Parents' Guide to The Suicide Squad

Full of gleeful gore and carnage, infectiously silly jokes, and an overall vulgar, irreverent attitude, this wily, invigorating DCEU movie also offers surprisingly strong teamwork and lots of heart. A quasi-sequel (but more like a reboot) to the 2016 misfire Suicide Squad -- with only Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, and Amanda Waller carried over -- The Suicide Squad rambunctiously avoids the problems of that earlier movie, barreling over them like a noisy party bus. It's all thanks to writer-director James Gunn, who brought a similar dose of energy to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Despite his commercial successes, Gunn seems to retain the spirit of the low-budget exploitation studio Troma where he got his start.

The Suicide Squad feels a little like a guerrilla effort, fast and loose, with wild invention taking precedence over visual effects. For example, Starro may be a giant effect, but its weird, googly eye and flailing movements make it genuinely memorable. But Gunn's secret weapon, borrowed from the Marvel Universe, is that the characters are actually quite lovable and even relatable (as opposed to the earlier gloomy, brooding DC heroes). The key here is Ratcatcher 2 (so called because she took over the mantle from her father). Her devotion to her fuzzy little rats gives her a strong, touching empathy that spills over to the rest of the characters, even the hard-headed Bloodsport. It all works together to make this a Squad that we'd certainly want to sign up with.