Stepping away from their usually dark tones, DC puts up the lights, the music and the jokes in "Suicide Squad". Now before I continue with this non-spoiler review I have to let you know that I did see Batman: Assault on Arkham which is the direct-to-video animated movie that features the Suicide Squad, so I may have different views from other critics about the film.
Let's continue. I appreciate that David Ayer's "Suicide Squad" took some cues from the animated movie, most especially where they introduce each character. Yup, if you were wondering what was up with the flashing names and criminal history 101 at the first part, they were giving a nod to the animated movie. No qualms here, I was happy that they acknowledged a different material of the characters.
So we are introduced to the Suicide Squad, a covert team assembled by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) in all out bad-ass, conniving, manipulating, 'gangster' mode. Everyone should be scared of her and not Killer Croc. Kudos to the award winning Viola Davis for her tough-as-nails, I go-up-against bad-guys Waller (more on her later).
After the team is assembled they head to their mission (a secret at this point, no spoilers after all).
A good chunk of the first part of the movie is mostly back tracking to the characters and because it is a team of super villains, this can take some time, which is probably why I felt that the movie took a while to finally come together (about 3/4 into it) but what can you expect, when you have a big cast of relatively unknown bad guys, you want your audiences to connect with them in some way, so you have to show bits and pieces of their past.
Moving along. A friend of mine, my seat mate at work actually said that Will Smith, being a big superstar will steal the movie, despite it being an ensemble cast. He was right in some ways as Smith who plays Deadshot definitely had a lot of lines and screen time in the film, but what moviegoers may not know is that Deadshot has a lead role in Assault on Arkham so all the spotlight on him in Suicide Squad is understandable, my husband for one, missed the cool Will Smith, and said that it was nice to see him taking on Deadshot with his brand of swagger.
Too many villains. Not much villainy?
I read a lot of reviews, criticizing "Suicide Squad" for having so much villains but lacking in villainy, they were mostly unhappy about the main antagonist in the film. But let me give you this, in a film full of villains, who will your antagonist be? For me, the real villain in the film is "gangster" Amanda Waller, who plays the characters like pawns in her game, she manipulates them and controls them with her own vested interests in mind. The scary thing about it, is that on the outside, she's the "good guy" as a high-ranking government official. After all, it was through Waller's efforts that all the trouble starts, in the first place. (Stop. No Spoilers).
I was just surprised that they were able to keep the antagonist under wraps. I did not see that coming and did not mind the twist in the story. Very different from "Assault on Arkham". That is all that I am saying. My lips are sealed.
I guess what Suicide Squad was also trying to do was to show these bad guys, in another light. They may be motivated by different goals, greed, money, love and their life choices may not fit within our society but they have some innate good in them, even if they themselves won't admit it.
A little too less Joker?
Okay- I will have to admit that there was a little too less of Jared Leto's Joker in the film, I definitely would have wanted to see more of that but even in "Assault" The Joker was just a side conflict, never really getting to the main plot. I liked Leto's take on the Joker and would like to see more, in a future Batman movie perhaps? Please? The green hair and his physique was really the Joker of my childhood. So more please. Please.
A mistake in a song
This one, I will have to agree in, I love the song choices for "Suicide Squad" from the trailers to the original OST and the songs we heard in the movie, there was classic rock care of Queen, and I love "Seven Nation Army" but why, of why did they have to include Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" which coincidentally is also on the "Guardians of the Galaxy" Awesome Mix Vol. 1, which led to some viewers to compare the ensemble cast to each other. While both 'squads' may not be outstanding members of society, you have to remember that "Suicide Squad" was assembled by those in a higher power, coercing, using and threatening them against their will. I think that warrants for a line to be drawn in not comparing the two.
So despite the negative reviews the film is getting from critics, I still urge you to see it with your own eyes and decide for yourself. It's a bida-kontrabida ala DC and it was fun. I enjoyed it. I may not have been a fan of dramatic El Diablo or dramatic Katana for that matter but it was a 'hell of a ride' once it got off the air. It may have taken some time but it was worth the wait.
8 out of 10. "Suicide Squad" is an explosion of gun fire and a big unknown weapon wrecking havoc, these guys may not like the job but they will do it any way and in the guns-a-blazing, no care for the consequences way that only they can pull off. Worth seeing in iMAX.
Suicide Squad is in theaters tom!
If I have time, I may come out with a review that has spoilers, but let's see. :)
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