Such a Disappointment

Rating: 3/10 (6 August 2016)

Comic book movies this year have been very hit and miss and while Marvel and Fox delivered solid movies if not groundbreaking DC and WB have for the second fallen well below the standard expected. I had such high expectations and a lot anticipation following such a pitch perfect marketing campaign. So when I went in to view the film on Friday night I was devastated to find that this movie was a big old mess
Quick Pros:
1. Viola Davis.
2. The team chemistry overall.
Cons:
1. The flow and editing of the film shocked me. It felt so jarring sitting watching this film as it constantly jumped and jerked around in short bursts. It felt like there were no extended or even normal length scenes just short bits of film stuck together as they tried to piece together a film.
2. The soundtrack was tiring and intrusive especially at the beginning of the film. At the beginning of the film we are given short introductions to each character and rather than dialogue each character is given a pop song that 'describes' them played over images of them almost video game style. For me got in the way of the film and a better script would negated the need for this.
3. Speaking of the characters I was disappointed with the treatment of Harley Quinn and The Joker. As two of my favourite DC characters I was excited to see them portrayed here and while i can accept a new take on the characters I was not pleased with these iterations. Throughout the film they act like teenagers in puppy love and each of their personalities is simply defined by the other. I also don't feel enough justice was down to their origin story, or their origin scene to be frank. Harley goes from respected doctor to insane fan girl in literally 30 seconds with no real explanation. My biggest issue however stems from the premonition the villain gives to Harley which is supposed to show her ultimate fantasy and dream. In this dream she pictures herself as a stay at home wife in curlers with two kids kissing a non joker Jared Leto off to work. While I have no issue with women wanting to be a stay at home wife, it is every women decision as to what path they wasn't to follow, never has Harley Quinn in any publication or iteration I am aware of wanted to be 'normal'. She mocks 'normal' herself in the film!!! Harley and The Joker are both unapologetic in their craziness and they are in love with each others craziness. This was a huge insult to the character in my opinion.
4. The film lacked a cohesive story. It seemed almost as though the script was written as they went and they almost had no idea how it was going to finish when they started filming. Obviously this isn't true Ayer wrote in in just sic weeks and honestly, it shows. It is simply a film about getting from point A to point B and even in this simple task they leave huge plot-holes and question marks.
5. Although I said I liked the team chemistry, which I do, I didn't not like the development of the team. I'll give a little break down of some character below but the team to me didn't make sense. Waller says she wants a team of meta-humans to fight for her as the 'next war will be fought with them' but out of her team only two are meta humans, the other are just skilled criminals and even then some aren't that skilled.
Harley Quinn - She is fun in the film but not funny as Margot Robbie constantly tried to make her. None of the actors can improvise so please write their jokes next time. thanks.
Deadshot - Typical Will Smith character bad guy with a heart of gold. Boring predictable and again like Harley not a meta-human who will win you wars.
Killer Croc - One of two actual meta-humans and to be fair he delivered the only funny line in the film.
Diablo - The most powerful of the team and the only one deserving member.
My biggest problem with the team however was that we did not get the 'bad guys' we were promised. Each character has to remind us that they are a team of criminals as they act nothing like the most dangerous criminals in the World. A typical example is Deadshots refusal to kill Harley Quinn after Waller offers him what he wants. After developing the relationship between him and his daughter, they only relationship that gets that luxury, if he truly was a bad guy it would have been a very different film. (They tried to play this off with him claiming not kill women or children but it falls flat.)
6. If you think Marvel has bad villains the Enchantress in this film makes even Thanos seem like a Loki. Cara Delevigne works out with an invisible hula hoop throughout her laboured performance showing that if you are going to hire a model for a super hero film, follow Bryan Singers lead and don't give her any lines. Despite her acting her characters motive are even worse. We are told she abilities beyond anything we know yet spends the entire film building a weapon that she only completes just as the team finally reach her then rather than use her 'amazing' powers she decides to engage in a knife fight with the team. This in itself was just o ludicrous that I couldn't help laugh out loud at such sloppy writing.
7. The biggest flaw in my opinion is that this film fails completely to move the DCEU move forward at all.
If anyone can save this sinking ship it most definitely is Wonder Woman.