The Suicide Squad Review: 9 Ups & 1 Down

4. Its Unexpectedly Sharp Politics

Considering that Hollywood blockbusters need to appeal to audiences around the world, it's pretty rare for them to wade far into political debates, for fear of risking that sweet, sweet box office.

And while The Suicide Squad is hardly writing a dense, Earth-shattering treatise on American foreign policy, it is surprising to see just how eager the film is to paint the United States as the unambiguous bad guys.

Numerous times throughout the film the U.S. government is called out for things they do in real life - exhibiting casual disregard for non-American human beings, and as perhaps best embodied by the psychopathic Peacemaker, a willingness to stack the bodies impossibly high if it can benefit the home-front.

Though the film is primarily set on the fictional South American island of Corto Maltese, Gunn goes out of his way to dunk on American solipsism and patriotism run amok.

It's glorious to see in such a mainstream movie, yet never feels like it's a lecture that gets in the way of the fun.