies) deftly establishes the films themes of truth, justice and hope within seconds, and then immediately throws us into the opening credits sequence that is led by John Williams now iconic score. It’s a joyous opening for a film that is already brimming with positive vibes.

Donner then takes us through the destruction of Krypton, Kal-El crash landing on Earth and learning important lessons from his adoptive parents, Jonathon and Martha Kent, and then his arrival in 1970s Metropolis as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter. Donner perfectly captures the Man of Steel’s origins in this first act. The Krypton sequence alone is a beautifully realized tragedy, filmed with gorgeous miniatures and other various old school effect tricks that live within the film. The practical effects add a sense of wonder and awe to the planet’s destruction; it feels like a real, living environment instead of CGI backgrounds.

Marlon Brando pops up for a few minutes in this section as Jor-El, father to Kal-El AKA Superman. Despite the actors notorious diva like behavior behind the scenes, his presence no doubt adds gravitas to this comic book world (this film was one of the first, if not THE first, comic book movies to truly be taken seriously by Hollywood).

But for me, the movie really begins to take flight (!) when we see Kal-El, now known as Clark, in his high school years in Smallville. This sequence only lasts maybe 5 minutes, but it’s the most poignant in the whole movie. Clark, frustrated that he can’t use his abilities in sports to make high school bully Brad shut the hell up, gets a pep talk from his adoptive father. Clark asks, “Is it showing off if a person is doing the things he’s capable of doing? Is a bird showing off if it flies?” It’s a question that any teenager chomping at the bit to be an adult and do all the things they want to do would ask. Pa Kent responds with, “No, no. Now, you listen to me. When you first came to us, we thought people would come and take you away because, when they found out, you know, the things you could do... and that worried us a lot. But then a man gets older, and he starts thinking differently and things get very clear. And one thing I do know, son, and that is you are here for a *reason*. I don't know whose reason, or whatever the reason is... Maybe it's because... uh... I don't know. But I do know one thing. It's *not* to score touchdowns. Huh?” After this quality exchange, the father and son then share a nice moment before Clark challenges his Dad to a race as Clark takes off running to the barn and Jonathan follows, only to collapse seconds later of a heart attack.

This is the biggest chunk of screen time legendary actor Glenn Ford has in the movie, but he nails this short monologue so hard and so well that we don’t need anymore time with him to understand the impact he has on the Man of Steel. Once again, Donner is gliding through this origin with skill and efficiency, milking each moment for all that it’s worth.

After the funeral, Clark begins his journey of self discovery and the creation of the Fortress of Solitude, a smaller version of Krypton right here on Earth made from crystals that Jor-El sent with Kal-El on his journey to this planet. Included is an A.I. version of Jor-El that will help Superman learn not only about his history but the human race as well. It’s an incredible sequence that glosses over years of lessons between the two, one of which is that Jor-El spends an entire year teaching his son about the complexities of the human heart. This is one of my absolute favorite tidbits in the movie, as it explains the empathy, understanding and care Christopher Reeve’s Superman has for his adoptive planet and its people.

Reeve’s performance echoes those teachings every second he’s on screen, whether it’s as Clark or Superman. I think that’s a big reason why this performance has endured as long as it has; Reeve shows us that this all powerful God who can easily take the world as his throne instead CHOOSES empathy. He decides to show the human race what genuine goodness is in hopes of inspiring others to do the same. It’s something so simple yet it feels utterly profound to me, especially since we’re living in a reality where it’s abundantly clear that people don’t want to help or care for others, especially if it’s inconvenient for them.

For me, the Boy Scout quality of Superman is part of what makes him so endearing and inspiring, and Reeve brings that to life in a way only he could. I love watching him help people, whether it’s stopping crime or grabbing a cat out of a tree, I love it. Watching him in this role digs up my inner optimist, something I didn’t think was possible after the hell scape the past year has been.

It should also be mentioned that the rest of the cast is equally entertaining to watch. Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor is one of Hackman’s funniest performances. Margot Kidder is THE perfect Lois Lane (and her chemistry with Reeve is the real fucking deal) and of course Ned Beatty, Valerie Perrine, Jackie Cooper and Marc McClure are all note perfect.

The film as a whole, however, is not. The much maligned ending has Superman rewinding time so he can save Lois Lane, who died after he failed to rescue her in time. It’s a choice that strips away the stakes the film had been setting up this entire time and more than anything I just find it to be very lame, especially for a movie that is anything but.

At this point though I’ve long come to terms with the ending, and thankfully the rest of the movie is so good it almost doesn’t matter anyway. Besides, this movie gave us Christopher Reeve’s Superman, and in the end that’s all that matters.