Fanboys Anonymous

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is the latest in the line of animated DC direct-to-video films. Is it worth the watch or it is something that should be skipped?

What is this, WCW Monday Nitro?

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
Directed by Sam Liu
Written by Alan Burnett

STARRING:
Christian Slater (Deadshot), Vanessa Williams (Amanda Waller), Tara Strong (Harley Quinn), Billy Brown (Bronze Tiger), Kristin Bauer van Straten (Killer Frost), Gideon Emery (Copperhead), Liam McIntyre (Captain Boomerang), David Boat (Harvey Dent / Two-Face), Greg Grunberg (Steel Maxum), and C. Thomas Howell (Zoom)

Here are some specific thoughts that ran through my mind during the course of the film as a stream of consciousness:

• As always, I love the designs of these characters and the art style for the animation.
• Fat Amanda Waller > thin Amanda Waller in my opinion. There's something fun about the idea that she isn't athletic like everybody else and can command such a lead while being obese.
• Punch and Jewelee HAVE to die.
• Okay. Didn't expect that much blood haha.
• Why did the door explode with the X cut?
• Oh shit. Didn't expect the double cross.
• Oh shit! Didn't expect Vertigo to be killed!
• This is fun with Dent and Professor Pyg.
• Uh....X23?
• Classical music in a DC film about the Suicide Squad? Didn't see that coming, but I love it.
• Here's the "meet the team" lineup sequence. I'm going to assume Copperhead and either Bronze Tiger or Killer Frost bites the bullet at some point.
• Cheese dogs and chicken nuggies? Fuck it, I'd eat them.
• LOL @ Copperhead's tongue at the little kid.
• Awesome. I was just thinking Zoom was way too slow. Glad to see they're addressing it.
• "What do we do with Magic Mike?" Good joke.
• That nipple shot was the first time there was actual nudity in anything DC animated, right?
• I dig the design for Vandal Savage.
• There goes Pyg. I guess we won't be seeing him in any future Batman movies.
• So this is the actual Zoom from the Flashpoint timeline? Sweet! I LOVE that twist.
• So I was right about Frost and Copperhead. I didn't think they'd go out at the same exact time, though.
• Nice to see Bronze Tiger get the card from Lawton.
• Don't tell me they both get hit by a car in the middle of that street. I'd have laughed so hard.

This was fun! The story was more contained and well-executed than a lot of these tend to be, the characters were spot on what they should have been, and it was interesting to see a more adult approach to everything. It definitely gets my recommendation for anybody who is a fan of the DC brand.