I cannot understand why DC Comics released the all-star mess Suicide Squad in 2016 (which I gave one-and-a-half stars), and then, five years later, releases another movie with basically the same characters as — The Suicide Squad.  Where is the originality?  Certainly not here.  My best guess is that DC, unhappy with David Ayer’s take, gave new guy James Gunn (he is the man behind Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy crew) the reins and said, save this franchise.  This is the result.  It’s a little better than the first film, but not by much.

James Gunn’s action is more focused: a bunch of misfit superheroes (a term I use loosely) is sent to the Central American nation of Corto Maltese to topple the government and destroy a big secret project that may embarrass America.  Many of the team do not survive.  Those that do eventually band together to let loose the big secret project and get away.  But then they decide to actually save the local populace, which is against the rules, and mayhem ensues.

Gunn’s take is spectacularly unstructured; so many of the original crew are killed so early in the proceedings that I didn’t really believe what I was seeing.  The story is full of irony and things not appearing to be what they are, which evidently modern audiences expect and enjoy; it just made things harder to follow for me.  But my biggest issue is this notion that realistic, modern, misfit superheroes (the R-rated kind, who kill at will and revel in destruction) are so unappetizing.  Apart from the sugary presence of Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn (somewhat less delectable than usual), stalwart Idris Elba (also taking a break from Marvel) as reluctant leader Bloodsport, and vulnerable Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, there is just nobody that I cared about.  I actively disliked the characters of John Cena (Peacemaker) and Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), and didn’t really give a flying fig about anybody else.  Weasel and King Shark are just grotesque.

So I had pretty much the same reaction to this adventure that I did to the previous one, except for one aspect.  The first film had some villainous presence that I never really understood and can’t even recall clearly now.  This one has a wonderfully campy presence that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It is of a 1950s era design and look (think Warning from Space), that suddenly made all the nonsense much more palatable to me.  The design is simple and hilarious and effective, much like the beach ball alien in Dark Star.  Thus, the goofy conclusion really saves the movie for me, despite the film’s constant barrage of ultraviolence, profanity, lack of empathy and gross effects.  Modern audiences may love this type of material; I prefer that of the good old days, represented by the last act of this absurdist adventure.  ☆ ☆.  14 May 2022.