10 Ways The Suicide Squad Is The Best DCEU Movie of 2021
Given the fleshed-out story arcs and the shock factor, the James Gunn-directed The Suicide Squad is far superior to Zack Snyder's Justice League.
10 It's The Only DCEU Sequel That's Better Than The Original
Even though there haven't been many sequels in the DCEU yet, there are still more than most people remember. That's probably because the quality of those follow-ups doesn't hold up to their predecessors. Wonder Woman 1984 was criticized for being too cheesy and lacking what made the first movie original. And Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was essentially a very convoluted sequel to Man of Steel.
However, The Suicide Squad was not only a worthy follow-up to the 2016 original, but it was far more entertaining and compelling. It was funnier and fans actually had a connection to the characters - even the ones who were blown away in the first 10 minutes.
9 The Cast Has Chemistry
2016's Suicide Squad didn't have much chemistry between the characters. The only two characters that did were Deadshot and Harley Quinn, which could have been because Will Smith and Margot Robbie had starred alongside each other in Focus the previous year. But The Suicide Squad completely improved that.
Whether it was because of James Gunn's directing or something else, characters who didn't have chemistry in the first movie were now great together on screen, such as Harley and Rick Flag. Task Force X felt more like a team than the squad did in 2016, which is another reason why the sequel is better than the 2016 movie. And the other 2021 DCEU movie, ZSJL, as great and epic in scope as it is, still doesn't fix the issue that was in the 2017 theatrical version, which is the lack of chemistry.
8 The Jungle Setting Is Refreshing
After fans questioned all the civilian casualties that undeniably happened in the final act of Man of Steel, the movies have been making a conscious effort to avoid such problems. The final battles in DC movies have now gotten into a pattern of taking place in a No Man's Land-type area. And even then, the locations are still dull and grey.
However, The Suicide Squad takes place in Corto Maltese, which might not be familiar to general audiences, but it's actually a famous location in the comic books. Corto Maltese is a fictional island inspired by South American countries, and the jungle location is such a refreshing setting on the big screen for DC. The beach, the palm trees, the Panama-inspired decor, and the rich tapestry are unlike not just any DC movie, but any other superhero too.
7 It's Perfectly Cast
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn is an inspired casting decision, but Gunn can't take credit for that, as this is her third movie in the DCEU. However, aside from essentially lifting all of the actors from the Guardians of the Galaxy series (such as Michael Rooker, Sylvester Stallone, and Sean Gunn), the casting choices are perfect.
Idris Elba's typically freewheeling cockney take on Bloodsport is dynamite when paired with the warbling wreck of nerves that is David Datmalchian's Polka Dot Man. Not to mention that Peacemaker is John Cena's best role of 2021, as his deadpan delivery of the most outrageous lines is part of what makes it so funny.
6 It Subverts Audiences' Expectations
There's nothing so surprising in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Even in the theatrical cut, everybody knew that Superman would come back from the dead. There was no way he wouldn't, as the Justice League without Superman is like the Avengers without Iron Man. But James Gunn surprises audiences around every corner.
After just 15 minutes, every character who viewers thought was going to be in it for the long haul gets killed off. Not even Polka Dot Man makes it to the end. And Peacemaker's transition from a bad guy into a really bad guy surprisingly elevated the stakes too.
5 It's Hilarious
In fairness, The Suicide Squad isn't the first funny DCEU movie, as Shazam! is as close as the universe will get to having the MCU-style humor, and even Aquaman and Wonder Woman 1984 had their moments. But The Suicide Squad is laugh-out-loud hilarious through and through.
Between the character designs, Peacemaker's dialogue, and Harley Quinn's blissful ignorance, the movie hits a perfect comedy rhythm. Zack Snyder's Justice League was not only free of humor, but most of the jokes and lightheartedness that were in the theatrical cut were removed. ZSJL isn't supposed to be funny and it clearly achieves its own unique tone, but the comedy in The Suicide Squad was another refreshing element for the DCEU that Gunn ticked off the checklist.
4 It Tells A Cohesive Story
2017's version of Justice League was obviously incomplete, as the incohesive abridged version of Snyder's vision barely made any sense and was incomprehensible. And though the 2021 version has helped audiences make sense of it all, it's still over four hours long and a little disjointed.
There are still plotholes and things left unexplained in the movie, such as why Superman was wearing the black suit. However, The Suicide Squad tells a perfectly cohesive story about a task force infiltrating and ceasing control of a government building, and it does so while being non-linear and subverting audiences' expectations too.
3 It Turned Unknown Comic Book Characters Into Fan Favorites
Until the characters were included in the 2021 movie, nobody had ever heard of Polka Dot Man or Peacemaker, but James Gunn miraculously turned them into fan favorites overnight. Some of them made unexpectedly great character duos too, such as Ratcatcher 2 and King Shark. Even the ones who get killed off early shine with what little screentime they have, including Javelin and Weasel.
Gunn plucked these characters out of obscurity, but he made them funny, gave them compelling backstories, and more than anything, made them exciting to watch. And what's more impressive is that he did that without even changing their hilariously goofy outfits, which are completely comic book accurate.
2 The Characters Have Emotional Story Arcs
The Suicide Squad does sometimes suffer from what the first Suicide Squad and Zack Snyder's Justice League is guilty of, which is giving the characters long monologues full of exposition. But for the most part, the movie follows the filmmaking rule of show don't tell, and that's why audiences are way more invested in Ratcatcher 2's backstory than El Diablo's.
What makes it better is Ratcatcher 2's backstory better is that her story arc comes full circle, as does Bloodsport's when Bloodsport eventually acts as a father figure to her. Even Bloodsport overcoming his fear of rats is more of a story arc than any character had in the predecessor. Those are just a few examples, as The Suicide Squad features great origin stories for every character.
1 It Doesn't Hold Back On The Violence
Though Suicide Squad did push the limits of the PG-13 rating, the sequel isn't just R-rated, but it even pushes that rating to its limits too. No superhero movie has ever been so violent. King Shark rips bodies in half and eats severed limbs, and Bloodsport and Peacemaker treat murdering innocent people as a competition.
In the final act, limbs are splattering against walls and windows in every which way. Ironically enough, the one scene that isn't so gruesome is when Harley seemingly massacres the whole of the Corto Maltese military. The marvelously colorful action sequence replaces blood with flower petals and chirping birds.