Not having been impressed by the recent live-action version, I admit the only reason I was interested in Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay was because Christian Slater voices one of the characters, but it ended up being lots of fun.
Amanda Waller (Vanessa Williams) is the warden at Belle Reve penitentiary. Her unorthodox methods involve forming Task Force X with inmates Deadshot (Slater), Harley Quinn (Tara Strong), Captain Boomerang (Liam McIntyre), Killer Frost (Kristin Bauer van Straten), Copperhead (Gideon Emery), and Bronze Tiger (Billy Brown). This team of antiheros is required to take on missions at her direction with promises of reduced sentences. They each have a device installed in their necks that will cause their heads to explode if they disobey orders or try to escape. Her latest endeavor is the finding of a magical card with the text “Get Out of Hell Free” on it, believed to be in the possession of Steel Maxum (Greg Grunberg).
The Squad embarks on their mission unaware that another team of villains, consisting of Professor Zoom (C. Thomas Howell), Silver Banshee (Julie Nathanson), and Blockbuster (Dave Fennoy) are also on the hunt. They find about the card from an informant inside the prisons who tells them that Waller has only six months to live and that is why she is desperate to find the card. Once Task Force X finds Steel Maxum, they are set off on a course involving more villains and lots of action.
There are several HD special features available. “Outback Rogue: Captain Boomerang” (5 min) is a featurette about this character and his ability. “Nice Shot, Floyd! The Greatest Marksman in the DCU” (6 min) is the history of Deadshot. “The Power of Plot Devices, MacGuffins and Red Herrings“ highlights how these devices impact and heighten storytelling. There are also sneak peaks of the next DC Universe animated movie The Death of Superman along with past movies Batman: Assault on Arkham (HD, 1 min), which featured the Suicide Squad, and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2 min). Lastly, there is an audio commentary and from the DC Comics Vault, Beware the Batman: “Instinct” (22 min), Young Justice: “Terrors” (23 min).
I enjoyed this movie so much more than the live-action film. The characters were more interesting and you actually care about some of the antiheros. The story was engaging with exciting twists and turns. It was also better than some of the last couple DC Universe animated movies which was a pleasant surprise. If you enjoy these type of things, it is worth watching.
