" Suicide Squad" has been out for over a week, and the reviews are split. Critics hate it. Some fans … actually like it? Then there are other fans who also hate it. Who should you believe?
Take this from a self-proclaimed comic book nerd. Take this from a guy who’s been reading comics since before it was cool, since before Marvel put out gold mine after gold mine, since before Christopher Nolan wowed the universe with "The Dark Knight Trilogy." Take this from a guy who's not only a die-hard DC fan but also a casual moviegoer who loves all the films that Marvel releases.
Take this from me. "Suicide Squad" is one of the most disappointing superhero films of the century.
Let that sink in.
No, I’m not bandwagoning on the DC-hate train the critics and the internet have been co-conducting for years. Like I did with "Man of Steel" and "Batman V. Superman," I went into the theater with an open mind, hoping for the best, only to come out two hours later in frustration. So much was riding on this film, but once again, DC proves that they have no idea what they’re doing.
Let’s get into why this film is so bad.
First of all, it’s painfully obvious that the studio execs were affected by the negative responses that "BvS" received earlier this year. Now wait a second, studio execs listening to fans? Isn’t that a good thing? Yes, it would have been a good thing if they had listened to the reviews and taken the time to learn what they did wrong and how they could have fixed it. Unfortunately, that is not what the studio did. I can just imagine the interaction between the execs:
“Fans say "BvS" is too moody. What should we do?”
“Catchy songs. Put catchy songs in the next film. One after another. Every 30 seconds play an edgy song.”
“Genius.”
“And flashy lights. Yeah, more color. Uh, give the characters some funny lines. That’ll win the audience over.”
“Writing this down now.”
The characters - don’t get me started on the characters. Killer Croc, El Diablo, Katana, Captain Boomerang. All expendable. Halfway through, I forgot Katana was even in the movie at all. The audience isn’t given any reason to like any of them. Yes, they’re bad guys. I’m not saying they have to be sarcastic, witty, cutesy, Robert Downey Jr. types for us to like them. They’re villains, and that’s the fun of it. But my God, fleshing them out wouldn’t have hurt. Make them distinguishable; give them stakes and backstories I care about. El Diablo had the closest thing to a touching backstory, but it felt so tacked on.
It was also obvious from the beginning that the director’s favorite characters were Deadshot and Harley Quinn. Yes, the actors play their respective roles very well; I’ll give them that. They’re charismatic and funny, but they don’t run much deeper than that. Deadshot’s motivation to see his daughter is just so generic; all of his daughter’s lines are cringeworthy. The film tries to explore Harley’s dysfunctional relationship with the Joker, but it doesn’t really amount to anything but flashbacks that are unrelated to the plot whatsoever.
This brings us to Jared Leto’s performance as the Joker. All I can say is … meh? He’s a kingpin, gangster-type in this film. I’m open to all kinds of interpretation, and I’m fine with that type of persona being explored, but overall it was a forgettable approach that is unmatched to Ledger’s performance eight years ago.
A lot of critics complain that the plot is generic. To that, I say, “so?” Half of Marvel’s movies have a generic plot, but the characterization and personal stakes are what guide the audience along the way. I don’t mind the plot of "Suicide Squad," but the film doesn’t really give a legitimate reason as to why the government is using villains to do their dirty work. It’s all so rushed that you can almost hear the execs at DC screaming, “Just go with it! Please! Give us your money and like our movies!”
No, DC. I will not like your movies until you prove you are dedicated in producing enjoyable work for fans to see, not two-hour time wasters that suck the money from our wallets.
My rating? 3/10. I only paid $6 for the film, and I still regret it.
