Suicide Squad Review: Suicidal Tendencies
Suicide Squad Review
It's been about a week or since I've seen Suicide Squad and I've already forgotten most of the movie. This alone could probably tell you how I felt about the movie but in order to humor myself, I wanted to go ahead and give a full review. Now let me tell you that movie is definitely a "fun" movie filled with some pretty cool action sequences. Sadly, these action sequences aren't as well executed as the sequences in other superhero movies (like Captain America: Civil War). In fact, the fights in Civil War at least include teammates using each others powers together to help combat the other side.
It's a shame really. Suicide Squad tries very hard to prove to the audience that it has style and is "really cool," but ultimately it falls flat. And I mean that in a literal sense because the beginning has a really nice sense of color when introducing the main characters of the Squad, but after the beginning the movie just ends up being dark and..flat. I actually wouldn't have minded if the movie went the way of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World for the whole movie. It would have helped mask a lot of the movie's flaws.
Onto the review!
It was nice to see the JLU in this movie even if it was just for a small bit. I think it also helped educate some of the non-comic book nerdy people on which superhero mythos each villain is from. It was also nice to see the Flash before his formal introduction in the Justice League movie next year. I also really do love me some Batman. And he was in the movie a lot more than I thought he would be.
I have to admit, despite the dialogue, I like the way they did Deadshot. He was really what kept the movie together in my eyes. Harley felt more like eye candy and an excuse to use shudder Leto Joker shudders. Deadshot was just a bad man who liked to shoot people, but he was still someone who had a side of humanity to him. The problem was Will Smith or the director tried very hard to make Deadshot look like a good guy.
I thought they did a good job portraying how stern, ruthless, and almost sinister Amanda Waller was in the comics and cartoons. Her character was very forceful and confident. She knows how to make bad ideas sound like good ideas and it goes to show in the movie. Yes, her plan of forcing dangerous criminals into doing the government's bidding is stupid. Keeping the main villain's brother in the next room is stupid. Letting the villain roam around while you're asleep is also stupid. But she still was able to weasel her way out of a world ending situation by forcing the Suicide Squad to help her.
This is the biggest reason the movie was not good in my eyes. I didn't find the movie easy to follow because there were too many things going on. There were definitely too many characters plugged into this film. So much so that I felt that characters like Killer Croc, Captain Boomerang, and Katana didn't really do anything in this film.
The objective of fighting the Enchantress got sidetracked by saving Amanda Waller (which was a surprise to me and the cast). It also made the movie feel a lot longer than it should have. It should have been a simplistic plot of saving the world from the Enchantress.
The movie has some really, really cheesy lines. And there are no good lines to remember. Will Smith was...well...he was Will Smith and brought just a tiny bit of character to the Deadshot role. He's lines were delivered and I actually like his grey area role. Harley probably had the second most lines and I understand she's supposed to be crazy but she really just felt like she wanted to be popular instead. She always had the last remark on pretty much every conversation and none of it was really warranted. Her lines were confusing and didn't make sense. I guess maybe she portrayed crazy accurately and I just don't find complete crazy enjoyable to watch.
Everyone else on the squad barely had any lines and suffered from that.
There's a point in the movie where they put the brakes on the journey and end up going to get a drink. Everyone in the squad tries to give themselves some type of sob story but the movie is already so far along in the plot that it felt out of place. We find out why El Diablo doesn't use his powers and we get Harley telling El Diablo "to own that sh-t." And it's weird coming from her since her whole backstory is being brainwashed by the Joker. She literally broke a homicidal maniac out of an insane asylum. Why isn't anyone telling her to own up to what she's down? I think the lack of focus really made this scene stick out in a bad way as well.
Jared Leto wasn't very good. This may be because I can't help but compare it to Heather Ledger's chilling performance back in The Dark Knight. There was very little of Leto in the movie and all of his scenes left me wishing he put a little more energy in his role. The Joker speaks very slowly and the grill (yes he does where a silver grill in his mouth) gets in the way of his voice almost as bad as when Tom Hardy played Bane. All of the Joker's best lines where in the trailers.
Jared Leto just looked like someone who dressed up as the Joker for a live action cosplay. Harley seemed to be more of an insane person while The Joker just seemed to be obsessed with sex and violence (but still quite sane).
The Joker, to me, represents the other extreme across from Batman. Where Batman represents extreme order (everything has a contingency plan), the Joker represents (and is, essentially) extreme chaos. The two are on the other extremes and yet they share many similarities (normal people would call both of them inhuman, for instance). Leto's Joker doesn't seem to be that kind of Joker and there was no screen time for him to prove his Joker to me. Maybe if there was more of him in the movie, it would change my opinion.
There is a lot wrong with Suicide Squad and not enough right to make up the difference. I saw Batman v Superman in the same light, but ultimately enjoyed BvS over its flaws. The Suicide Squad, not so much. There is just not enough cohesiveness and enough emphasis on character interaction or development to make this a worthwhile movie.
I'm still holding out for Wonder Woman to make a solid stance on the DC film universe. I'm hoping that movie is solid so that DC can start standing on its own legs. I want a successful Justice League movie. I don't care who directs it or who stars in it. I just want the movie itself to shine. Maybe Warner Brothers will learn from its past mistakes and actually do something about the script writing and the story. There is no need for reboots or for pulling out of the superhero movie business all together. All DC and WB have to do is make a decent movie that caters to a wider audience than just "the diehard fans." The diehard fans are always easy to please or the diehard fans will never like anything you show them. It's capturing the masses which is the important part. Iron Man did way back when. I'm sure Wonder Woman can do it too.
It's a shame really. Suicide Squad tries very hard to prove to the audience that it has style and is "really cool," but ultimately it falls flat. And I mean that in a literal sense because the beginning has a really nice sense of color when introducing the main characters of the Squad, but after the beginning the movie just ends up being dark and..flat. I actually wouldn't have minded if the movie went the way of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World for the whole movie. It would have helped mask a lot of the movie's flaws.
Onto the review!
What I liked:
Cameos
Deadshot
I have to admit, despite the dialogue, I like the way they did Deadshot. He was really what kept the movie together in my eyes. Harley felt more like eye candy and an excuse to use shudder Leto Joker shudders. Deadshot was just a bad man who liked to shoot people, but he was still someone who had a side of humanity to him. The problem was Will Smith or the director tried very hard to make Deadshot look like a good guy.
Amanda Waller
I thought they did a good job portraying how stern, ruthless, and almost sinister Amanda Waller was in the comics and cartoons. Her character was very forceful and confident. She knows how to make bad ideas sound like good ideas and it goes to show in the movie. Yes, her plan of forcing dangerous criminals into doing the government's bidding is stupid. Keeping the main villain's brother in the next room is stupid. Letting the villain roam around while you're asleep is also stupid. But she still was able to weasel her way out of a world ending situation by forcing the Suicide Squad to help her.
What I didn't like:
Lack of Focus
This is the biggest reason the movie was not good in my eyes. I didn't find the movie easy to follow because there were too many things going on. There were definitely too many characters plugged into this film. So much so that I felt that characters like Killer Croc, Captain Boomerang, and Katana didn't really do anything in this film.
The objective of fighting the Enchantress got sidetracked by saving Amanda Waller (which was a surprise to me and the cast). It also made the movie feel a lot longer than it should have. It should have been a simplistic plot of saving the world from the Enchantress.
Dialogue
The movie has some really, really cheesy lines. And there are no good lines to remember. Will Smith was...well...he was Will Smith and brought just a tiny bit of character to the Deadshot role. He's lines were delivered and I actually like his grey area role. Harley probably had the second most lines and I understand she's supposed to be crazy but she really just felt like she wanted to be popular instead. She always had the last remark on pretty much every conversation and none of it was really warranted. Her lines were confusing and didn't make sense. I guess maybe she portrayed crazy accurately and I just don't find complete crazy enjoyable to watch.
Everyone else on the squad barely had any lines and suffered from that.
There's a point in the movie where they put the brakes on the journey and end up going to get a drink. Everyone in the squad tries to give themselves some type of sob story but the movie is already so far along in the plot that it felt out of place. We find out why El Diablo doesn't use his powers and we get Harley telling El Diablo "to own that sh-t." And it's weird coming from her since her whole backstory is being brainwashed by the Joker. She literally broke a homicidal maniac out of an insane asylum. Why isn't anyone telling her to own up to what she's down? I think the lack of focus really made this scene stick out in a bad way as well.
The Joker
Jared Leto wasn't very good. This may be because I can't help but compare it to Heather Ledger's chilling performance back in The Dark Knight. There was very little of Leto in the movie and all of his scenes left me wishing he put a little more energy in his role. The Joker speaks very slowly and the grill (yes he does where a silver grill in his mouth) gets in the way of his voice almost as bad as when Tom Hardy played Bane. All of the Joker's best lines where in the trailers.
Jared Leto just looked like someone who dressed up as the Joker for a live action cosplay. Harley seemed to be more of an insane person while The Joker just seemed to be obsessed with sex and violence (but still quite sane).
The Joker, to me, represents the other extreme across from Batman. Where Batman represents extreme order (everything has a contingency plan), the Joker represents (and is, essentially) extreme chaos. The two are on the other extremes and yet they share many similarities (normal people would call both of them inhuman, for instance). Leto's Joker doesn't seem to be that kind of Joker and there was no screen time for him to prove his Joker to me. Maybe if there was more of him in the movie, it would change my opinion.
Conclusion
There is a lot wrong with Suicide Squad and not enough right to make up the difference. I saw Batman v Superman in the same light, but ultimately enjoyed BvS over its flaws. The Suicide Squad, not so much. There is just not enough cohesiveness and enough emphasis on character interaction or development to make this a worthwhile movie.
I'm still holding out for Wonder Woman to make a solid stance on the DC film universe. I'm hoping that movie is solid so that DC can start standing on its own legs. I want a successful Justice League movie. I don't care who directs it or who stars in it. I just want the movie itself to shine. Maybe Warner Brothers will learn from its past mistakes and actually do something about the script writing and the story. There is no need for reboots or for pulling out of the superhero movie business all together. All DC and WB have to do is make a decent movie that caters to a wider audience than just "the diehard fans." The diehard fans are always easy to please or the diehard fans will never like anything you show them. It's capturing the masses which is the important part. Iron Man did way back when. I'm sure Wonder Woman can do it too.
One of the best movie. Parking at Heathrow Terminal 3
ReplyDeleteGreat movie. parking at luton airport
ReplyDelete