The Suicide Squad

Parents say
Based on 39 reviews
Kids say
Based on 103 reviews
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The Suicide Squad
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Suicide Squad is a reboot of/follow-up to the 2016 misfire Suicide Squad, as well as a follow-up to the 2020 Harley Quinn movie Birds of Prey, all of which are part of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It's vulgar, extremely gory, and irreverent, but it's also exhilarating and it has a lot of heart, as well as clear themes of teamwork. This movie is notably more graphic than the 2016 film: Expect intense blood and gore (bodies are slashed, blown apart, etc.), lots of death (including important characters), heavy weaponry, brutal fighting, torture, crashes/explosions, and more, all with an over-the-top, quasi-humorous, comic book style. Language is also very strong, with uses of "f--k," "s--t," "t-ts," "p---y," and much more. Characters have comically energetic (but not explicit) sex, wrecking the room and crashing objects to the floor. Nudity is mostly in the background but includes glimpses of breasts, chests, and a penis. There's some sex-related dialogue and sexual gestures. Main characters smoke and drink, and a character is seen shooting heroin. Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, and many more familiar faces co-star.
Community Reviews
Dont listen to your 12 year old
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Best DCEU movie?
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What's the Story?
In THE SUICIDE SQUAD, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) sends the new Suicide Squad to the island of Corto Maltese to infiltrate a secret laboratory, where terrible experiments are underway. Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) is captured by the local military, while Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) is taken by a band of rebels. Meanwhile, a second team -- consisting of Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone) -- lands on another beach and proceeds with the mission, stopping to rescue Flag first. After tracking down mad scientist The Thinker (Peter Capaldi), the team, joined by Harley, finally discovers what they're up against: a mind-controlling alien supervillain known as Starro.
Is It Any Good?
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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Suicide Squad's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Do you consider the members of the Suicide Squad role models? Who are some other reluctant superheroes? What makes their stories compelling?
How does the movie convey the idea that teamwork is important? Does it emphasize any other positive character strengths? Do characters have to be wholly heroic to model positive traits?
How is drinking depicted? Do the characters make it look like fun? Are there consequences for drinking? Why does that matter?
How does this movie compare to other superhero movies, and specifically the movies in the DC Extended Universe? Which superhero movies are edgier, and how are they similar and different?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 6, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: August 6, 2021
- Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Pete Davidson
- Director: James Gunn
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Superheroes
- Character Strengths: Teamwork
- Run time: 132 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity
- Last updated: March 31, 2022
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