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 !
If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
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No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
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No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
