LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!!
James Gunn brought it! Perhaps the best movie in the DCEU (Shazam! will make it a fight,) but easily the best of the R-rated ones (Joker is technically not part of the DCEU.) The action’s amazing, the character development is spectacular, the drama delivers, and the twists are bloody fantastic. While the cast is large, most of them are essentially cameos. But they all play their part to great effect and humor, in most cases. Flula (a German YouTuber and comedian,) Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, and Sean Gunn are especially good for the limited screen time they all have. Pete Davidson and Jai Courtney are there and do stuff.
This is what the first movie should have been. Considering only a couple members of the Suicide Squad in the 2016 movie died, this movie is a refreshing change of pace. I won’t spoil who dies, but I have a feeling most people can figure that out from the trailer, to a degree. Idris Elba, Sylvester Stallone (voicing King Shark,) Margot Robbie, Daniela Melchoir, John Cena (somehow,) and frequent James Gunn collaborator David Dastmalchian all shine, as well as Peter Capaldi as a version of The Thinker. Viola Davis and Joel Kinnaman both returned and played their characters better than the first go ‘round.
The humor is spot on, the violence is hard R-style, and the cursing fits. And the main antagonist is Starro! The giant space starfish with a big ol’ eye, for some reason… Starro was the first villain that the original Justice League went up against in the comics. The movie is long but it doesn’t feel that way at all. I want more of it. And we’re getting it, in the form of a limited series based on John Cena’s character, also written and largely directed by James Gunn. That is slated to come out in January of next year.
This movie gives Nobody a run for its money for movie of the year in my opinion. Highly recommend.
Do stick around for the end credits, as there are two post credits scenes. See it in theaters or streaming on HBO Max.
Gunn turned what I assumed could be the first MCU miss into one of my favorite MCU flicks so I am not surprised at all you think he’s done a good job. The only thing that makes me pause is the Shazam reference. While I agree Shazam was not bad on the DC curve that merely means it qualifies as watchable. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as a good film. I honestly barely found it entertaining.Report