A nice idea executed with slapdash laziness

Rating: 5/10 (23 August 2016)

Not nearly as bad as the critics are saying but it's certainly not good. This story about a bunch of misfit outcasts being thrown together feels strangely, thrown together. There have been reports that David Ayer penned the screenplay in just 6 weeks which would go someway to explaining the disjointed nature of the film. It is also common knowledge that there were plenty of re-shoots to ensure that Suicide Squad didn't fall into the pitfalls and traps of Batman vs Superman's overbearing murkiness. The aim was to inject some much needed humour into the caliginous world of the DC universe. Instead we end up with questionable editing and one liners which rarely raise a chuckle, often misfiring completely.
A few re-writes and I really think they would've had something here. I really enjoyed the character introductions, with their fast funky visuals and vibrant graphics. The performances mostly range from OK to good, with Jai Courtney surprising everyone with his Aussie Capt Boomerang. It's just a shame the final act is an absolute, wince inducing farce. As are all Harley Quinn and Joker scenes. Leto's joker and Delevingne's Enchantress are the worst things in the film by a mile.
I've seen Leto's joker described as 'the worst iteration of the joker so far' which isn't fair, as that would suggest there have been other terrible Joker's in the past. This is the first bad portrayal of the joker I've heard of... and it's woeful.
A nice idea executed with slapdash laziness. A baby step up from Batman vs Superman but a step up none-the-less.