*SPOILERS AHEAD*
I am by no means either a true DC/Marvel fan nor am I a film expert, but I have done my research before and after seeing Suicide Squad, a spin off of the comic series of Batman, the Gotham super avenger/hero. I have been a lover of Harleen Quinzel since she appeared as Joker's accomplice in Batman: The Animated Series and have continued to be one as she became more and more of a re-occuring character. I do have to admit, however, she was not my first. That crown belonged to first, Poison Ivy, Catwoman and then the Joker himself. She is the first to have a movie dedicated to her, and a rat pack team of really bad guys, American special forces soldiers, and a Japanese assassin (who, while was portrayed to be a somewhat "good guy" in the movie, wars with hero Wolverine in the comics). To hear that a movie was to be based on a strong, prominent figure in comics that was no damsel, PYT, sex symbol or an idiot or some super being was really satisfying.
The movie, itself, even more so. Suicide Squad was a great comedic action packed movie with an okay plot, a great cast, director, special effects and charm. Staying as true as I know it to the comic series, Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn, was a star. Even with the wishwashing Brooklyn accent, her acting was stellar and made me fall in love with her character even more. She personified Harley in the most Harley Quinn way possible. Her main man, Jared Leto, playing the big bad Joker himself, was better than what many reviews I have read said to be a poor portrayal of the Crowned Clown Prince of Darkness and Mayhem. While his acting of being a psycho, especially one as beloved and luny as Joker, does need an improvement, it's hard to love any Joker that isn't played by the late Heath Ledger. His laugh was subpar, his lunacy okay, but his acting overall was beautifully done and in more ways than one, he nailed the Joker right on the head.
Will Smith. despite the harsh criticizm I read of him, acted, as usual, like magic. Keeping true to form and yet still accurately played the deadly Deadshot. A no-sh*!-taking kind of guy with a huge softspot for Harley, women and children, Deadshot will still kill at the blink of an eye. Smith captured both the humanity and ice-heartedness of Deadhsot with every frame of the movie. Cara Delevigne earned her title of a true actress in her portrayal of Thor's enemy, the Enchantress. Playing the duel role of terrified and hurt Dr. Jones who has a will of steel and the equally willful and terrifying sorceress from another dimension, Cara Delevigne shined in a way that made fans of the Enchantress that may have not existed before despite her maliscious character.
El Diablo's Jay Hernandez skillfully acted his part, with the compassion, reluctance, anger, love and sorrow a man who, ina fit of uncontrollable rage, killed the loves of his life- mother and children. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, aka Killer Croc, (arguably) was one of the two comedic reliefs on set who played the stereotypical black male with tough skin (no pun intended) and a cookie-cutter, poor boy heart perfectly. Digger or Captain Boomerang, played by Jai Courtney, was undoubtly the second, and probably the main, comedic relief. With pink unicorn in tow, Capt. Boomerang was the wild card that both irritated and became beloved by hundreds- including his team.
Katana, (Karen Fukuhara) assassin and widow, slays on the screen, exuding both honor and love, stregnth and life, and just pure awesomeness in the few frames she was given. Joel Kinnaman's Special Forces Flag was endearing and maddening, and a pleasure to watch while Viola Davis' character Amanda Waller set me on edge. While proud of the fact that such a feirce woman was allowed to be feirce without some tearjerking, "damaged past" back story being needed, her ferocity, at times, made me want to break a few walls. What else is to be expected when Madame Davis is on set? Add the breif appearances Adam Beach's Slipnot, Ben Affleck's Batman, and the Flash among a host of others, Suicide Squad was set to be legendary.
The problem? The rushed, iffy plot. The lack of focus on the true hero of the entire movie and the subpar "backgrounds" of the rest of the "squad". While the back stories of Harley and Deadshot were great, El Diablo's story nicely woven into the story, we know little to nothing of the rest of the "squad" beyond their names and a few facts about them despite their significant impact to the story. If Suicide Squad was going for a type of Origins story or a spin off movie franchise starring the Suicide Squad, it was not executed very well. If, however, it was going for an action packed, comedic thriller (as I had previously called it) I say, wonderfully done! The fighting scenes gave me chills and left me wanting for more.
Here's to hoping for a second, and more thought out, Suicide Squad. After all, we can never have too much of Dollface and her Puddin'!
