Tries to please all, ends up pleasing none

Rating: 6/10 (13 August 2016)

Have you ever sat around thinking - "I wish there was a movie that was part comic book, part THE DIRTY DOZEN, part ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK with a villain and finale straight outta GHOSTBUSTERS?" If so, then do I have a movie for you. SUICIDE SQUAD attempts to fill this void, it just doesn't do it successfully. There is a good movie in here somewhere, this version of SUICIDE SQUAD just isn't it.
Based on the DC Comics, and set in the universe of Batman and Superman, Suicide Squad tells the story of a ragtag group of "bad guys" pressed into service. Do they become "good guys"? Can they work through their differences, band together and save the day? What do you think?
Fanboy service and the Internet was all agog over what this movie would/should/might be and when DEADPOOL was a big hit last winter, expectations were raised even higher for this anti-hero Superhero movie. And it is under the weight of these expectations that this movie crumbles.
Suicide Squad has all the earmarks of "studio executive interference". By bringing in Director David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury), this movie was going to be tough, dirty, gritty and R-Rated. But then, Warner/DC came under fire for the dark "un-fun" Batman v Superman film of earlier this year and campy, fun DEADPOOL was a hit, so I am sure notes came down to "put some fun in this thing" and that's where we have our problem. This film just doesn't know what it want's to be, so it tries to straddle a line between dark/gritty and light/campy, attempting to please all while all it really does is disappoint all.
There are some bright spots - the performances of Will Smith and Margot Robbie standout, there are a few good action sequences and I actually enjoyed the BEGINNING of the final action sequence (though by the end I was expecting to hear the villain say "There is no Dana, only Zul") , but the problems of tone, style, fulfilling fan service, jamming way too many characters and backstories into too short of a movie and "by-the-numbers" plot sink this Suicide Squad before it starts. Add to this the much bally-hooed performance of Jared Leto as the Joker is not much more than an extended cameo and you have unmet expectations all around.
If you are a "fanboy", you'll find plenty to like in this film. If you are anyone else, you'll be disappointed, confused and ultimately let down by this Suicide Squad.
6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)