The Suicide Squad (2021) - 4/5

This movie is a tour de force rebuttal to its previous installment. It’s a colorful, blood-spattered comedy corral, with a plot that actually works and consistent stakes. It retreads some story beats from the first installment but improves them just to flex. It takes bizarre situations and obscure characters, then injects them with pathos and treats them with more care than the rest of these non-MCU superhero cash-grabs.

Content warning: Gore

Closest comparison: It’s like Guardians of the Galaxy by way of Deadpool.

Setting: Military
Plot: Super Hero
Tone: Dark Comedy

Suicide Squad (2016) - 2/5

This movie has an infamously bad reputation, but it’s not entirely warranted. The premise is great and in a few choice parts the execution is as well. But there are just so many bafflingly terrible plot, character, and directoral decisions that it bring down the good parts, making them fewer and further between as the movie goes on.

Closest comparison: It’s like Army of the Dead (2021) by way of Justice League (2017).

Setting: Disaster Action
Plot: Super Hero
Tone: Action Comedy

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020) - 3/5

The first 2/3 of this movie are quite good, but it doesn’t stick the landing. The psychotic hilarity of the premise works well, the narrative and story structure themselves being subject to Harley Quinn’s delusions, but the final culminating fight scene is inexplicably abysmal, both in conception and execution. This film lacks the heart throughline of Deadpool, the adept writing of the Marvel franchise, or the intelligent depth of the Nolan Batman trilogy. It keeps telling the audience it’s having fun, with the shaky tinge of uncertainty in its voice.

Content warnings: language, brutal violence

Closest comparison: It’s like Deadpool by way of Suicide Squad.

Setting: Superhero
Plot: On the Run
Tone: Psychotic Comedy

Trailer