Being a big comic book and movie fan, it’s fair to say that I was intrigued and excited when Suicide Squad was announced two or so years back. There’s been a big influx of comic book movies being churned out over the last few years; some of them have been huge successes like The Dark Knight and The Avengers, while others like Green Lantern… not so much. So where does Suicide Squad rank? Keep in mind, there will be spoilers for the movie, as well as Batman v Superman. If you haven’t seen either flick or just don’t care, read on!
Plot
Though it advertises itself as a super-villain movie, the plot is very typical of a superhero movie. There’s a big threat, and the protagonists need to stop it. And what’s that? Oh look, another swirling plasma-vortex-thing in the middle of the city! Never seen that before! Still, it was interesting that they weren’t progressing the mission for personal gain, glory, or because it was the right thing to do. They were doing it for the very loose promise of a reward. In Deadshot’s case, it was to see his daughter again. For some of the others, it was for a reduced sentence.
Though the plot allowed for some cool moments, such as the final confrontation between Enchantress’ brother and El Diablo, as well as Killer Croc swimming through the sewers with the dive team, the plot was still the weakest aspect of the movie. While it didn’t feel like as much was thrown into this movie for the sake of keeping up with the competing camp like Batman v Superman did, the film felt like it lost its identity sometimes. Is it a supernatural thriller, realistic heist, or semi-grounded action flick? I know it’s supposed to be a comic-book universe where literally everything is a part of it, but casual movie-goers may be a bit lost and/or confused at what kind of world these characters inhabit.
Characters
Where the plot mostly failed to keep the movie together, the terrific cast and their respective characters picked up the slack. Everyone was excellent in their roles, with Will Smith’s Deadshot, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller in particular being quite notable, each with their attitudes and motives being distinct. Most everyone in the film had a good amount of individual screen time, so no one felt too overshadowed in favor of a more popular character. Cara Delevinge did a great job as Enchantress, who was an interesting choice for a villain (though I enjoyed her first costume more than her second), and Jay Hernandez’ El Diablo character was actually surprisingly fleshed out for a someone not many people have heard of before. I was actually legitimately sad when he died. Jai Courtney’s Boomerang was quite memorable with his constant beer-drinking and pink unicorn fetish, and the moment he bolted out of the bar as being “free to go” had the whole theatre laughing.
That’s not to say the characterization was perfect though. I felt that the most under-utilized character of the film was Karen Fukuhara’s Katana. She was just sort of… there. We got a brief explanation that her sword has the soul of her dead husband inside, but that was it, which is a shame because I actually really like the character from the comics. I hope they flesh her out more in the sequel. Joel Kinnamen’s Rick Flag felt too one-dimensional in comparison with the other characters, which I suppose is fine because he wasn’t the main focus.
Speaking of not being the focus, Jared Leto’s Joker was… interesting to say the least. I’m not one-hundred percent happy with his design (I especially don’t like the “Damaged” tattoo on his forehead), but Leto certainly got the crazy part down. The scene where he’s lying down surrounded by all the knives and weapons really stood out to me. Is Leto’s Joker on the same level as Heath Ledger’s Joker? No, but that’s fine. That’s the beauty of these characters: they’re open to interpretation and no two will be the same.
Verdict
Did Suicide Squad live up to the hype? Yes… and no. On one hand, the character interaction and rocking soundtrack made it thoroughly entertaining, easily cinching it as the best movie thus far in the DC Cinematic Universe. Whereas Batman v Superman tried too hard at being gritty, depressing, and having shock value with killing off Superman, Suicide Squad embraces the comic book vibe and runs with it while firing an assault rifle down the street and laughing like a maniac. On the other, a weak plot and some questionable choices in pacing like Boomerang rejoining the team for seemingly no reason kept the movie back from fulfilling it’s full potential.
Is it going to be winning any Oscars for Best Picture? Certainly not, though maybe Best Makeup and Costumes isn’t that far of a stretch. Is it the worst movie to come out this summer? Certainly not. So if you’re in the mood for a flash-bang, one-punch action flick, then you’ve come to the right show.
7/10
