"Figuring they're all expendable, a U.S. intelligence officer decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret mission. Now armed with government weapons, Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc and other despicable inmates must learn to work together. Dubbed Task Force X, the criminals unite to battle a mysterious and powerful entity, while the diabolical Joker (Jared Leto) launches an evil agenda of his own."
I love my superhero movies, so anything DC or Marvel related is something I look forward to with bated breath. DC hasn't really had the greatest track record as of late, but the trailers had me thinking this film would be an action-packed, comedy filled extravaganza.
The soundtrack is both appealing and unappealing. I'm a bit of a rocker, so to have the movie open with The Animals 'House of the Rising Sun', feels like a great start. I love having my chosen genre of music put into a mainstream film like this seems ideal, but it really didn't fit in. Despite the film playing hits from the likes of Queen, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, and AC/DC ('Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Paranoid', 'Sympathy for the Devil', Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap', respectively). The soundtrack felt separated from the movie, and in many cases was a distraction from what was going on in the plot.
The first bits of the movie serves as an introduction to the villains. This was a part that I quite liked. It is something that is done in the comic books because the actual members of the Suicide Squad change so frequently (in the comics, Suicide Squad missions are actually suicide missions, so many villains don't survive long). While good to get to know the characters, it was easy to see which characters they were really pushing; Harley Quinn received an extensive introduction, including multiple flashbacks and scenes, whereas the rest of the team receive very short introductions if any at all.
The whole premise of the film is quite odd in that it undermines itself, selling itself as a team of "meta-humans" to battle other meta-humans, despite the initial team of 9 Suicide Members was comprised of 6 humans, with no superpowers. So I was rather confused as to why they picked the characters for this film as they did (unless they were looking purely at future spin-offs and sequels). Casting-wise however, I feel they were largely on the dot. Margot Robbie does a brilliant job demonstrating the energy, enthusiasm, and mental instability of Harley Quinn. Will Smith's rendition of Deadshot, while unexpected, was great. He provided the professionalism that the character required while also being a source of humility, compassion, and even having a sense of humour to lighten the mood in otherwise tense situations. Even Jai Courtney was an engaging Captain Boomerang.
Cara Delevingne, however, left a lot to be desired. Her interpretation of Enchantress felt weak and was irritatingly portrayed (constantly wiggling and waving like she is having a seizure of some sort). Jared Leto's Joker was, while not horrible, it was unnecessary. Looking at the film as a whole, his presence had no effect on the plot, and if anything, it prevented the main plot from being able to properly develop. In terms of the plot, there really isn't any sign of a strong one. It takes a good 45 minutes just to create the team, which means you only have an hour left to create a dangerous situation, send in the team, and resolve the situation. So after the build-up, it never really had a chance to build tension properly. No real chance for the team dynamics to develop, alliances and internal dissension to develop etc.
The villain's minions are strange CGI monstrosities, with no real introduction, and no real explanation. In fact, the villains themselves have no real motivation and direction. So there is never a real threat. Inconsistent effects of damage and injury also make it harder to follow. There really are so many plot holes and nit-picking aspects that I could easily write 4000 words just on the negative aspects (Don't get me started on the writers' apparent hatred of helicopters). But the reality is that I still enjoyed the film. I enjoyed it more than the theatrical release of Batman v Superman. It's a Saturday night popcorn flick by definition. You'll enjoy it. It has action, and it has comedy, but there is nothing else to it. No substance.
If you know nothing about the history of the Suicide Squad in the comics, and just want a no-brainer film where you can switch off and stop thinking, then you will very much enjoy it.
Originally posted to: http://djin.nz/Kr7408