Wasted potential

Rating: 2/10 (12 January 2017)

So, I don't even know where to start with this one.
Seeing as the script took just six weeks to write, the result is clear as day. An absolute disaster story-wise. Having to establish an ensemble of completely new characters to the uninitiated, with the use of distracting edits and literally spelling out who everyone is by use of stylized captions? Really?
Sigh. This film is guilty of false advertising. The marketing and promotion lured the crowd in for what essentially was a dark Avengers flick. Boy, did they miss the mark?! This film fails on almost every level. The frantic pace in which they try to establish the main characters and the plot in the first half hour is just incredible. They try to make the characters relatable by utilizing fleeting flashbacks, desperately trying to make them seem relatable. It fails. Some characters don't even get the luxury of a 'backstory' and their motivations are simply explained through expository dialogue.
The plot is about as standard as you can get with these superhero films. The only difference is that they're villains/convicts that get coerced into vigilantism. They have to defeat the antagonist and save the world. The execution is carried out so poorly though. Aside from Deadshot and Harley Quinn, character development for everyone else is just thrown out the window. I mean, for god's sake, they introduce a guy to the team who gets axed a few minutes later! And don't get me started on the Joker. Good God. Everybody was anticipating Jared Leto's interpretation of the character and for what we saw of him, he did alright, for what, the TWO, MAYBE THREE SCENES HE WAS IN?! I was a bit skeptical of modelling him after a pimp, with the teeth grille and velvet jacket. But at least use him a bit more if Leto is SECOND BILLING IN THE CAST!!! The utilization of the soundtrack sounded like it was mixed by some intern who first discovered the editing software. Back to back pop songs we've heard in the trailer for the first half and a criminal misuse of them at that.
Look, I can complain about this film and what it did wrong until the cows come home, and upon first viewing, I was quite sparing in my criticism, saying it was OK. Upon re-evaluation, it's a disaster. A complete insult to the crowd who were enticed by what they promised in the trailers/marketing.