DC: 5 Ways Assault On Arkham Is The Best Suicide Squad Movie (& 5 Ways It's Hell To Pay)
With James Gunn's upcoming The Suicide Squad releasing later this year, fans are excited to have a new live-action take on the infamous team after the colossal disappointment, for most audiences, that was 2016's Suicide Squad film.
With the 2016 movie being as poorly received as it was, fans of the Suicide Squad must look elsewhere for quality content... Enter the 'DC Universe Animated Original Movies' collection which boasts not just one, but two top-class Suicide Squad movies. Between Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay and Batman: Assault On Arkham (don't let the title deceive you, the film revolves more around the Suicide Squad than Batman), there's plenty to love about both movies.
10 Tie: Great Usage Of Deadshot
Making a competent superhero movie with a well-known hero can be hard enough. Making one starring a low-tier who is somewhat obscure for non-comic readers is even more of a challenge.
Somehow though, both movies manage to defy expectations and do an excellent job breathing life into Deadshot as a character. As Amanda Waller's top operative, the two films show different sides of the villain/anti-hero and the boundaries he's willing to cross in order to follow his own code and not just be a puppet for Waller.
9 Tie: Mature Rating
With Assault On Arkham having a PG-13 rating and Hell To Pay being Rated-R, both of these films hit a more adult-focused tone than a majority of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series.
The Suicide Squad lends itself much better to a mature rating, allowing the films to explore the zaniness and lack of morality of the characters and team. These two movies benefit immensely from this, with both having great moments and scenes that couldn't be pulled off in a kid-friendly film.
8 Assault On Arkham - Batman And The Arkham Videogame Universe
Not only does Assault on Arkham feature Batman in a pivotal role from beginning to end, voiced by the legendary Kevin Conroy, but it's also set in the undeniably awesome Arkham videogame universe.
This is the only DC Universe Animated Original Movie that has this connection, making Assault on Arkham stand out in the forty film catalog by taking advantage of the iconic versions of Batman characters and Gotham locations presented in this universally acclaimed videogame series.
7 Hell To Pay - Better Connection To DC Lore
While Assault on Arkham benefits from its connection to the Arkham videogames, Hell to Pay benefits even more with its much larger and in-depth connection to DC lore.
Featuring characters like Doctor Fate and Vandal Savage, Hell to Pay uses DC lore as a sandbox to play in and does it in a very fun way. Avoiding major spoilers, another great aspect of this movie is that it's a quasi-continuation of the epic Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
6 Assault On Arkham - Exciting Narrative Twists
Written as a fast-paced thrill ride, Assault on Arkham keeps audiences on their toes as the plot constantly shifts and evolves. This is one of the strengths of this film, as unexpected twists keep the story fresh and the stakes constantly escalating.
From Riddler knowing how to deactivate Waller's bomb implants to Batman undercover posing as a member of the Suicide Squad, this movie juggles its many moving parts quite well, creating a highly memorable and entertaining experience.
5 Hell To Pay - Hilarious Comedic Tone
The Suicide Squad works best with a little comedy mixed in. Assault on Arkham wasn't shy about inserting some jokes, but where Hell to Pay benefits is its complete commitment to its laughs.
With a plot point revolving around Doctor Fate choosing a male stripper as his next avatar and a large chunk of the film following the Suicide Squad on an RV road trip, Hell to Pay isn't scared to be a little silly while also serving its audience great action and a compelling story.
4 Assault On Arkham - Joker
He's the most famous villain in all of DC for a reason. When done correctly, Joker is a powerhouse of a character that improves anything he's in. Assault on Arkham is no exception, as Joker makes a major impact in this film and his fight with Deadshot in the finale is nothing short of awesome.
Although Mark Hamill tragically doesn't reprise his voice, famous voice actor Troy Baker does a phenomenal job at recreating Hamill's iconic take on Joker.
3 Hell To Pay - Reverse Flash
While not as celebrated as Joker as a pop-culture villain, the Reverse Flash is a force of nature in DC lore and not a bad guy who should be taken lightly. A sadistic killer with powers comparable to the Flash, Reverse Flash is not just powerful but he's also incredibly intimidating and downright frightening at times.
His role in Hell to Pay is a fun one, as the Reverse Flash is attempting to cheat the devil and divine judgment by getting his hands on the same "get out of hell free" card that the Suicide Squad is after in this movie.
2 Assault On Arkham - Thrilling Action
While many of the films in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series do feature good storytelling, what most fans come to see when they watch one of these movies is top-notch superhero action.
Not only does Assault on Arkham have that in spades, but it arguably has the best action of any film in this entire series. While Batman's fight with the Suicide Squad is fun, the aforementioned brawl between Joker and Deadshot during the final act is surprisingly emotional and unsurprisingly epic.
1 Winner - Hell To Pay - Superb Writing
Hell to Pay's dominance over Assault on Arkham is admittedly fairly dependent on your preference at the time. Assault on Arkham is elevated by its action, but Hell to Pay is uplifted by its superb writing.
Making an entertaining Suicide Squad movie with the likes of Batman and Joker isn't too much of a challenge. Making a Suicide Squad movie with a plot that is a quasi-sequel to Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and revolves around an RV road trip, Vandal Savage, and a "get out of hell free" card belonging to Doctor Fate? That is MUCH more of a challenge and Hell to Pay deserves credit for making it work as well as it does.
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