The Actors Save A Very Flawed, Yet Fun Movie

Rating: 5/10 (5 August 2016)

If I had to describe 'Man of Steel' and 'Batman v Superman' with one word only, it would be "divisive." SUICIDE SQUAD falls into the same category. Even though I liked both MoS and BvS, one could say that those 2 films tried too hard to please critics. The admirable thing about SUICIDE SQUAD is that it disregards the critics altogether, and makes it an entirely fan experience, for better or worse depending on who you ask.
The audience I saw it with was electrifying; it's, without a doubt, the most fun I've had all year since 'Deadpool' back in February. In my humble opinion, SUICIDE SQUAD is exactly what this lacklustre summer movie season needed to spice things up.
Director David Ayer has his mark all over this; it's unlike any superhero movie I've ever seen. Sure, you have some of your typical superhero tropes, mostly in the 3rd act. But then you have the antithesis of what the genre entails, breaking just about every single rule and convention. This ain't good versus bad; this, my friends, is bad versus evil.
This movie is the living personification of its own characters: absolute, bat sh*t insanity! It's uneven, character motivations get a little wonky, and the story is a hot, sexy, mess. Word of advice? Double down on the absurdity of it all; it gets pretty weird. But within all the madness, I couldn't help myself guys... I kind of loved this movie. It's by no means perfect, but I also feel like critics are over exaggerating the film's faults.
I was never bored, not once. The film moves at a killer pace. There's quite a bit of exposition near the beginning, but after that the film kicks into high gear. Steven Prince's score, which was reminiscent of 'Pacific Rim' and the first 'Iron Man,' infused such infectious energy into the movie. The use of hit song after hit song got a bit overwhelming however, making the movie feel more like a music video at times.
Filmed mostly in my home of Toronto, this was quite the surreal experience; I have walked through those streets before, and I have stood in those subway stations before. I was even an extra in the film. Did I make the cut? Well, that's a whole other story... but I ain't mad.
I was genuinely shocked by how incredible Will Smith was in the role of Deadshot. Going in, I thought he'd be adequate but not too memorable. I was wrong; he is the best thing this movie has going for it. Scratch that. He comes real close to taking that title, but it's Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn that this movie will be long remembered for. She nails it. Absolutely nails it. Robbie is to Harley Quinn what RDJ is to Tony Stark: perfection.
Joel Kinnaman was another standout for me. While the writing for his character felt the most forced out of everyone, his actual performance sells it well and makes me feel for a character I could, otherwise, care less for.
The film is juggling a lot of characters, and that's never an easy task. Characters such as Killer Croc, Katana, and Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney was great?!) aren't given much backstory at all, but they were all given at least one great character moment: just one scene to make you fall in love with them. But if there's one obscure character that'll emerge as a fan favourite, it's definitely El Diablo. He's given a thoughtful backstory, an emotional character arc, and some kick ass action sequences. In fact, most of the action in the film was executed well. But there wasn't that one moment, like the 'warehouse scene' we got in BvS, that made me go "holy sh*t".
if you ask me, Jared Leto had the toughest job of them all; he had to follow Heath Ledger's timeless performance as The Joker, which is an impossible feat. So, the best thing Leto could've done is something completely different; he should make it his own. Which is exactly what he did. Whenever he's on screen you can't help but be captivated by him. He's not in the movie all that much, but just enough to wet our appetites for this whole new incarnation of 'The Clown Prince of Crime,' while still honouring the name of the film. This is a Suicide Squad movie after all, not a Joker movie.
It's ironic that in a movie about bad guys the worst part turned out to be the villain itself. The 'evil' in bad versus evil, if you will. I would've preferred a different antagonist altogether as the one we got here was pretty forgettable. Without giving any spoilers, the whole 'brother' angle was by far the worst thing in this movie. That's all I will say.
People comparing this movie to last year's catastrophe 'Fantastic Four' need to drop whatever it is they're smoking. SUICIDE SQUAD has something that film didn't: personality. It has soul. There's a great deal of heart. The characters are dynamic. The team chemistry between all the actors was fantastic; even if you don't like the movie they're in, you'll still end up liking the Suicide Squad themselves. Am I saying you're gonna love this film? No. Am I saying you're wrong for having a different opinion than me? No. Am I saying that I had a great time at the theatre watching Suicide Squad? You're damn right I am. Go check it out.