DC Films is in desperate need for a mega hit that is well received by fans and critics alike. In that regard, yes, the movie does not succeed.
This is not going to be the savior of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) like so many people, myself included, wanted it to be. And that is actually okay. The amount of pressure placed on this movie to right the DCEU ship, introduce a ton of new characters and provide a tone shift all while providing an entertaining adventure was unreal. SUICIDE SQUAD just isn’t that movie and probably never should have been hyped that way. Once the haze of BATMAN V. SUPERMAN lifts, fans should be able to able to enjoy this movie as a solid albeit somewhat shallow entry to the DC movie universe.
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The movie opens with Amanda Waller putting her team together, starting with backstories. via flashbacks. for its two strongest characters, Will Smith’s Deadshot and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. These flashbacks are quick, efficient and a great way to start the movie. Batman makes a cameo in both stories, taking down Deadshot and saving Harley after a car chase with the Joker goes off the rails. As always you are left wanting more Batman but this isn’t his movie and it is really cool to see him as a character in someone else’s story. We get to see how other people view the Bat, with Amanda Waller pulling the strings and using him for her plan.
The Flash also makes an extremely quick cameo which is great, but I am still not sold on the suit and definitely need to see more of the special effects used for the speed force.
Robbie is definitely the stand out star here. She completely loses herself in the role and the character was ripped directly from the comic book page, as well as from BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. Every scene she’s in is fun to watch, even when she’s not the main focus; her facial expressions and reactions are fantastic. The flashbacks to her as Dr. Harleen Quinzel are jarring because you sometimes actually forget that’s Robbie underneath all that crazy.
The chemistry between the Joker and Harley is undeniable and fuels both characters through the movie. From their therapy session to the Joker's “creation” of Harley Quinn, the two are an exhilarating pair to watch. The Joker himself is not in the movie all that much, popping up in a only a handful of scenes, almost all of which are Harley related.
Jared Leto’s performance is sure to divide fans, he is solid for the most part (especially the laugh) but can dip into over-the-top territory at times. Following Heath Ledger was always going to be an impossible task and Leto made the right decision in giving us a Joker we haven’t seen before.
The rest of Task Force X gets their own flashbacks and smaller stories, with the main plot points going to June Moone / the Enchantress and Rick Flag, the military leader of the group. The other members include Killer Croc, Katana, Captain Boomerang, Slipknot and El Diablo. Killer Croc and Katana could have been interesting but are really just background set pieces with a few lines, which is understandable due to the amount of characters. Boomerang is there for pure comic relief with a few one liners that sometime fall flat, like a few other jokes throughout the movie. The least important character is Slipknot who serves as a tool for Waller to show that her suicide microchips not only work, but that she will not hesitate to activate them.
After a solid first Act introducing the team, we come to the second Act of film which slows up a bit. The team is finally brought together to tackle a supernatural force invading a city (nothing groundbreaking here). The whole group has great chemistry together and is super enjoyable to watch, but their first meeting is somewhat rushed and could have been handled better. There are some funny moments, obligatory witty banter and cool action scenes here that give you a 'comic book come to life' feel which is definitely one of the films strongest qualities.
Rick Flag to Deadshot: "You’re a serial killer who takes credit cards."
Another highlight is the soundtrack, there are really some great songs included in the film. They don’t always line up perfectly with the scenes they're attached with, but for the most part they fit. All the songs from the trailers are used here and at times it can feel like one big, long, entertaining trailer.
One of the big unknowns going into the film was the main villain, who is the big bad powerful enough to give this team a real battle? The answer turns out to be the Enchantress and her mystical brother Incubus. Waller makes a mistake in thinking she can control the witch and sends a possessed Moone to tackle a disturbance occurring in Downtown Midway City. The minute Moone transforms into Enchantress, she bolts and joins the evil she was sent to stop. Talk about your all-time backfire. Enchantress then takes over a portion of the city and turns regular people into generic, faceless (literally) demons to help.
The squad takes on this demon army with each character getting a chance to showcase their skills and fighting ability. The action is cool but nothing we haven’t seen before in countless other comic book films. This leads into the third Act and “final battle.” This is where the film really begins to falter and turns to all too familiar territory. Director David Ayer mixes in a few emotional beats; some work and some definitely do not. Harley’s feelings toward Joker and Deadshot’s love for his daughter definitely feel legitimate but the June Moone / Rick Flag love story, along with El Diablo's backstory fall a little flat.
In the end the team is able to work together to defeat Enchantress (and Incubus), who turned out to be nothing more than a glorified version of Zuul from GHOSTBUSTERS.
The film suffers from a thin plot and odd pacing, but the banter, action and performances are enough to make it an enjoyable event for most comic book fans. I definitely want to see more of this team and hopefully have them show up throughout the DCEU.
Written by Tim Miller, DC Films Correspondent -- Click to read Tim's posts
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