2016 was not the best year for DC in Theaters

Rating: 7/10 (7 December 2019)

Everyone thought 2016 was going to be a good year for DC with two big-budget action films going into theaters that would include so many characters fans had been wanting to see either finally on the silver screen or in more better forms. Instead, both films were incredibly divisive and needed extended cuts to help make them a little better.
Suicide Squad (2016) is set after Dawn of Justice, and it assumes you know what happened in that movie. If not, it reminds you with one of the opening sequences. Apparently, after what happened in Dawn of Justice, other superbeings have begun to appear...and quickly get arrested by Amanda Waller, who is intent on using them like slave soldiers for protecting America. But like all the best laid plans, Amanda Waller's attempt to control beings beyond her control backfires, and her team is forced to clean up her mess before the Apocalypse is started.
Let's talk about the good stuff in this film.
Acting first. Viola Davis embodies Waller quite well as a total sociopath. I haven't seen how her character is like in the Arrowverse yet, but I'm getting there, BTW. Margot Robbie is brilliant as Harley Quinn, while Jared Leto was a great casting choice as the Joker. Will Smith's performance evokes memories of his early action films, mainly Bad Boys and Independence Day. I also liked the actors who played Katana, Killer Croc, and Captain Boomerang.
The soundtrack is great, too. I am totally clueless about Rap/Hip-Hop, but there's some a lot of good pieces used in the film. Plus, using Rick James' 'Super Freak' was a great choice for Harley Quinn's introduction song.
The Action Scenes are great, as well. I think it's they were very fluid and were enjoyable, but not incredibly memorable. In comparison to the fight and action scenes of the Dark Knight trilogy, Watchmen, and the first two official DC Extended Universe films, there's nothing really impressive, especially in comparison to the final fight between Superman and Zod.
Also, I liked how they brought some backstory and motivation to the main villain (Enchantress). Nothing fancy, but it felt like more than what Marvel would normally do for their villains in Phase One and Two of their cinematic universe.
Visually, the looks of the characters is cool. It's more realistic than the designs of the previous DC heroes, and evokes images of the Dark Knight trilogy and the first two Arrow seasons. There's no supersuits and incredibly elaborate costumes, which is appropriate, since the characters are definitely not superheroes. The only design I didn't like was the look of Enchantress, which is supposed to be like a parallel to Galadriel's dark form from Peter Jackson's movies about Middle-Earth, as she looks very different in the comics I have read about her.
Now what I didn't like about the film.
I didn't like that, for most of the first two acts of the movie, the characters were so detestable. It definitely rubs in your face that the characters are bad guys and they have some pretty bad traits. Then, at the third act, they unite and fight the Enchantress and the Incubus. I'm all for suspending belief, but even I was having trouble with why these guys would want to save the world.
Also, I would have loved a lot more of Jared Leto's footage as the Joker. He seems like he is the best choice for the role and he really enjoys playing him. I sincerely hope he makes a cameo or something even bigger in the upcoming Birds of Prey movie in 2020 as well as The Suicide Squad in 2021. I'd say he's better than Nicholson's Joker and way more enjoyable than Ledger's Joker (Haven't seen Joaquin Phoenix's film yet, but that's not even in the official cinematic universe, so not a lot of motivation there. Besides, reportedly he's not even the real Joker in that one, anyway, so why bother?).
My final opinion is that this is an okay film. If you feel like watching it, go for the Extended Cut. It's not the best DC Film, but it's not the worst. Besides, DC made up for it with Wonder Woman in 2017 and Aquaman in 2018 (No, I haven't seen Shazam, yet, but I really want to). I think David Ayer was not the best choice for directing this film, but I think James Gunn's upcoming Suicide Squad film will be much better, even if it is supposed to be a reboot and a remake at the same time yet still move the story forward...whatever that means. Hey, it's better than the theatrical cut of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, anyway.