A Disappointment!

Rating: 5/10 (7 August 2016)

Based on the DC Comics antihero team of the same name, 'Suicide Squad' comes with BIG hype & expectations, but sadly, this superhero flick lacks the bite. No, its not as lifeless as Batman v Superman, its much better than that, but overall, the zing & the madness are missing here. It has merit, but not enough to camouflage its flaws.
'Suicide Squad' Synopsis: A secret government agency recruits a group of imprisoned super-villains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency, which inevitably leads to chaos.
'Suicide Squad' begins awesomely & the antiheroes are introduced with style & flair. But as soon as antiheroes step out into the city to stop havoc, the film just falls flat. Thats mainly because the film doesn't do much with its characters. The supposed "Worst Heroes EVER" (as promoted in its posters), are reduced into normal heroic tools, who indulge in ultraviolet confrontations with the opposing rival. Oh and coming to their rivals, The Enchantress, is a weak antagonist, who doesn't emerge powerful or intimidating enough. Also, why is the Legendary Joker reduced into a cameo? The Joker isn't a part of the 'Suicide Squad', in fact, he appears as a minor sub-plot for Harley Quinn, whom he's out to save amongst the violent state.
David Ayer's Writing & Direction weaken 'Suicide Squad'. Though Ayer succeeds in making the film look comic-bookish & begins the film with on a really strong note, his Writing stagnates after a point. As mentioned before, the characters remain underused & there is a sense of potential being shun away. Ayer's Writing needed to be far stronger. His Direction, on the other-hand, is fine at places, but isn't consistent, as the pacing shifts as does the narrative. Roman Vasyanov's Cinematography is decent. John Gilroy's Editing is alright. Graphics are fantastic & so are the Action-Sequences. Steven Price's Score is excellent. Art & Costume Design are top-notch. Make-Up deserves a special mention.
Performance-Wise: 'Suicide Squad' has a huge ensemble cast, but its Margot Robbie as Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn, who steals the show completely. Robbie is absolutely sensational as the whacked-out yet sexy & unpredictable Harley Quinn, who's romance for The Joker appears real. The terrific actress owns the screen, each time she appears on. Following her up in a surprisingly short & under-written role, Jared Leto puts up an impressive portrayal of The Joker. Comparing him to the Mighty Jack Nicholson or the Late/Great Heath Ledger, wouldn't be fair, as he's barely given much time here & he's not giving the same personality, this is a very gangster version of The Joker. But, overall, he can surely be looked forward too in another, bigger role of the legendary villain. Will Smith as Floyd Lawton / Deadshot, plays it right, & its good to see him loosen up a little. Jai Courtney as Digger Harkness / Captain Boomerang, gets limited scope, but he does well. Jay Hernandez as Chato Santana / El Diablo is barely there, while Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Waylon Jones / Killer Croc, who's completely under make-up and graphics, is wasted. Cara Delevingne as Dr. June Moone / Enchantress, doesn't work. Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, is alright. Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, is authoritative, as always. Ben Affleck returns as Batman for a cameo & he looks the part even more now. Others lend support.
On the whole, 'Suicide Squad' disappoints, despite a few pluses.