A Bit Of A Hype

Rating: 6/10 (27 September 2017)

I just saw this movie on the recommendation of friends. I am more of a Marvel fan, but still interested in about any super-heroic stuff, that I consider in line with humanity's historic myths and legends - a fascinating study. I knew a bit about the comic book version of the Suicide Squad.
It is a stylish movie, well-shot, based on an interesting premise: Villains (the government itself) using villains, to fight villains, thus exploring various shades of grey. However, the scenario is quite thin and the filmmakers have chosen to thicken it with the use of facile fan-service. Halfway through the movie, the focus gets lost. Once or twice I thought the movie was ending (it's two hours), only to find out that the real endings were worse than the imagined ones.
One form of fan service that irritated me is the constant use of "cool", well-known rock music during the most part of the movie. Yeah I know there's the same in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Watchmen" before that, but still, I don't like the trend. I'd rather have original music or less mainstream tracks to actually fit the spirit of the movie rather than the facile hook of a pop music video.
It's clear that Amanda Waller was the comic's most interesting character, in spite of having no powers. Viola Davis, even if she is somewhat lacking in physical stature, gives the role its necessary edge, while keeping a human side, which is quite a feat. Robbie (who moves with beautiful grace) and Leto, as a more glitter-ish Joker, form a great, young-looking couple, their weird victim/abuser chemistry works, and their scenes are among the most intriguing in the movies. Will Smith for his part is at his usual, maybe restrained a bit, maybe uninterested a bit but still pleasant to have. Delavigne offers a eerie Enchanteress, quite different from the one in the comics. I like the way she acted. The Croc guy had the best line of the movie, and the fire guy had potential.
On the other hand, Kinnaman was annoying as Flag. Is it the bland character or the actor, who had to fare against Will Smith I don't know, but it worked against the movie, and sometimes won. I cared little about Boomerang, and so was the movie. Katana, the flick's typical chick-with-a-sword could easily have been replaced by a dog or a robot.
The worst offenders were the CGI Berry-people that were propped as the zombie-like opposition in most fights, offering "action" filled with rock music and total indifference. The characters go through the motions of defeating them without reason or rhyme no matter their power levels. These fights were a good time to go to the bathroom or get some popcorn, which is a shame in this type of movie. It's about time that DC steps up to Marvel in that regard.
It is more a DC response to "Guardian of the Galaxy" than one for "Deadpool", IMO. All in all, a bit beneath my expectations, but still, I think this is a step in the right direction somehow, notably for the use of characters that aren't as mainstream as Superman and Batman. I would favour a sequel that learns from its mistakes, especially if it's about Harlequin and Joker.