The Suicide Squad

      Unlike the previous "Squad" film, this new sequel of sorts succeeds on all levels of self-awareness, snarky attitude, and ultra-violence. That said, it's a lot more fun than its predecessor, mostly due to the writing and direction of James Gunn. It's clear he has a love of this genre and of these characters.

      Featuring some of the characters from the first "Suicide Squad" , but also introducing new characters, the squad this time is edgier and more prone this time,  to some characters actually dying.  Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn and she totally owns the bonkers character. Idris Elba is new to the team and he plays Bloodsport,  excellent  at combining his darker, angrier persona with just a right amount of a comedic tone. John Cena, also new, plays Peacemaker and has a great time being goofy at his own expense but busting heads when he has to. Viola Davis is back as Amanda Waller and I wish we saw more of her, as she is more or less on the sidelines this time out. Joel Kinnaman is also back as Rick Flag, heroic as always. A fun new member of the team is the CGI King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone.

      The action takes place in a mythical Latin American country so it's easy to politically correct battle nameless soldiers along with an alien monster that Mr. Gunn brings to life from the pages of DC comics. The monster is one of the sillier villains from that comic world but that makes it even more fun for the story. The film is fast paced and things get more gonzo crazy as it goes along but Mr. Gunn actually manages to sneak in some social commentary as well. Mr. Gunn also has a knack for finding great songs for his soundtracks and once again, doesn't disappoint.

       There are two post credit scenes worth waiting for. The film is in theaters and available on HBOMAX.