REVIEW: 'SUICIDE SQUAD' IS A FUN MESS
Suicide Squad is a fun mess. David Ayer’s film, the newest entry in the DC cinematic extended universe is getting a really bad reputation for having choppy editing and a paper thin plot. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of under 30%, you would think that Suicide Squad isn’t worth your time.
Well, you’re wrong. Critics have a habit of overlooking fun – an element that Suicide Squad has a lot of. And although no one will tell you that Suicide Squad is great, it is a serviceable blockbuster film with enough ‘different’ to stand out from the superhero crowd.
The action, effects and general ‘blockbuster’ elements of the film come together well, even if a lot of the action is fighting faceless evil hordes. It’s okay though, because we get to see the individual members of the Squad in action.
The characters are the stars of this film, bar none. Even with a somewhat ineffective narrative, the teamwork and motivation scenes that bring the Suicide Squad together are pretty fantastic and honestly touching.
However, popular actors and characters get too much of the spotlight here, with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn getting plenty of unnecessary flashback scenes. Meanwhile, Killer Croc and Captain Boomerang get pushed to the side despite being really interesting characters. I mean, who doesn’t want to know more about a humanoid crocodile?
Like 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, this DC film follows an unlikely set of heroes with an incredible soundtrack to boot. One particular scene with Kanye West’s track in the background is absolutely riveting.
The biggest sin of this movie is its trashy villain, the likes of which is a pain to see on screen. It’s so bad that at one point, you will notice the team trying to figure out a plan while the villain does this weird voodoo dance in the background. You can’t miss it, it’s hilarious.
Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker is manic without substance. Leto is at his best when he is restrained and sinister, but as a crazy guy doing crazy things, Leto has crossed the line into overacting.
The first 30 minutes of this movie is a slug to get through. The story reaches a halt when we are introduced to the entire team over 20 minutes, and by the time we’ve hit that 30 minute mark, we feel like little has happened.
The story is narrow minded and thin, but it makes sense for the most part. If you can handle a very simplistic story, then you may be in for a good time.
Suicide Squad doesn’t deserve the bad reputation it has, but it’s clear that it’s easy, too easy to overlook the value of having fun and a good time at the cinema. Suicide Squad is far from fantastic, but it is a fun time at the cinema. Who says fun has to be perfect?
PLAYBACK RATING: WATCH/WATCH IT AGAIN
Originally published for Blitz.arc.unsw.edu.au here
