*Sigh*
I had such high hopes. Now, that may seem a pretty harsh way to begin a review, and don’t get me wrong there are definitely some defining and memorable moments throughout this film I really enjoyed but…there just could have been so much more.
More Captain Boomerang, more Katana, more Joker…the list is endless. It’s meant to be a ‘squad’ and Lord knows everyone under the sun knows what that means thanks to T-Swift and her friends, but really it just felt like the Deadshot and Harley Quinn show. And whilst I really loved those characters I did feel like we didn’t get a chance to really see the others shine like we know they have the potential to do.
Origin stories are always hard- you want to give the audience enough information so the present storyline makes sense but you don’t want to load them down with too many flashbacks and stoic moments where the characters wonder how they got to this point in their lives. It really is a delicate balance, and I’m not one hundred percent sure that ‘Suicide Squad’ nailed it. There was a lot of flashbacks rammed into the storyline that made it feel jolty and at times slightly confusing. The flashbacks themselves were not in order, we saw Harley both pre and post Joker in random sequences, so you were never completely sure of the timeline.
Will Smith killed it, naturally- his talent for humour and timing shining through in the character of Deadshot very nicely and offering comic relief in the darkest moments. His relationship with army man Rick Flag, portrayed by Joel Kinnaman, was also a highlight for me as I enjoyed their comradery and to-and-fro sarcasm throughout the film, the contrast between good and evil yet joining together to fight for a cause. And the attitude he holds towards Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller had me laughing out loud, particularly his ‘How are you not dead?’ delivery. Flawless.
After all the hype behind the multiple trailers, posters, teasers and radio adverts run throughout the months leading up to the films release I felt a little disappointed however about the amount of screen time the Joker got. He was supposed to be the ultimate bad guy- Jared Leto clearly put his all into it and yet he was used almost as a side piece. An idea to show Harley Quinn’s backstory and nothing more. He played a slight comic relief that didn’t really live up to his potential. And I’m not the only one disappointed in the portrayal- Leto himself has said he was upset with the way he had been placed into the film, believing that the potential of the role was not explored fully.
Needless to say, fans felt tricked and slightly let down by the filmmakers in regards to what they thought to be a major story arc. There seems to be promises of more in the extended cut, but I’ll reserve any kind of judgement until I see it for myself.
With that, the big bad guy was anything but. And trust me, it wounds me to writes such words. I LOVE Cara Delevingne, and I have for years. When she made the leap to acting I was thrilled, simply because it meant we would see more of her on the big screen. But, I feel she took on too much, too soon. This character is not well thought out or portrayed at all, and I feel that is only part Delevingne’s issue. She gets the June Moon persona nailed down, the scared unknowing woman who doesn’t understand the powerful being inside her- however when she makes the transition to Enchantress, something gets lost in translation. She becomes comedic, but not in a good sense. She becomes sexualised, scantily dressed and gyrating around whilst everyone else gets in on the action. She is given an odd CGI voice and look, and somehow the reality of the film, already hanging by a thread due to it’s nature, is completely lost. It’s heart-breaking, simply because the potential is there and not acted upon. However, I do think the other enemy Amanda Waller was portrayed in justice. Viola Davis bought the right amount of patriotic loyalty and emotionless drive to make her hated by the characters and audience alike. Her dominant role throughout the film, to me, seemed to be simply to make the audience side with the protagonists, the ‘squad’ who even though they are quintessentially evil you find yourself rooting for them to succeed. It’s a redemption story, and Waller is the catalyst for succession.
The CGI and special effects was another issue for me- I feel this is just becoming a list of complaints but roll with it, we will get there- simply because it didn’t live up to other aspects of the film. Characters are humorous and attention grabbing for the most part, and I enjoyed laughing along with them. however, I did not enjoy laughing at the CGI because I was SUPPOSED to laugh at it. It was an awkward laugh because it was unbelievable- the whole point of CGI is to make us believe what we are seeing is real, that it really, truly exists- and there were points that succeeded, such as El Diablo’s (another underrated character) full transformation.
A highlight for me was the soundtrack- it kept the film alive and rolling. It succinctly narrated the film and kept the feel of a comedic superhero film going, even if some of the songs did feel a little out of place. I also enjoyed the not so subtle tie-ins to the Justice League upcoming films, the reveal of the Flash and the return of Affleck’s Batman. That last one is a bit of a stretch as I have strong mixed feelings towards ol’ Ben’s Batman, but that’s for another day and post. But I love a good tie-in, and teasers are my weakness. The more interactions they have the more real the characters become to be- it gives them a sense of history, a past we are only just starting to learn.
The film ends ambiguously, I think- they leave it wide open with the Joker re-appearing, naturally, with the options of numerous sequels. There are a number of villains that could potentially be lined up for the squad to defeat- Harley, Deadshot, Killer Croc and Boomerang are all still in Belle Reve, and El Diablo’s fate seems slightly equivocal. I’m not sure how I feel about this situation. As a story arc, Enchantress is defeated and the squad benefit from being temporarily good- we get to see an aspect of humanity and vulnerability to them all that I like.
I left the cinema with mixed feelings- I found it enjoyable whilst I watched it, but the more I thought about it the more flaws I found. It seems to be a trait I find forming with regards to DC movies recently. Overall, it’s a feel good movie that is watchable enough but should be a definite miss for those die-hard comic fans, or really anyone who knows anything about the original comic characters. Sadly, the film just didn’t do them justice.
5.5/10