My friend Will was in town and since he was visiting and it was his girlfriend’s birthday, I treated them to a showing of “Suicide Squad”.
I didn’t think it was as bad as most of the critics say. It is suffering from the same thing that plagued “Batman vs Superman”, it all felt so rushed. I was as if they barely took the time to cut the film together right and just wanted to rush something into theaters. It would no surprise me if a longer director’s cut of the film will be released in home formats that is significantly longer.
It is a little harder to set up this film than “Batman vs Superman” because it has such an ensemble cast. The only characters that had real introduction were Harley, Deadshot, Flagg and Enchantress. The rest were done through some short flashbacks and some expository dialogue. They had to get these characters introduced, assembled and into action within a 2 hour time span. This with the constant flashbacks gives the film that disjointed feeling that most critics attack it for.
The action scene were filmed a little close. I mean that the camera was right on top of the action to where it was over filling the frame. And I felt the lighting was a little too dark. I also made the mistake of watching it in 3D. It does not benefit from that presentation.
And let’s face it. Jared Leto’s portrayal of The Joker could never stand up to those of Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger. He does bring a real creepiness to the role. Between the negative critical and public reaction, as well as the horror stories his fellow cast members have had to say about him personally, it is unlikely that he will portray The Joker in any future films.
Overall, it is a very flawed movie, but it was still entertaining. It had an “Escape from New York” feel to it. Margot Robbie and Will Smith give standout performances and it has some good action and humor. It is just too bad that Warner Brothers/DC rushed this film out before it was ready in some feeble attempt to keep pace with Disney/Marvel.
You might want to wait until this one is out on DVD before you see it.
If I had to quantify it with a number. It would be 2 out of 5.
