The Antithesis of Batman v Superman

Rating: 6/10 (2 August 2016)

Despite the fact that Zack Snyder is credited as an executive producer of Suicide Squad, David Ayer's film is essentially the antithesis of Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Whereas Snyder's film was overstuffed, dragged out, and took itself too seriously, Ayer's film is nearly the polar opposite. Suicide Squad nails the concept of an ensemble cast. Each character is given nearly equal amounts of screen time, and every character is given enough depth in order to stand out and keep the film interesting. Normally comic book adaptations try to cram too many characters into any given film, but Suicide Squad gets it right. Similarly, most comic book adaptations suffer from an extended running time, allowing the film to feel boring and painfully slow at times. However, Suicide Squad is wildly fast-paced and never seems to have a dull moment. A 130-minute running time felt more like 90 minutes. In addition, the film boats a spectacular soundtrack, which really contributes to the fast-paced nature of the film and serves to keep things fun. However, one could argue that the film's fast pace and nonstop action serve to distract viewers from the numerous flaws lurking within the film. Perhaps the biggest difference between Snyder's film and Ayer's film is the fact that Suicide Squad doesn't take itself too seriously. That point is made perfectly clear early on in the film when each character is introduced in quick, flashy montages. With that said, this is a film that doesn't want to be taken too seriously. If you are going to nitpick the film or compare it to previous works, you most likely will walk away unhappy. However, if you do not take the film too seriously then it truly is a fun time. Suicide Squad manages to strike the perfect balance between darkness and lightheartedness, something that previous DC adaptations lacked. While the film benefited from a pretty stellar marketing campaign, the marketing may have been misleading seeing as the Joker doesn't have much of a presence in the film. Nonetheless, this is probably for the best because the Joker was quite possibly the worst aspect of the film. The costume design is just atrocious and turns the Joker into a parody of himself. While Jared Leto provides a satisfyingly menacing performance, the strength of his performance is hindered by his physical appearance. The real showstoppers here are Margot Robbie and Will Smith. While Robbie's performance is likely to face plenty of criticism due to this being the first live- adaptation of Harley Quinn, I truly cannot think of an actress more perfect for the role. She remarkably captures the contrast between Harley Quinn and Harleen Quinzel. Meanwhile, Will Smith steals nearly every scene he's in and his comedic-timing is absolutely effortless. While Suicide Squad may not be perfect, it's refreshing to have a DC adaptation that doesn't take itself too seriously. Suicide Squad is also refreshing for those unhappy with the lack of diversity in comic book adaptations, Will Smith even pointed out during the premiere how diverse the cast is. It's also refreshing to have a film that focuses on the villains, because after a while the hero stories just become repetitive and dull. In a sense, Suicide Squad is DC's answer to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy – a fun, action-packed adventure that humanizes the bad guys and features a killer soundtrack. As long as viewers don't overanalyze and nitpick the film, this is guaranteed to be the most fun viewers have at a DC film.