The DC cinematic universe is in danger of collapsing in on itself if its terrible run of big screen duds continues much longer.
The performances are among the only highlights of what is a mess of a film, one which flits about as wildly as its jukebox-laden soundtrack. Even the Joker would balk at the amount of chaos going on in Suicide Squad
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy may have been a critical and commercial smash for DC and Warner Bros, but its shadow has continued to loom large over its output ever since.
Entrusting the DCU to ‘visionary’ director Zack Snyder was their first and most fatal error. His ponderous and humourless approach mixed with an overtly storyboard style was no doubt a big selling point post-Nolan; however, substance and subtlety are things Snyder hasn’t been particularly blessed with as the misfiring Man Of Steel and this summer’s lumbering Batman vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice have proven.
The gang’s all here in Suicide Squad
The critical mauling and patchy box office for Batman vs Superman almost certainly set off panic alarms for DC and Warners, which undoubtedly explains the hasty reshoots that took place for David Ayer’s Suicide Squad to presumably inject the sort of levity that makes much of Marvel’s output so enjoyable.
One can see how the tone of the movie has shifted in its trailers, which started out at the start of the year employing the Snyder formula, before evolving over time to become a far more light-hearted affair. The problem is that in the process of bolting on extra jokes the film’s narrative thread has frayed to the point of incomprehensibility, while the direction chops and changes more than a Donald Trump speech.
Jared Leto plays the Clown Prince of Crime in Suicide Squad
Ayer has insisted the cut of the film is entirely his, but it’s difficult to believe from the man who is evidently far more at ease making visceral, uncompromising flicks such as Fury and End Of Watch. There’s the germ of a good movie here and he’s assembled a talented enough cast, but the stink of recuts, drastic editing and compromise sinks Suicide Squad.
The most notable example is in the use of Jared Leto’s Joker. Leto hasn’t been shy in voicing his bewilderment at the sheer amount of footage involving the Clown Prince of Crime that has been left out of Suicide Squad and his extended cameo leaves you wondering what the hell he’s doing in the movie – financial reasoning notwithstanding of course.
The wall: Viola Davis as the decidedly unpleasant Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad
Whilst some purists were never sold on Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight, believing him to be too far removed from the comic book origins of the character, Leto’s Joker (in the limited screen time he’s given) is essentially nothing more than a glorified gangster with lots of tattoos and a loose screw. The power he has over his psychiatrist Dr Harleen Quinzel (Margot Robbie) to willingly throw herself into a vat of acid and transmogrify into Harley Quinn is frankly unbelievable.
Quinn, alongside a rogue’s gallery of super villains, including assassin Deadpool (Will Smith), fire starter El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and thief Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), whose skill is to, err, throw boomerangs, are recruited by the stone cold Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) and soldier Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) to carry out super dangerous missions in exchange for leaner sentences.
Their first mission sees them going up against the ancient, powerful Enchantress (Cara Delevigne), who decides the world needs to be destroyed in order to save it (that old chestnut) and builds a huge machine made of trash to make it so.
Dr June Moone (Cara Delevigne) is positively enchanting in Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad‘s influences are front and centre, most prominently The Dirty Dozen and, to a lesser extent Escape From New York, and while certain scenes work, particularly the bar chat wherein the gang take a break from trying to save the world in order to learn a bit more about each other, they are few and far between among the myriad moments that singularly fail to hang together.
Robbie is fun as Harley Quinn, although a bit KER-azy, while Smith exudes an authority over proceedings that the likes of Courtney can’t hope to match. He’s given a run for his money by Davis though, who is the ice queen personified in a role that she digs her teeth into with relish.
The performances are among the only highlights of what is a mess of a film, one which flits about as wildly as its jukebox-laden soundtrack. Even the Joker would balk at the amount of chaos going on in Suicide Squad.
three rows back 
Man, I’ve yet to see someone speak positively of this film. It sounds like an absolute mess. It’s one I’ll be avoiding for sure.
AVOID! Don’t quite know why I bothered if I’m honest…
Well said! I’d love to see the version of Suicide Squad before all the re-shooting. It could have been brilliant, but it was just a mess. Still gotta love that soundtrack, though 🙂
– Allie
Thank you! Well, Ayer has stuck by this version so as far as I’m concerned it’s on him. This is what happens when you get given a tenpole release I guess.
Great review!
U will not find any review for this movie on my site – been dreading this since 1st hearing about it, so thot I’d give this miss a mess
Hope u enjoy this instead:
https://bradscribe.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/direlogue/
Cheers!
Ha ha, I’ll check it out mate!
Yeah, it’s a bit of a mess, and Margot Robbie and Will Smith get to shine, but Viola Davis for me was it. She can make a stomach powder commercial worth watching with her acting. 😉
Davis was really the only well above average thing here. Smith was fine, while Margot’s performance was too one-note for me.
“… while the direction chops and changes more than a Donald Trump speech.” – LOOOOOOL! Gem!
I still have to see this because I totally want to get the division and see how it goes. Great review!
Thanks 🙂 Kinda liked that like too…
Completely agree mate. I’m still trying to get the stink of this one out of the clothes I wore the night I saw it. One of the worst films I’ve seen this year.
Lol good God that’s such a good line Stu. My clothes, too, reeked of disappointment and embarrassment (mostly for David Ayer who I know can do better)
Yeah, he has made a couple of decent movies! He needs to move on ASAP!
It does make you wonder whether DC is going to release anything that doesn’t feel compromised or self-important. I suspect not…
Hi Mark! Pretty much in agreement here my friend. The only two performers I like here are Robbie and Smith, but the movie is a big huge mess.
Hey Ruth! Huge mess pretty much sums it up!
Wowie I’m a little late to this review, sorry man! But in fairness I read so much about Suicide Squad I became exhausted. It’s a pity this one turned out the way that it did. Ayer is a director with, as you say, an uncompromising vision (lest we forget the brutality that was Sabotage) but here it’s like a directors vision couldn’t seem MORE compromised. This has all the markings of massive studio interference and writing-by-committee. I have to say I’m getting tired of that crap now.
I completely feel that I will never watch this movie. Ever. Unless I’m paid one million dollars to. No, wait, scratch that. No. Never. Ever. 😉
I’d watch if I was given a million bucks!
lol 😆