So, I’m a pretty unashamed fan of DC
Comics. I’ve loved the characters and story arcs and all things that come with
being a comic book fan. Truthfully, despite trying to see every movie with an
unbiased approach, I had been hoping that 2016 would be the year that DC put
themselves back on the map. Here’s the thing about being a fan of DC comics in
a world where Marvel Studios has set the standard for what to expect. It’s like
being one of the guys in a Jackass movie; you keep psyching yourself up for
something awesome to happen, but you inevitably just end up getting hit really
hard in the dick. That’s how Suicide Squad, the latest DC Cinematic Universe
film, continuously felt.
In a world where Superman has made himself
rival the power of a God, and shown that gods can fall, the government now
scrambles to find an answer for if the next Superman isn’t a farm boy with a
mother named Martha (WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!) Cue Amanda Waller (Viola
Davis), the Head Operator of A.R.G.U.S. and the woman who takes it upon herself
to put together a team of super villains who can be coerced into doing the
dirty deeds that the good guys can’t quite accomplish. Along with the most
badass soldier on the planet, Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Waller brings together
Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai
Courtney), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje),
and Enchantress (Cara Delevingne).
Now, this review is going to seem fairly
negative... and it is. This is not a good movie. But just know, at the rate
that Warner Bros. seems to want to still their nose into every DC movie, people
won’t be getting that Cyborg movie they’ve all been begging for. There are a
lot of things wrong with the direction these movies seem to be taking.
Suicide Squad clearly aims to give you an
anti-hero story in the same vain as Guardians of the Galaxy, but with a much
darker tone. The problem instantly is that the film forgets to write their
characters as fun or compelling as any of the Guardians cast. Characters in
Task Force X, as the government knows them, are merely there to be DC comics
character name drops. The most obvious waste of interesting characters comes at
the hands of Killer Croc, Katana and Captain Boomerang (though this might be
the most charismatic I’ve ever seen Jai Courtney). I’ve been racking my brain,
and I still don’t know what they bring to the story.
Also, I find it hilarious how we’ve been
hearing about how method and weird Jared Leto has been to find the character of
The Joker, when his screen time amounts to the smallest supporting part. And,
frankly, I’m not sure if I liked his interpretation of the character. He’s
clearly a superb actor, but his Joker feels more like a glorified thug as
opposed to the Crown Prince of Crime. The Joker is supposed to feel like a
total wildcard. We’re not sure if he’s gonna blow up a hospital or try to tell
you a joke. Leto’s Joker just lacks the magic that Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson
and Mark Hamill have all brought to the role. I think that Leto needs to get a more substantial shot where he can really sink his teeth into it. Because he does some things excellently, but just doesn't capture you the way those others did.
However, the biggest problems that the
movie faces are that it has no idea what it wants to be. The first act tries to
set itself apart in its tone and introductions, giving characters a fun little
introduction. However, after that, it falls hard into the tropes of being
incredibly generic. The jokes that producers clearly felt would get standing
ovations completely fall flat, numerous character moments fail to resonate
because we have no stakes attached to most of the characters, and the pacing is
so sporadic that you’re not sure if there’s something coming after this or if
this is the final battle. Writer and director David Ayer, whose previous films
include End of Watch and Fury, clearly either had to compromise a lot on his
vision for these characters or had no god damn idea what he was doing with this
property.
Now, there are a few things I enjoyed about
the film, before I end this review. Will Smith, Viola Davis and Margot Robbie
all nail their characters incredibly well, with Smith giving his best
performance in some time. He plays Deadshot as a guy who sees being an assassin
as a way to provide for those he cares about, and his internal struggle in that
regard comes through. Robbie embodies Harley in a great way. Sure, she doesn’t
have the accent that we all know Robbie can do, but Harley is fun and
unpredictable and loves her Mista J. It’s Davis, however, that fucking nails
Amanda Waller. She’s a no nonsense cold ice bitch, and she’d be the first to
admit that before blowing your head off, and Davis plays it perfectly. Also,
there’s a scene where Deadshot gets to let loose and shit a bunch of guys and
it’s probably the highlight of the movie, so that was cool.
Ultimately, Suicide Squad fails because it
feels more like a response than a statement. It feels like a response to fans that
wanted DC to be more like Marvel, without laying any of the groundwork. The
movie tries to be a fun romp, and ends up being a slow walk through a shit
stained minefield where you step on every damn mine. That said, it's better than something like Green Lantern. It's just a movie that clearly could have used more time for everyone involved to get it right. While the criticism of a
lot of Marvel films may be that most of them do and say the same thing, Suicide
Squad shows up and fails to say anything.
Grade: D
