Once again, DC proves that its animated films are vastly superior to anything they wish they could accomplish on the big screen. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is a fantastic example of the risks this comic company is willing to take in its films and how it pays off. This R-rated bloodbath is a spectacular action film that, while short, is sure to please any fan of the comics that was not too ecstatic about the live-action one. Fantastic animation and a killer voice cast makes this movie a sure shot.
I have so many good things to say about this film and while that may be because I'm comparing it to the 2016 disaster, I feel my opinions still hold up. The animation in this movie was great as always and had the perfect blend of American and Japanese animation styles that DC has perfected in these straight-to-DVD releases. The biggest part about this film that made it stand out among many others is its R-rating. Besides Batman: The Killing Joke, there has not been an R-rated animated DC film ever made. I feel that this was a very smart choice for this movie because it paved way for plenty of blood and violence without becoming too excessive. The violence was the main reason for the rating, as there was only one quick sexual scene and one use of the word "fuck." This was smart, though, because the violence was done very well. In the comics, the Suicide Squad are DC's most relentless and crazy cast of characters and they deserved this more mature, animated treatment. Showing more of the close kills and in-your-face action added to the development of all the characters as well, displaying their brutal actions. The scene that shocked me most, however, was the nude scene on the rooftop. As Scandal Savage and Knockout were planning their next move, Knockout came out of the hot tub she was resting in to kiss Savage. Just before the two women kiss, we see just about every part of Knockout when she comes out. This honestly surprised me because, even though it is rated R, I was not expecting them to take that nudity risk. I am glad they did though because it just shows how much more mature this film can be without becoming gratuitous or ridiculous.
The characters and story of this movie make it that much more lovable. The plot throughout focused on the Squad trying to retrieve a cursed card that could guarantee the holder's entrance to heaven. So many great DC characters showed up in this film, including Reverse Flash, Silver Banshee, Vandal Savage, and of course, the insane new members of the Squad. The best part about the writing in this film were the relationships between the characters. While the previous film Assault on Arkham focused on Harley Quinn's story, this film was more revolved around Deadshot (hopefully next time it'll focus on Boomerang). This worked well, because this character had the best development out of all of them. His hardass attitude and strong leadership helped the team in a lot of different situations. The best, though, was when Bronze Tiger was dying in the conclusion of the film. At that point, Deadshot had developed very well and knew that Tiger deserved the card instead of whoever else was after it. This was the most touching part of the movie, and I am glad that the characters were given more time to grow. The voice cast in this film was great as well, as Tara Strong and Christian Slater led the cast. Yeah, I said that right: Christian Slater. Strong was great as Harley Quinn and at this point it would be amiss if she didn't voice the hammer-wielding lunatic. But the real standout was Slater as Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot. Slater has such a commanding and unique voice that fit the character absurdly well. I really hope that he takes more voice roles because even though he is an amazing actor, he can give life to some awesome characters too. The only problems I had with this film were two small issues with the writing. While the characters developed very well, a lot of Killer Frost and Copperhead's lines were taken straight out of a pun book. They were very cheesy and could have been written better. My other issue deals with the fate of Amanda Waller. In the introduction, we learn that she is trying to get the cursed card to save herself, as she is dealing with a terminal illness of some kind. However, that subplot was never resolved and nothing was shown past the initial diagnosis. This could have been flushed out for a deeper plot, but I guess that wasn't the writers' main concern.
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is a fantastic animated film that, in a small aspect, redeems the name of the team from their previous mess. With enough bloody fun and adult content to keep mature audiences happy, DC's live-action department should take a few notes from these films, as they almost always come out on top.
My Rating: ★★★★
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