(L to R) Margot Robbie, Daniela Melchior, Idris Elba, Sylvester Stallone, and David Dastmalchian in ‘The Suicide Squad’
‘The Suicide Squad’ begins with our introduction to Savant (Michael Rooker), a criminal behind bars, with a talent for geometry and a mean streak when it comes to birds. He’s given the set-up for the story; he’s going to go on a black ops-type mission with a team of fellow convicts, and in return, ten years will get knocked off his prison sentence. This is explained to him by one Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who also informs him that if he tries to escape, or ditch the operation, or double-cross her in any way, she’ll detonate the tiny bomb in his head.
So if you never saw the 2016 ‘Suicide Squad,’ you’re pretty much caught up at this point – Waller uses incarcerated super villains for spy missions, and she’s not really concerned if they make it back alive. If you did see the previous film, you’ll recognize some returning faces, like military liaison Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and the inimitable Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), who says she’s back in the joint for “road rage… in a bank.” Savant and the rest of Task Force X are off to the (fictional) South American island nation of Corto Maltese to destroy a science lab called Jötunheim.
James Gunn wrote and directed this latest entry in the DCEU, and he brings his own impressive stamp to the movie. I think it’s fair to say that Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ is closer to his films ‘Slither’ and ‘Super’ than it is to either of his Guardians of the Galaxy outings. Given the R-rating in play, it probably won’t be surprising to learn that this is a particularly grisly comic-book movie with more than a few risqué (if now downright dirty) jokes. But it is surprising how much emotion Gunn brings into this story.
Being that this takes place in a comic-book world, the characters personalities are as extreme as their powers. Idris Elba’s Bloodshot is a violent mercenary who thinks the best parenting advice he can give his recently-arrested daughter is to make sure she has a lookout the next time she steals something. John Cena’s Peacemaker is a jingoistic meathead who will happily kill (among other things) to make peace. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is… well, you’d have to have been living in a cave for the past few years not to know who she is. And King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone) is simply the bestest boy.
As expected, some of these characters don’t get along, and the rivalry between Bloodshot and Peacemaker is particularly well served by Elba’s tired sighs and Cena’s gung-ho cluelessness. But some of the other characters ground the movie with unexpected empathy. Daniela Melchior’s Ratcatcher at first seems like she’s in over her head, but she’s the first to show she’s willing to reach out to others in the group, and Melchior makes us believe it. And David Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man is… I’ll put it this way; Polka-Dot Man is a terrible comic book character. He’s down there with Crazy Quilt, Clock King, and Condiment King in the DC Villains Hall of Lame. But between Gunn’s script and Dastmalchian’s pathos, Polka-Dot Man becomes a tragic figure (albeit a crazy one). At the same time, Gunn and Margot Robbie show us the continuing evolution of Harley Quinn, showing us that she’s learned from (some of) her mistakes, but she’s willing to make entirely new ones, too.
Team movies can be tough, especially when team members have superpowers. But the movie doesn’t get bogged down in origin stories; at most, Davis’ Waller might give a rote description of someone’s role on the team, but not much more than that. She gives us the sense we’ll learn about what someone can do when we need to, and in that, she’s doing what Gunn does as a director. And it works. That lets him deftly balance the various character arcs, and make sure that they’re all relevant to the main story at hand. And you’d never think this movie is 132 minutes long; Gunn capitalizes on the abundance of characters to keep the story moving around, but never so much that we lose track of the overall plot. Henry Braham’s cinematography helps give us a sense of place, both in his long shots of pitched battles and giant monsters, or the mobile camera work in a nightclub and on rooftops.
Ultimately, this is a great example of a director being given the freedom to bring their own style to a big-budget production. The cast is clearly having a good time making this movie, and that energy is infectious. I, for one, would watch another mission from this crew if Gunn is in charge again.
David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Idris Elba, and Daniela Melchior in ‘The Suicide Squad’
James Gunn (of Guardians of the Galaxy fame) brings his high-stakes DC epic, ‘The Suicide Squad,’ to the big screen. Although we’ll see a handful of characters return from the 2016 ‘Suicide Squad,’ there are quite a few new faces. Don’t worry if you don’t know every new character that Gunn is bringing in, where here to introduce them all to you.
Harley Quinn
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Harleen Quinzel Played By: Margot Robbie First Appearance: Batman the Animated Series
One of the returning characters from the original film, Harley Quinn (psychologist Doctor Harleen Quinzel) was once the Joker’s girl, helping him to break out of prison and become his clown partner of crime. But Harley grew to realize the Joker’s love wasn’t love, but abuse, and ran away to become her own anti-hero, more recently getting her own film as well. Harley uses a multitude of weapons but is well-known for her mallet and use of multiple firearms. Her outfit in the film seems to be taking inspiration from the Batman Arkham games, a nice callback.
Bloodsport
Idris Elba as Bloodsport in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Robert DuBois Played By: Idris Elba First Appearance: Superman Vol. 2 #4
This is not Bloodsport’s first live-action appearance, that honor goes to ‘Supergirl’ on The CW. In the comics, DuBois was an ex-soldier who, after seeing his brother come home mortally wounded, took up contract killing to fight against those he claimed ‘had freedom’ when they didn’t. TIt doesn’t look like the film is using all of that backstory, but if the trailer is anything to go by, it is using the story where he had gone toe-to-toe with Superman (and has even gotten the upper hand!) The big question is, since he’s worked for Lex Luthor in the past, will that be mentioned?
Rick Flag
Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Anthony Miller. Played By: Joel Kinnaman First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #25
Another returning character (and actor!) from the original film, Rick Flag is as “government agent” as a character can get. Brought in by Amanda Waller to lead tThe Suicide Squad, he’s the team’s field commander and accompanies them on every mission, to make sure they stay in line. In the comics, he comes from a long line of military men, and maybe with the film diving deeper into comic book territory, we may see this come up? While he has no superpowers, his military history and firearms expertise makes him a very well-trained member of the team.
Peacemaker
John Cena as Peacemaker in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Christopher Smith Played By: John Cena First Appearance: Fightin’ 5 #40
One of the oldest characters on this list, Peacemaker originated in the 60s. A diplomat willing to get peace no matter what, Smith is willing to take down as many lives as possible to do so. Though it’s doubtful the film will use the ‘is haunted by the spirit of his father’ plotline, it seems to be taking the ‘peace at all cost’ very close to heart. Peacemaker is also the only character getting his own HBO Max show down the line.
Amanda Waller
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Amanda Blake Played By: Viola Davis First Appearance: Legends #1
Another returning character from ‘Suicide Squad,’ Amanda Waller is most likely the most well-traveled as well. Appearing in TV shows, games and other films, she is the head of the Suicide Squad, and chooses whether they live or die at the touch of a button. In the comics storylines, she’s been given the nickname of “The Wall” in reference to how steadfast she is. She revived the Suicide Squad from files found she came across while working, and if she has a “super power,” it’s that she holds the lives of the squad in her hands.
King Shark
Sylvester Stallone voices King Shark in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Nanaue Played By: Sylvester Stallone First Appearance: Superboy #0
One of two animal members of this Suicide Squad, but this isn’t his first on-screen appearance (he’s shown up in ‘The Flash’ and the animated Harley Quinn series). King Shark is the son of the king of sharks and a human mother. (Ahh, comics…) And he’s exactly what he sounds like; a shark. He has a history of eating people, capturing swimmers, etc. We wouldn’t be surprised if Superboy, his nemesis, is mentioned in the film, as Shark plays a big role in Superboy’s story.
Polka-Dot Man
David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Abner Krill Played By: David Dastmalchian First Appearance: Detective Comics #300
One of the more outlandish members of the Squad (and that’s saying something with a team member like Weasel), Krill was a crook who, after witnessing Batman doing his crime-fighting thing, decided to just go around Gotham doing crime with polka-dots. (I swear that was it, no other reason was necessary.) His polka-dots get used for multiple purposes, and there have been hints that there is a biological component to powers of this version of the character.. Krill has never been a member of the Squad (save for an ‘Injustice 2’ prequel comic) so it’ll be interesting to see what he did that was so terrible that brings him with everyone else.
Sol Soria
Alice Braga as Sol Soria in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Sol Soria Played By: Alice Braga First Appearance: The Suicide Squad
Little is known about Braga’s character, because she hasn’t seemed to appear in any comics, and her debut is this movie. What we do know is she hails from the (fictional) country of Corto Maltese, and is the head of the country’s resistance group. The country has appeared in the comics as a place where metahumans are tested on and created. It’s possible she could be related to Juan Soria, a comic character who shares the same last name as Sol, a member of the Squad with cybernetic enhancements.
Savant
Michael Rooker as Savant in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Brian Durlin Played By: Michael Rooker First Appearance: Birds of Prey #56
A villain turned bad, all because Batman told him he shouldn’t do vigilante work, Savant is as smart as they come… but he might forget that due to his forgetfulness. Being a character that’s teetered on the line of villain and vigilante, it is unknown if the film will delve into his background with the Birds of Prey, and his partner/boyfriend Creote. It appears Rooker might be playing an older version of Savant, so maybe we see Creote in a flashback, perhaps? For us, the audience, but not Savant, who wouldn’t remember them in the first place!
T.D.K.
Nathan Fillion as T.D.K. in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Cory Pitzner Played By: Nathan Fillion First Appearance: The Suicide Squad
Little is known about T.D.K as he is a creation specifically from the mind of James Gunn himself, so if that tells you anything… All we do know is that he’s a metahuman who can detach his arms and legs, while having the ability to control them telepathically, and we’ve recently learned the initials T.D.K. stand for The Detachable Kid. Gunn has gone on record saying T.D.K “is from a Saturday morning cartoon,” which doesn’t speak highly of his abilities in the type of movie Gunn makes. Fillion himself has said his character is more annoying than a threat as well, so we can just take them for their word!
Captain Boomerang
Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: George “Digger” Harkness Played By: Jai Courtney First Appearance: The Flash #117
The final returning character (and actor0 from the original film, Boomer started off as a Flash villain, and has appeared in both movies and the Flash TV series. Born in Australia, he grew up being very good at carving boomerangs and using them as weapons. He’s the other character in the movie (next to Harley) that’s been featured outside of the film universe on both TV and in video games, and the character will star alongside Harley in an upcoming Suicide Squad game.
Blackguard
Pete Davidson as Blackguard in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Richard Hertz Played By: Pete Davidson First Appearance: Booster Gold #1
Little is known about Blackguard’s comic book origins, other than he was hired by a group called ‘The 1,000’ and outfitted by them as well. His known powers are, interestingly, ergokinesis (the ability to manipulate energy) and use of multiple gadgets. We don’t know if the film will go into his metahuman abilities, but he is one of the characters to have a major costume change. We also don’t know if they will dive into his Booster Gold connection (which would mean Booster’s introduction into the DCEU). But Gunn could very well add that kind of surprise.
Weasel
Sean Gunn plays Weasel in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: John Monroe Played By: Sean Gunn First Appearance: The Fury of Firestorm #35
There’s a fun story about Weasel. In the movie, he looks like as an actual… weasel-like creature. But in the comic, he’s an actual man! Monroe was a student in the 1960s who was nicknamed ‘weasel’ by his peers as they bullied him. By day, he’s a college professor. By night, he’s a murderer, dressing in a costume (most likely where Gunn’s portrayal comes from) and calling himsef ‘Weasel’. We still don’t know how Gunn will justify making him an actual animal, but the DC’s “metahuman” concept will probably play a part.
The Thinker
Peter Capaldi as The Thinker in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Clifford DeVoe (we think) Played By: Peter Capaldi First Appearance: All-Flash #12
Again, like Weasel, we got a fun one. While most characters have been given their comic-connected names and villainious monikers, we do not know which version of Thinker that Capaldi is playing. So for clarity’s sake, I’ll be going into the DeVoe version, as he has also appeared in The Flash TV show. A failed lawyer, DeVoe used his smarts to be the brains behind many small-time thugs. He was able to use his smarts as a weapon, literally, with the help of his ‘thinker cap.’ which clearly plays a role in the film. Now we just have to see if Gunn will use Thinker as a master manipulator, too…
Javelin
Flula Borg as Javelin in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Gunter Braun Played By: Flula Borg First Appearance: Green Lantern #173
Javelin doesn’t seem to have a first name in the comics, so we’re using the name Gunn gives him in the film. While he’s not a metahuman, Braun is a talented Olympian! A former member of the German Olympic team, he turned to a life of crime, but it’s not clear why. The only ‘superpower’ he has? He’s incredibly good with javelin-based weapons. As seen in the film’s featurettes, Braun sees himself as the best-looking in the room and might be one of the most stuck-up members of the squad. Let’s hope that saves him!
Mongal
Mayling Ng as Mongal in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Mongal Played By: Mayling Ng First Appearance: Showcase ‘95
The only otherworldly member of the squad seen so far, Mongal is the daughter of DC villain Mongul, born and raised on the planet Debstam IV. She’s taken on Superman, and was later killed by her own brother. She has superhuman strength and resiliance, and a long history of fighting to the death. But will that be enough to keep her alive?
Ratcatcher (2)
Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher in ‘The Suicide Squad’ Real Name: Cleo Cazo Played By: Daniela Melchior First Appearance: The Suicide Squad
Last but not least, we have Ratcatcher. A new character to the DC canon, Cazo is the daughter of the original Ratcatcher, and like her father, controls rats using a device that puts them under her influence. Gunn has said that Cazo is the “heart of the film” and even describes her as being “completely out of her element” but goes ahead and tries to make friends with everyone around her. It should be interesting to see how she plays off everyone else, and how everyone else plays off her and her rats.
‘The Suicide Squad‘ will be in theaters on August 6.
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If you’re curious as to what new movie this week might be best for you, Moviefone is here to help you find it and watch it. This week’s selection of movies features freaky ghosts, freaky monsters, and all kinds of grieving. Here are the movies we’re suggesting this week:
Godzilla vs. Kong (In Theaters and on HBO Max)
A scene from ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’
For what feels like ages, fans have been watching Kong and Godzilla’s solo movies and waiting ever-so-patiently for the inevitable matchup. Now, the prehistoric predators are reunited, complete with the Monarch corporation watching their every move. Questions arose in the previous films about whether these big guys were friend or foe of the humans, and as they face off, none of it matters because they’re FIGHTING YOU GUYS FOR REAL OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THAT?!
Watch It If: You just want to watch an old-fashioned monster slug fest where some people talk occasionally. Also, if you feel comfortable enjoying this in a theater, it is definitely a big screen experience.
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The Unholy (In Theaters)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan in ‘The Unholy’
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (‘The Walking Dead’) is a broke-down journalist who fell from grace for pushing fake news. But wouldn’t ya know, while on assignment to cook up a cheap hacky ghost story, he stumbles on a real one. Alice (played by newcomer Cricket Brown) is a hearing impaired teen living with her priest uncle (William Sadler). She is drawn to the twisted, lone tree on their property and claims to have heard the voice of The Virgin Mary. She begins healing Mary’s believers…but the question remains, who are they really praying to?
Watch It If: You need some Morgan without Lucille, his ‘Walking Dead’ barbwire bat, and if you want to see Cary Elwes in priest robes. Which, trust me, you totally do.
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Concrete Cowboy (Netflix)
Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin in ‘Concrete Cowboy’
In Philadelphia, there is an organization called The Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club that invites young people in the neighborhood to care for horses and learn responsibility and harmony with nature. In this drama, Harp (Idris Elba) is one of the adults doing great things in the neighborhood with the organization, but clashing with his own son Cole (Caleb McLaughlin of ‘Stranger Things’). Will the two men learn the same kind of harmony with each other?
Watch It If: You’d like to learn more about an amazing real-life organization you’ve never heard of (but should), and if father-son dramas get you right in the chest.
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Shiva Baby (In select theaters and VOD)
Rachel Sennott in ‘Shiva Baby’
Rachel Sennott plays Danielle, a complicated modern young woman. When she attends a Jewish funeral with her parents, she runs into not only her sugar daddy, but also her gorgeous Barbie doll-esque ex-girlfriend. It seems as though with each conversation, the situation gets deliciously more complicated and hilarious. You know, on top of the mourning.
Watch It If: You’ve ever felt trapped at a family function, desperately wanting to pay your respects and leave with a couple of hors d’oeuvres in your pocket.
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This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (VOD)
Mary Twala in ‘This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection’
Lesotho, a South African country, declared independence 55 years ago and presented this film as its first-ever Oscar entry this year. It features an 80-year-old widow named Mantoa (Mary Twala, in her last film before her death) whose village is being resettled by the government, so they can flood the land and bring water to the landlocked nation. In a series of vivid images showing both Mantoa’s real life and her dreams, the film shares a mother’s rage and pain over the death of her son, and how far she will go to be buried with her family. As she feels ready to shuffle off this mortal coil, she has nothing left to lose.
Watch It If: You’re hungry for gorgeous cinematography and rich colors, as well as a performance from an actor you’re sure to remember for a long time coming.
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The upcoming film “Concrete Cowboys” has paired Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin as an onscreen father and son.
Elba and McLaughlin are starring in the drama, which has begun production in Philadelphia, Deadline reports. The young “Stranger Things” actor will play Cole, a teen who is estranged from his father, Harp (Elba), but is taken to live with him in north Philadelphia. There, he’ll be introduced to urban horsemanship. The film also stars Jharrel Jerome, Lorraine Toussaint, and Byron Bowers.
“Concrete Cowboys” is inspired by the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, a real-life club where inner-city kids learn about riding and caring for horses. It also draws inspiration from Greg Neri’s novel “Ghetto Cowboy.” Ricky Staub and Dan Walser wrote the script, and Staub is directing.
Elba’s most recent film, “Hobbs & Shaw,” opened last week. Other notable films he’s starred in include “Molly’s Game,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” Meanwhile, McLaughlin is best known for a series; he stars in “Stranger Things,” which released its third season in July.
Elba is one of the “Concrete Cowboys” producers via Green Door Pictures alongside Walser, Lee Daniels of Lee Daniels Entertainment, Tucker Tooley of Tucker Tooley Entertainment, Jeff Waxman, and Jennifer Madeloff. Neri, Greg Renker, Jason Barhydt, Sam Mercer, Tegan Jones, and Staci Hagenbaugh are all executive producing. The film is backed by Tucker Tooley Entertainment.
There’s no fur, but the video provides a glimpse at Swift and Elba practicing dance choreography for their duet as Bombalurina and Macavity. We also see the sets that were built to scale to actual cat size, so there are huge chairs and tables.
Director Tom Hooper will digitally add fur to the actors, an intriguing (possibly very weird) choice that we’ll hopefully see when the first trailer drops this Friday.
“Cats” was one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history. In 1983, the show won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for an extraordinary 18 years. It has has continuously appeared on stage around the globe, having played to 81 million people in more than 50 countries and in 19 languages.
Getting behind the wheel in “Hobbs & Shaw” isn’t enough for Idris Elba. He is teaming up with his “driving hero” Ken Block for the upcoming Quibi car-stunt series “Elba vs. Block,” THR reports.
Over the course of eight episodes, the duo will attempt to outperform each other in a series of stunts. These stunts have names like “Car Tightrope” and “Flaming Obstacle Course,” so you can imagine the kind of wild stuff they’ll get up to. It’ll all go down in the London Docklands, an area in Elba’s hometown.
Block, a professional rally driver with a sizable YouTube following, and Elba are mutual admirers of each other’s work. Elba called Block his “driving hero” and said that he’s “a little intimidated by his talent,” per THR. Meanwhile, Block highlighted Elba’s “reputation as a man who likes to go fast behind the wheel of a car.” The two should make for a dynamic (and maybe a little dangerous) combination.
The show will premiere on Quibi, a short-form content platform that is slated to launch in 2020. Episodes will be less than 10 minutes long, and there are numerous big-name celebrities involved. Earlier this week, for example, news broke that Don Cheadle will star in an upcoming Quibi sci-fi series.
“Elba vs. Block” is produced by Green Door Pictures and Workerbee. Its release date has not yet been announced.
According to Variety, Elba will be playing an unknown new character. The decision was reportedly made not to “disrespect” Will Smith, who first played the character.
Since the”Men in Black” star left the franchise due to a scheduling conflict, that leaves the door open for Smith to return as Deadshot for future installments.
It’s taken close to four decades to make its way to the big screen, but at long last, a “Cats” movie is finally due to hit theaters this year. And now, the long-gestating film has finished production.
Production company Working Title and the movie’s official Twitter page revealed the news on social media this week, tweeting out the jubilant news.
With Will Smith out for the “Suicide Squad” sequel, another actor may fill the void left in the DCEU.
The film’s writer and director, James Gunn, reportedly met with Idris Elba. The meeting went so well that the actor is now in talks to replace Smith, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The publication says he is the top choice — as well as the only choice.
Smith had to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts, per Variety, which apparently created quite the dilemma. Gunn had already written the “Suicide Squad 2” script, and while it does reportedly involve new DC characters, Smith’s character, Deadshot, was expected to be among those returning.
