Suicide Squad: Review
DC's latest venture into the Cinematic universe & it is a fine addition. With critics and some fans blasting it, I personally felt it was far better than what was being said, it is not brilliant, but it is very good.
Firstly...
This movie is currently sitting at a lower rating on Rotten Tomatoes than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. So it is fair to say that DC's run is not going all too well, from a critics stand point. However, some of the fans see it differently, including myself. I loved Batman v Superman and Man of Steel, and Suicide Squad is another addition. It has problems, yes. Is it as bad as they are saying? No.
Cons
The plot. It does not seem to fit in with the powers or lack of that these characters have. Diablo and one other are the only ones who actually have what can be considered a super power. So given the villain that they have to fight and their ability, it is a tad strange that a group that contains several good shooters & hand-to-hand combat fighters are sent to take them down. However, upon reflection this con is slightly less of a con given the way the characters all play a role in the climactic fight, the powered ones do a damn good job, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc and the rest all play a pivotal part utilising their best characters ability, Harley a particular stand out it has to be said, which I felt slightly rectified this odd balance in the plot, between the Squad and the villain.
The characters. They are all utterly brilliant to see on the big screen, they really really are, however it felt that some of them were more of a priority to ground and characterise than others. Deadshot, Quinn and Diablo and you could argue Rick Flag, are the only ones who really get some emotional heft and and backing. Boomerang and Katana and Killer Croc get very little, Katana got about 20 seconds of characterisation and that was in the third act, was quite emotional, but did feel as though it was added just to establish her a bit more. I just wish that the movie was able to establish them all, however upon reflection there are a lot of them, so I think they did the best that they could, it just could of been a tad better.
The evil taint of 'Fun'. This is a controversial one, and one that I have been called out for, I will try and keep it short. DC has been ridiculed for not being 'fun', what a pile of crap. This is Marvel's success and formulae seeping into DC and I do not like it at all, DC should stay true to their take on a superhero movie, they may be less critically acclaimed, but at the end of the day I believe it is the fans who have the weight. This 'fun' feel is done through applying music to certain scenes, sometimes it worked others it did not. Eminem was used, it was fantastic, other songs were played and all you could notice was the song being used to try and make it seem 'fun'. A very minor issue, but the overarching issue is that DC and WB (Warner Brothers) are pandering to the childlike, childrens-tea-party fun Marvel has, please, stop it WB and DC.
Quick fire now. The Joker is only in the movie a very few times which is a shame and felt a tad out of place at times. Pacing, similarly to Batman v Superman, it starts slow and gentle, and then it becomes lots of action quickly, in set pieces joined by walking. Editing and pacing could of been better.
Pros
The characters. Although some of them felt sidelined and less developed, the overall chemistry of the group and the leaders of them is fantastic. Deadshot portrayed by Will Smith was a standout, with several brilliant scenes, especially with his daughter. There is a lot of emotional heft behind him and it shines through. Harley Quinn is outstanding; a charismatic, mad, hot & funny individual and kudos to Margot Robbie for that portrayal. Diablo caught me off guard actually, his characters past is very sad and emotional and you really feel for him and understand why he does what he does in the movie. To be honest, all of the actors did a sublime job with their characters, though some where under-utilised. Then there is the Joker. Holy hell. Leto knocked it out of the park here. Leaving the theatre and thinking back to the movie and the Joker's scenes they are very very unsettling and stay with you. He scared me. I mean it. Still does.
The music and feel. When the music worked, it really worked and added a whole new feel to the scene it was playing over. Eminem's 'Guess who's back' playing over the group getting ready to go to Midway is a standout, there are other scenes which work great but I am trying to avoid spoilers here. The feel of this movie is the most Comic book feely, if that makes sense, than some other superhero movies. The beginning 20 - 30 minutes is so much fun to watch, as each character is introduced and you get to know them better with glossy and colourful still images which state their name, some of their likes and abilities etc. It just added a very comic book and retro feel to it and it worked brilliantly.
The action. David Ayer helmed it brilliantly and all the actors really go for it with their stunt work. Deadshot standing atop a car, firing a barrage of bullets into a wave of enemies, Quinn using her bat to smash heads and bodies, Croc slamming enemies into the ground and biting their heads off etc, it is all awesome to see and it works brilliantly.
Summary
To be honest, there is a lot more I could write about, but I have covered the main areas I think. Suicide Squad is being slammed by critics. I personally feel it is undeserved, the plot and editing is a tad choppy and it does jump around a bit, but this was a very difficult movie to manage, and the fact that the studio got involved and changed and added certain criteria only made it more difficult. The amount of characters, hype and expectations obviously through a lot difficulties and weight onto the team, but Ayer and the cast did a great job with it. Suicide Squad is a mess, however it is a highly enjoyable one. I would recommend going and seeing it.
