Here it is. This is it. After Batman v. Superman left me mildly disappointed, Suicide Squad was looking like it would redeem the DCEU. With a great cast, a great look, and a great trailer, there was no way this was going to be as, or even more, disappointing than Batman v Superman, right?
Right?
The one word I've seen the most when others are describing Suicide Squad is "messy." It's a mess. Really. Luckily, it's still a lot of fun. Half of it comes from seeing these characters make their big screen debuts and returns, and the other half is cuz there's guns and explosions and all that jazz. But, besides that, Suicide Squad is a poorly-written, poorly-edited, poorly-structured movie.
The strongest thing the movie has going for it are its characters. Sort of. I'll admit, seeing characters like Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and Katana in action on film made me really happy, and I feel like that's where most of the enjoyment for many other viewers comes from, and that's great. All the actors do a fine job. Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, they're all very good and well-cast. The thing is, most of the characters don't feel...whole. Without going into spoilers, El Diablo is the only one of the Squad members that gets an "arc" over the course of the story, while the others don't really get one. Deadshot and Harley Quinn get the biggest focus, in the main story and in flashbacks, but feel-short-changed when it comes to development and motivations. The same goes for Rick Flagg, Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc and Katana. Sure, they get a moment or two (Katana doesn't do much at all), but I left the theater wanting more. And not the good kind of "more."
Apparently talking about the Joker warrants it's own paragraph, so here goes nothing. While I hated hearing about Jared Leto's "Look at me! I'm a method actor! I'll drop a dead pig on a boardroom table!" shenanigans, I didn't mind his portrayal of the Joker. It definitely isn't as good as Heath Ledger's turn as the character, but Leto makes the role his own and, with a few tweaks, I think this version of the Joker can become as good. Some of his lines land, some don't. I don't think he needed to be in the movie as much as he was (and he isn't in it for very long), but I'm interested in seeing where this Joker goes and how he does when he inevitably goes up against Affleck's Batman.
Apparently, the script was written in six weeks, and that really shows. There are one too many plot beats that feel a bit too convenient, especially involving the villain. The first 20 minutes are dedicated to introducing us to the members of Task Force X, and though it's entertaining, it takes longer to get to the actual deployment of the Squad. Once that happens, the story becomes aimless, becoming something like a video game. We wander from one action set-piece to another until we get to the big boss fight (which is almost exactly like your typical video game boss fight). In the humour department, the jokes are very hit or miss. Some land well, others don't. I feel like most of the good ones you can find throughout the promotional material. And like I mentioned before, not much attention is paid to clearly addressing the motivations of these characters. One member abandons the mission at a point, then abruptly returns and their reasons for doing so are never revealed.
Then there's the editing, which was quite jarring at times. It made a few scenes hard to understand with all the quick cuts and crazy effects. There's a flashback that is smack dab in the middle of a scene that feels very out of place and really doesn't play a role in the remainder of the story.
There's a few more things I have to say, but I couldn't find a good place for, so...
Other Thoughts:
- Steven Price's score is pretty good. It's all the pop music interruptions that irked me. Some work with what's going on on-screen, but others are totally tacked on for the sake of putting them on a movie tie-in album. It worked for Guardians of the Galaxy, it doesn't work all the time for Suicide Squad.
- Viola Davis kills (literally, and performance-wise) as Amanda Waller.
- It's safe to say Batman's in it, right? He's in the trailers. Anyways, his appearances were definitely highlights for me. Remember when everyone was saying Ben Affleck was going to be terrible?
In the end, there's still a ton of fun to be had with Suicide Squad, despite me being a bit hard on it. I'll heartily admit I had a blast with it. If you were bent on seeing it before the wave of negative reviews, I still recommend you see it. You may enjoy it more than me. That being said, if you're expecting it to live up to the hype and the great marketing campaign, you might feel a bit stung. Go in with moderate expectations, and I'm sure you'll have a ball.
One thing's for sure, DC really needs a critical hit in order for moviegoers to stay invested in their cinematic universe. Help us, Wonder Woman. You're our only hope.
Oh, and stick around for a scene during the credits.
Noah
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