great cast and surprisingly fun, but generic and formulaic at best... ruined by studio meddling

Rating: 5/10 (3 January 2020)

Suicide Squad is a solid and enjoyable movie about superhero villains lead by a terrific cast, but whose overall story, incoherent theme, and mired production prevents it from becoming more than a typical summer blockbuster.
The movie's main strength is derived from its great cast chemistry. Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, and Will Smith as Amanda Waller, Harley Quinn, and Deadshot, respectively, are terrific, playing off one another perfectly. The strong cast makes the movie enjoyable.
In terms of writing, the movie shows the motivations of the characters to follow orders imposed by Amanda Waller, leader of the team. The audience is shown enough background and character origin to sympathize, but their motivations are not explored or challenged in a meaningful and resonant way. The story amounts to little because it lacks a coherent overarching theme that unites the characters. Harley Quinn has her romance subplot with joker, played by Jared Leto, where he rescues her from prison. Deadshot is a for-hire-assassin whose work conflicts with his daughter's relationship. Other supporting characters such as Colonel Rick Flag, Captain Boomerang, El Diablo, Killer Croc, Enchantress, and Katana are given proper motivations but they fall within the same assessment of failing to explore or challenge them. Colonel Rick Flag, in particular, has a good subplot that revolves around her lover Doctor June Moone who is simultaneously the villain of the film, Enchantress. Aside from having an incoherent theme, Enchantress is a weak villain, not physically, but motivationally and who is rather formulaic. The movie could have been stronger if Joker was the main villain. Joker is instead a bad parody with his awful tattoos, "damaged", punk, and gangster personality.
David Ayer's direction continues the Snyder influence on the DCEU, mixed with comedy and elements of Marvel's Guardian of the Galaxy. The editing is alright when it switches from present to past through recollection of character origins. The soundtrack is quite trippy and is one of the better parts of the movie.
Suicide squad had great potential which was squandered by studio interference. The sort-of sequel, to be directed by James Gunn, hopefully, is an improvement by giving the director more free-rein and creative leeway.
5/10