"Suicide Squad" is Fast and Fun But Could Have Been Better

Rating: 7/10 (8 August 2016)

"Suicide Squad" is the pseudo-sequel to "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice". This story takes place sometime after the events of that epic superhero showdown which ultimately sets up the "need" for the unique collection of these "bad guys" who have been locked up thanks to Batman and the Flash. The tone of this film is very dark. Much darker than "Dawn of Justice" and often feels off-kilter (which I'm sure was intentional). The writers were wise to keep the dialogue and banter between the squad quick-witted and funny. Otherwise the dark tone could have weighed down the pace of the film and took away the empathy we needed to root for the "bad guys". With any ensemble film like this one the story tends to miss having any real depth for the characters. Thanks to good back stories at the beginning, we are immediately introduced to Deadshot (played by Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie). The rest of the squad become mere by-standers through much of the movie (until Diablo played by Jay Hernandez shares his story midway through the movie). Even though the film clocks in at 2 hours I felt that it could have taken more time to develop. But with such lukewarm reviews from "Dawn of Justice" I think the studio wanted a faster- paced film with this one (which Director David Ayers has confirmed in interviews lately). Of course the Joker (played by Jared Leto) needed no backstory, but his role in the film felt like it was just there for the fans (much like Wolverine's cameo in "X-Men: Apocalypse") However, the Joker is vital to Harley Quinn's backstory. But beyond that he doesn't do much to move the story along. I believe he was there to help set up a Harley Quinn stand alone movie in the future. Leto's performance was good but it will never touch Heath Ledger's hypnotic portrayal from "The Dark Night". The stand out performance for me goes to Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, the mastermind (and ultimate nemesis) of the squad. You've never seen Ms. Davis this sinister or this cold hearted (and you might just like it!) Overall, "Suicide Squad" is a fun and enjoyable action-comedy flick. But it suffers from being a late-Summer release. After seeing "Dawn of Justice", "Civil War", and "Apocalypse" you get the feeling "Haven't I seen this before?" But I will definitely see this squad again! **Be sure to stay for the credits to see an extra scene**