GENERATING GREATNESS- THE SUICIDE SQUAD: HOW TO EMBRACE THE ABSURD

2021’s THE Suicide Squad had a lot going against it. The director, James Gunn’s pedophilic tweets, the displeasure of Snyder Cultists to the first step towards a reboot and the absolute anarchy that Ayer and Gunn fans caused over who is better. This movie could have been review bombed to oblivion or bombed at the box office but it somehow managed to win over fans and haters at the same time, the 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating and the 4.1 Million dollar Thursday opening being the primary testaments to this statement. So, what did TSS do that didn’t only make it one of the best CBMs of all time but also a massive improvement from the studio film in 2016? In this month’s issue of Generating Greatness, I will uncover the secret behind TSS’ wild success using 3 topics:

1- Balancing tone

2- Playing by the rules of your universe

3- Building a conceptual antagonist

THE JUGGLING ACT

Modern superhero movies do everything in multitudes. Multiple themes, multiple parallel arcs, and they mostly succeed in those but one thing that makes TSS stand out is its ability to juggle multiple tones. Multiple tones are usually an invitation for havoc and chaos. One bad scene and the entire thing crumbles. TSS manages to be an action adventure with healthy doses of comedy and extravagant gore that would put horror movies to shame. However, this movie works especially well as it sticks to a central tone of situational and dark comedy and weaves its story around that central tone which makes even the most gruesome of deaths feel comedic and oddly satisfactory. Now, comedy is the most subjective thing there is. For some, the comedy was terrible, for some it was a hit or miss but for the majority, including me, it was surprisingly well done. We live in a day and age where comedy brings some relief to intense scenes which is great but it also boils down the impact of the characters featured in those scenes. This has become a recurring trend mostly in MCU movies but TSS handles things differently. Here, the comedy is more natural, free-flowing and, most importantly, situational instead of dialogue-driven. There’s nothing wrong with dialogue-driven comedy but it is often forced into the script, situational and visual comedy is more genuine and realistic to the situation at hand. The best part is that the comedy doesn’t damage the characters, it surprisingly adds to them. Gunn forms this perfect blend of realistic comedy that explores the depth and psyche of a character and that is displayed best by Polka Dot Man. The trauma that he endured isn’t treated as a joke, it is treated seriously but in a fun and eventually, triumphant way that helps the goal of the movie. It looks visually comedic, yes but it doesn’t harm the character of Krill. Moving on to the theatrics of the movie, it’s no surprise that it tries to be extravagant with everything it does and it really works somehow. The whole Harley escape scene could’ve simply been Harley gunning down people and escaping but instead we got this beautiful animated approach of Harley’s POV and it helped not just the scene but the tone of the entire movie as well. The deaths at the very beginning are detailed and even disturbing at times but it communicates the point that this movie loves playing with the art of exaggeration and it’s damn good at it. TSS gives us the perfect blend of character, plot, emotion, heart, gore, violence, etc. all wrapped around a comedic core which the fans of the comics will definitely enjoy. It not only stays realistic and grounded but also unlocks the possibility of being something extraordinary which is a fresh and unique take on the superhero genre and unlike Black Widow, it actually executes it with respect and passion.

EVEN THE EXTRAORDINARY NEEDS LAWS

Look, you can have fantasy films, even sci-fi(s), but the part where most movies become unremarkable even with stunning foundations is when they start ignoring the laws that they set for themselves. TSS falls in the category that goes over-the-top with what it has while also respecting the laws that it has set for itself. In most movies, you see the characters do crazy shit like jumping out of a skyscraper and surviving but they die to a goddamn bullet. In TSS however, we get to see how humane these characters are in terms of their physicality. You don’t see Rick Flag mowing down the Corto Maltese army all by his own, so him succumbing to a sharp tile to the heart is reasonable, you see Peacemaker performing crazy stunts so he doesn’t die when a bullet grazes his neck, you’ve seen what King Shark is capable of so when he falls from the top of Jotunheim he is unscratched. Little details like this take your movie a long way in terms of personal connection with the characters and relatability as the audience realizes that this movie does crazy shit that can be accomplished by these people and gives them their farewell accordingly. However, this isn’t restricted to physicality. The situations are also dealt with realistically. Sure, you won’t see a giant mind controlling star fish walking around destroying buildings but if you had it in your possession, you would want to flex your strength too. I think this point is carried home by the final scene where Bloodsport chooses to blackmail Waller instead of leaking all the information to the press. A movie that ignores its rules would’ve given us this triumphant ending but TSS doesn’t because Bloodsport has a daughter to protect and allies who he would like to keep alive. Once Dubois leaks it to the press, Waller can just kill him and the others right then and there, problem solved but that’s not the case. That is not realistic and logical. “We cannot have it all.” This single piece of seemingly insignificant dialogue is the strongest example of how TSS respects the rules of its world and even the label of a “dumb superhero movie” can’t change that. Things like these make me want to respect the movie even more than I already do.

VILLAINY EXISTS BEYOND MERE FLESH AND BONES

The most unique aspect of TSS is that there is no main villain. Sure, you could argue that Thinker, Starro and Suarez are the main villains and there’s nothing wrong with that take but I like to believe that the movie has more of a conceptual antagonist. The concept of doubt. It carries on throughout the film and I think it’s the best way to tell a story about deranged criminals being forced to work together. Waller’s doubt regarding the team, Flag’s doubt regarding the government he worships, Krill’s doubt regarding his capability and an overall mistrust within the group considering there’s a walking talking bloodthirsty Great White in the mix. The movie even ends on a note of doubt with the surviving characters doubting if what they did with Starro was right. The doubt in the group which evolves into a trusting familiar bond is displayed so well and is highlighted by Bloodsport’s act of trusting these deranged people with saving the world even after being double crossed by one of his own. He shows it again when he chooses to trust in Ratcatcher 2 even though he has an intense phobia of rats. The true villain of the story is that concept of mistrust and I know it seems like a reach but this is how I like to interpret the film and that makes it a 100 times better in my opinion.

“THIS IS SUICIDE.” “WELL, THAT’S KINDA OUR THING.”

This movie really does go all out and I want to take a minute to talk about 4 things. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

Captain Boomerang dying was a shock to everyone. No more scenes between The Flash and one of his most iconic and comical villains. It’s heartbreaking and unnecessary but was it worth it? Absolutely. I don’t think the audience would’ve felt the same level of dread whenever the mains were in danger if it wasn’t for the bold move of killing off Boomerang 15 minutes into the movie. And let’s be real, this movie has the license to do whatever it wants because Flashpoint may likely change it all so we may see Boomerang again or a successor of the Boomerang mantle.

Rick Flag dying was deemed to be unnecessary by a lot of people but 1- it pushes the point that no character is safe from the merciless James Gunn and 2- the final battle between the squad and Starro wouldn’t have played that well without Flag’s death as he was their heart and moral compass. Even as an American hero, he chose what’s better for the world and I like to think that THAT is the reason behind Bloodsport’s change of heart.

King Shark and PDM didn’t have much to do in retrospect but I don’t think it necessarily harms the movie as they served the purpose that they were created for. One has this dumb joy about him with over-the-top kills and the other is the satirical comedic relief whose ending is the pinnacle of satire when you really take a minute to think about it. The entire movie he has wanted to die but when his wish is fulfilled he is at his happiest. If this happened in a serious action adventure then it would’ve been worthy of the criticism but his death fits perfectly and resonates with the overall tone of this movie.

Lastly, Peacemaker. People thought he was a one note character but that’s really not the case. When we meet Peacemaker, his patriotism is a joke to show how crazy he is but over time, especially in the third act, that funny little characteristic of his becomes the most intimidating and petrifying part of his character as he kills off his idol and is willing to kill a millennial girl without hesitation. I think Cena really showed off his range too. Before, he was like every other dumb action hero but here he really gets to shine and show how well he can transition from comedic relief to intimidating villain.

Overall, I had a lot to say about The Suicide Squad. It’s just one of those particularly great films and I highly recommend watching it by hook or by crook because this is a movie that you really wouldn’t want to miss out on. It has heart, great action, a ton of theatrics and it remembers to not take itself too seriously and gives us the best Suicide Squad that there can possibly be. I want the Ayer cut to be released but my main problem with the 2016 film was the tone which will not be changing and I really do not believe that Ayer’s tone works well with this team but I’m hyped to see it regardless and wish for it to be released. Ayer deserves justice as well and I know for a fact that the stars of TSS agree with me on this. I will see you guys in a couple of months with the next issue of Generating Greatness. Goodbye till then and I hope you enjoyed this month’s issue. Really poured my heart out in this one and honestly, this movie deserves every bit of the praise that it is receiving. I promise you. You will not be disappointed.