Squad Good, Nemeses Bad

Rating: 6/10 (9 January 2017)

The crux of most comic book movies is meta-humans (as DC calls them) or superheroes. The quality of that movie will be largely based upon the abilities of said super beings although a good story wouldn't hurt. Now we're at a near saturation point with comic book movies which absolutely necessitates a good tale as well as some very unique skill sets from the heroes. If the skill sets are not very unique those abilities better be displayed in a new and unique way.
Suicide Squad was a collection of meta-humans (though one of the members wasn't really meta she was just meh) that were tasked with helping extract a VIP from a super-villain stronghold.
Of the members of this motley crew I think Deadshot (Will Smith) was the most likable. He was witty and had the most character. Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje), and Boomerang (Jai Courtney) were just there and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) was a nuisance. Her character, beyond being superfluous, was very annoying with her on- again off-again pseudo-Brooklyn accent. But this was the Suicide Squad and I watch comic book movies.
The story and the climactic battle were very so-so. Whereas I did have a concerted interest in who won the battle, I wasn't very impressed with the nemesis; and that's a problem. Besides being a demigod type character the main nemesis kept gyrating as though that was the source of her power. It just looked ridiculous.
Along with these mankind-hating meta-meanies I wasn't keen on the unnecessary additions of Harley Quinn and the Joker (Jared Leto). I know I'm speaking from a position of Suicide Squad source material ignorance but I'm grading the movie like a novice as most viewers will be. Harley Quinn and the Joker were almost a side story that--beyond being distracting--was irritating. Jared Leto is the third rendition of the Joker (post 1989) and his is the worst in my opinion. Jack Nicholson was somewhat humorous, Heath Ledger was a mad genius bent on anarchy and Jared Leto was just a madman with make-up on and very forgettable.
I liked the Squad. They were a group of which the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. I even liked their controller. Spruce up the antagonists, lose the Joker (leave him for the Batman movies) and make Harley Quinn more useful than for eye candy and the movie is a lot better.