Entertaining enough but a missed potential

Rating: 6/10 (7 August 2016)

So much after the critical disappointment of Batman v Superman, the next film in the DC universe Suicide Squad had gotten a similar thrashing of negativity from the critics. I disagree with the critical consensus of Batman v Superman (Love the Ultimate Edition, which is a much superior film to the original theatrical cut) but I don't think the critics are very wrong about Suicide Squad.
Starting off with my problems with the film. First is Jared Leto as Joker. He wasn't Jokery enough for me. He looked pretty serious most of the time. But the amount of screen time and the kind of role he had wasn't enough to make an strong impression. Secondly, it tried too hard to be like Guardians of the Galaxy. I know some people made this comparison before the film was released but I never believed it or cared about it except then until I saw it. From the tone, the soundtrack, the brand of humour, a bland villain and the relatively simple nature of the plot. Except this one didn't work as well as Guardians. Thirdly, a rushed change in Dynamic between the Squad. For being untrustworthy bad guys they turned into a Fast and Furious like 'family' pretty quick. It feels like a lot of scenes were chopped up sacrificing the storytelling. The final fight has a 'been there done that' syndrome. The villains looked interesting visually though.
As for what I loved- The Suicide Squad, the cast did a fantastic job. Margot Robbie's performance as Harley Quinn single-handedly saved the film for me. She was absolutely brilliant and reminded me of the 90s Batman, the animated series from where she originated from. Will Smith has some funny dialogues. Character development for Deadshot, Harley Quinn and El Diablo was well done. It also contains Jai Courtney who is an otherwise a very bland actor give an entertainingly energetic performance as Captain Boomerang. I found it to be well paced and events occurring in real time added a sense of danger. It also has a unique sense of style.
It contains a ton of DC related fan-service and Easter eggs, which may it tough for a DC fan to dislike the film. The film is pretty darn entertaining. There are a lot of flaws but none of them prevented me to walk out with a smile in my face. But when you think about it, it falls apart and feels like a missed potential to do something great. Overall, a disappointment.
6.5/10