Style over substance

Rating: 6/10 (19 August 2016)

I thought the trailers for Suicide Squad looked fantastic and was really excited to see this film but unfortunately this turned out to be a bit of a let down. When I think back to what the story line actually was and how I would explain it to someone I realise that it was all a bit confusing. Not in a perplexing or challenging way, but in senseless way that lacked real credibility. It felt like there was a great idea here, and with a heavyweight cast and some excellent visuals, the real possibility for something special. But it had no substance or execution. It felt rushed. A lack of genuine depth saw the latter scenes descend into farcical action sequences. The concluding action scene itself felt like stepping into an acid trip. Another feeling of - how did this get here?? Although I have made these personal observations I still rated this as a 6 because there are positives for the film, and overall it was visually an enjoyable experience. I thought Jared Leto was exceptional in his take on the Joker. He was menacing and unpredictable and I would have liked to have seen more. Margot Robbie was seductively playful and also enjoyably unpredictable. Viola Davis also deserves a mention for her sinister turn. Some of the visuals and action sequences were fantastic to watch. Overall verdict: Despite the huge build up this film really didn't deliver. Action sequences are lazily added to cover a lack of genuine plot. Despite the great visuals and some really enjoyable performances I felt my mind often drifting and wondering about why this was all happening. Essentially the action springs out of the premise of assembling a team to deal with a catastrophe but in doing exactly that create the catastrophe. It's a bit senseless as there was nothing to react to in the first place so the entire film's action is unwarranted and unnecessary because by the end there is no apparent or credible reason or explanation for any of it.