Movies

'The Suicide Squad' Early Buzz: Hilarious, Violent, And Surprisingly Heartfelt

the suicide squad early buzz
By Hoai-Tran Bui

James Gunn has done it again, folks. The Guardians of the Galaxy director has worked his magic on DC's The Suicide Squad, after moving across the aisle from Marvel where he had similarly injected new life into C-list comic book characters. And the result is something even more unhinged.

Early reactions to The Suicide Squad are out, and critics are praising the Warner Bros. comic book film (which is not a sequel to David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad) for its comedy and incredible violence, but also, it's surprisingly sweet heart. Prepare to cry over a shark man, folks.

Here is what we could round up of The Suicide Squad early buzz.

/Film's Christopher Gates calls The Suicide Squad "complete mayhem," comparing the movie to Gunn's pre-Marvel work, back when the director was specializing in gory genre movies. But he also emphasizes the "emotional stakes," which many other critics also pointed out.

/Film's Vanessa Armstrong also called The Suicide Squad a "hilariously violent and heartfelt story," which should appeal to comic book fans and general audiences, alike.

The rest of the praise is similarly gushing, with critics and reporters calling it a "swing-for-the-fences kind of comic book movie," with Gunn tapping into his horror roots — and penchant for comedy. But there's a sweetness to the movie that Gunn's earlier movies may not have had.

Lots of praise is being heaped on the (jam-packed) ensemble, which includes Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, and more. Robbie, of course, was singled out by a few reviewers, while David Dastmalchian and Daniela Melchior were named the secret MVPs. Elba and Stallone's voice (as King Shark) also earned praise.

So there you have it, Gunn has worked his magic on The Suicide Squad and delivered something even wilder and more glorious than you might have expected. The praise is pretty unanimous at this point, though it should be taken with a grain of salt, as early reactions like these are almost always positive. Still, it bodes well for The Suicide Squad and the risks that Gunn took with what sounds like an absolutely insane comic book movie.

The Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max on August 6, 2021.

The government sends the most dangerous supervillains in the world — Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn and others — to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave.
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