You know. I bet you DC doesn’t smoke. That’s because with them it’s always close but no cigar. They don’t do bad work. They just do such a good job of getting everyone’s hopes up and then go and not meet the expectations. What does that mean for Suicide Squad? Check out my review.
The last three DC movies (Man of Steel, Batman V Superman, and Suicide Squad) are like excited children who just can’t wait to tell a story. They’re going a mile a minute when the story starts and you can’t quite follow. They’re skipping through the boring stuff to get to the awesome ending. Then when they get to the good part they slow down to make sure they get every detail. It was the problem with the first two films and it’s still the problem now.
There was no story. Okay, sure, there was technically a story, but it as was bare bones as the Hindenburg. There will be no spoilers in this blog so fear not as I give you a vague rundown of the plot. Lets start with the backstory of the characters hoping it’ll help the non-comic fans be less confused and then introduce the villain after conveniently getting the green light for the team and then sending them on their first mission. Lets just hope that the shared screen time between the eight biggest characters doesn’t detract from the ability to make any of them endearing. Then lets wrap it up with a very nice battle but with some BS about how close they’ve grown.
That’s it. The first part of the movie was so rushed and filled with exposition that by the time their mission starts, I haven’t begun to give a damn yet. So pay attention folks. I’m about to eat my own words. I’ve said before, in regards to comic book movies, that when it comes to established universes, we don’t need an origin story. Just get on with the movie. Well, that’s basically what Suicide Squad tried to do and you know what? It didn’t work. So I was wrong there. See? I’ve always said I can admit when I’m wrong so there’s another example.
The acting in the movie was good especially from Jay Hernandez (Hostel) and Margot Robbie (Focus). Robbie was Harley Quinn and she nailed the character. She’s more of a Harley from the comics than Batman: The Animated Series because that was more for older kids and they couldn’t really dive into how messed up she really is. They also got the character of Diablo right too, at least the one I’m familiar with and I really felt for Hernandez because even though his story was more on the back burner (Ha! I made a funny) there was still enough to make me care. Will Smith (Fresh Prince of Hancock) did a fine job, which was a relief. He’s been really hit or miss lately, something I had never expected from him. Viola Davis (The Help) WAS Amanda Waller. She was everything I’ve come to expect from Waller which was more than simply being a B.
Now the one we’ve all been waiting for. Jared Leto. The interwebs have been full of love and hate (mostly hate) for Leto’s interpretation of The Joker and you know what? The truth is in the middle. There were parts where he was simply amazing. Where he embodied The Joker so well it was creepy and there were other parts where he was some other character entirely. He was inconsistent and I’m not sure how much of that was his fault. It can be hard to tell in movies. Did the actor just do a mediocre job or did the writers and/or director give them nothing to work with? This Joker was more of a psychopath which is closer to the New 52 Joker which some people, especially non-comic readers may have a hard time swallowing. The biggest difference with the comic is that this Joker didn’t get his face cut off and wear it strapped to his head with a belt.
I’m a CG snob. We all know this. But I believe I’m justified. In this modern day of graphics filled big budget blockbusters, there’s no reason for one to have bad CG. Smaller films? Sure, I’m more forgiving but for a comic film with a huge budget, I’m not. There were certain parts that just looked terrible but for the most part it was pretty good which helped me get immersed in the movie. But the bad parts left me scratching my head.
I almost forgot. Another problem I had was this movie should have been called Deadshot feat The Suicide Squad. Will Smith stole the show and was also given more lines than anyone else. Some of the other characters didn’t even really have to be there. Killer Croc and Katana were mainly just decoration. If they were taken out, the movie wouldn’t have suffered. The little impact they did have on the plot could have easily been changed. Everyone else served a purpose plotwise, even smaller characters like Slipknot.
I’ve had quite a few bad things to say about this movie but you know what? Screw it. It was still fun. I had a good time because it was still a flashy, visually pleasing, spectacle. The critics hated it. Well forget them. Their hearts are just three sized too small. If you see this movie, just know what you’re getting into. You’re going to see a movie with a weak plot and awesome comic book action. All glamour and little substance. You know what? Treat yourself. go have fun. The final battle is where it all pays off.
Suicide Squad gets an 8.5 out of 11