Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay review

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay doesn’t feature any legitimately good people. It’s all about bad people who know they’ve done bad things, but most of them will stop at nothing to make sure they can get away with their bad actions. I’ve used the word “bad” three times now, and thankfully, that’s not the word I’d use to describe this movie. In fact, Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is pretty awesome.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay – which is directed by Sam Liu and written by Alan Burnett – completely embraces its R rating and delivers a lot of twisted fun. It’s violent – people are riddled with bullets and sliced apart – and doesn’t shy away from swearing and sexual content. Brutal action and this kind of tone is exactly what I’d expect from Amanda Waller’s team of cruel criminals while they're on a chaotic road trip, but hey, if you were looking for an all-ages story about some of DC’s most popular murderers, then this one obviously isn’t for you and it’s absolutely not for younger viewers. For everyone else, I imagine you’ll have fun with all the ridiculous mayhem that goes down.

What works so well about this plot is that it’s all about character instead of being yet another end of the world or “save the city” kind of scenario. Look, those kinds of stories can be told well (the incredible Batman: Assault on Akrham is mostly about stopping a bomb, after all), but it’s refreshing to break away from that kind of plot and instead focus on something a little more personal. I don’t want to spoil any plot details, but I will say that the scenario is believable for the villains considering the over-the-top world that they live in. I do have some minor criticisms/questions about the story, but they're all spoilers and, again, they're not significant.

While no character on Task Force X feels neglected, Deadshot (Christian Slater), Bronze Tiger (Billy Brown), and Killer Frost (Kristin Bauer van Straten) definitely receive the most insight. I’d love to elaborate on how different their roles are, but again, I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just be vague and say a surprising amount of heart is included in this hectic movie - there’s one standout scene involving Deadshot and Bronze Tiger, too. Despite playing a key role in the story, Amanda Waller (Vanessa Williams) doesn't make as strong of an impact as she usually does in Suicide Squad stories. Maybe that can be justified by her development in this one, but if anything, I would imagine her situation would make her feel even more imposing and cunning because the mission is very important to her.

Zoom (C. Thomas Howell) also receives way more focus than I expected. “Gregg, Zoom should obliterate Task Force X. He has no business being in this movie.” The evil speedster would undoubtedly wipe the floor with Task Force X, and that plays a major role in the story. Dancing around spoilers to the best of my ability, I’ll just say that longtime fans of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies will have a better handle on what’s going on, but new viewers may be left with some questions. His presence does complicate matters, but it’s not tough to swallow. That said, it does feel odd watching Zoom ride around in a van. It’s practical given the situation, but it just feels like a weird thing to witness, you know?

Harley Quinn (Tara Strong) and Captain Boomerang (Liam McIntyre) are primarily here for laughs. Even though Quinn is easily the most popular character on the roster, the movie wisely limits her gags and I believe that makes them more effective. Comedy is obviously subjective so maybe you’ll laugh, maybe you won’t. I think limiting her jokes made it feel like more landed, though – there’s a great bit with her throwing caution out the window. Meanwhile, Boomerang gets a brief moment that highlights his amusing dynamic with Deadshot, and his personality gets more of an opportunity to shine in the final act. Oh, and is it a spoiler to say that I’m pleased we see more of Copperhead (Gideon Emery) than I anticipated? I was really concerned they’d go the KGBeast (Batman: Assault on Arkham) or Slipknot (David Ayer’s Suicide Squad) route with him and kill him off before we get to really know him, but that thankfully, isn’t the case. All in all, there’s a good amount of varied comedy in here, ranging from lighthearted physical gags to crude comments.

Action junkies will be pleased. Ruthless shootouts. Vicious hand-to-hand combat. Powers used – and metahumans defeated – in creative ways. The battles are frequent, intense, and often impress for completely different reasons - I appreciate the effort in using different locations to make the combat feel different each time, too. I would’ve loved to see more impressive displays of accuracy from Deadshot and a little more of Harley Quinn’s frenetic and agile fighting style, but those are small, personal gripes.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay unleashes Task Force X on a brutal mission that includes just the right amount of comedy and heart while also delivering on its R rating without feeling excessively gruesome and vulgar. DC's latest animated adventure doesn’t hold back and it’s a wildly entertaining ride that features a bunch of familiar faces. I know I'm going to watch it at least a few more times. 

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is currently available Digitally and on 4k/Blu-ray/DVD. Get your copy here.
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