Tragedy or Travesty?

Rating: 6/10 (19 May 2020)

Forcing an unlikely group of twisted, ragtag villains to work together and act against their own self-interest has all the hallmarks of a character-driven tragedy. The film sacrifices this unique identity in favour of imitating the competition over at Marvel. The upbeat soundtrack and colourful corniness can at first glance be entertaining, but I had hoped for something more poignant. Roman Vasyanov was at times able to capture intriguing imagery, although no shot lingers long enough to inhale due to the film's frenetic editing. I respect David Ayer for the creative liberties he took with these characters, more specifically his take on the fantabulous Harley Quinn who has gone on to exist without him thanks to Margot Robbie. The initial marketing boasted promise, I gave studio executives who were so clearly trying to rival another company's success the benefit of the doubt. Now I see that the joke was on me.