RELEASE DATE: December 13,2016
STUDIO:Warner Bros. Pictures
DIRECTOR:David Ayer
MPAA RATING:PG-13 (for sequences of violence and action throughout, disturbing behavior, suggestive content and language)
SCREENWRITER:
STARRING:Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez,Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood,Cara Delevingne, Adam Beach, Karen Fukuhara
GENRE:Action, Adventure
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What happens when you take essentially criminally insane baddies and give them a joint target to take down ? The Suicide Squad is what happens. Made up of the worst of the worst that DC Comics best and brightest good guys could capture (as Joker is running loose) Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, El Diablo, Captain Boomerang, and Enchantress. This is the rogues gallery that makes up the Squad. Put together by the ruthless and equally deadly (government sanctioned criminal) Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) they are easily expendable and disavowed, making them the perfect force for under the table, overly dangerous missions no one wants to send good men to handle.
First off, everyone in the Suicide Squad gets a chance to shine in this film which is always a concern with super powered team movies. But make no mistake that Will Smith’s Deadshot and Margo Robie’s Harley Quinn are the focal points. Smith does a fantastic job as Deadshot giving off equal parts cold killer and caring father throughout the film. It makes him the most cheer worthy of the bad guys on the team. I would have preferred if they turned down the blackness on him a bit with statements like “That’s Gangsta !” feeling unnecessary. I don’t know if it was as egregious as Killer Croc saying “Shawty” (should’ve kept him grunting the whole film) but it annoyed me a little. Margot Robie had the dubious task of bringing the beloved Harley Quinn to the big screen for the first time. Let me say this, I think she did a wonderful job honestly if at times she was a bit overboard with some of her actions but her character is insane so I gave a bit of wiggle room with my criticism. She did play the clown princess and her undeniably unstable love for Mr. J in to her performance I dug it. Killer Croc literally spent the whole movie in the background looking menacing and grunting. This was great but then they gave him lines and I cringed every time he was on screen after fearing more inane lines from his character. El Diablo played by Jay Hernandez was OK but Deadshot calling him ese and him saying homie wore on me quickly. Captain Boomerang was there for comic relief I’m sure but it never quite landed anytime he dropped a joke. Rick Flag was there but he felt like he was just there to make you care about Enchantress. Enchantress as the main villain was weird as she really didn’t do much except stand on a roof and wave her arms for much of the film. She was a boring villain plain and simple. Jared Leto was lauded by the director as giving some sort of transcendent performance but he was in the movie so little that I honestly don’t have much to say about him. I mean the guy had the creepy factor and unpredictability down pat but there just wasn’t enough Joker to justify the director or the internet nerds words of praise or concern.
My biggest issue with this (and all DC Comics) films is their over reliance on CG special effects. It was distracting and took me out of my suspension of disbelief multiple times during the film. I wish they would use more practical effects but if it hasn’t happened yet I doubt it will.
This movie will be divisive just like Batman Vs Superman. Many will love it and many will hate it. I liked it more than I didn’t. The casting for the key Squad members was great and the performances they left on film was worth the wait. The dialogue was a bit cornball at times but not walk out the theater bad. The lack of Joker, weak villain, and detrimental amount of CG effects were the only drawbacks to a fun time at the theater. Let the nerd rage commence !
