After a brooding Superman, a brutal Batman and a Woman of wonder, DC’s brand new cinematic universe brings us a a squadron of highly dangerous, misfit criminals, aptly named Suicide Squad and chosen by A.R.G.U.S Director Amanda Waller.
After the death of Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the United States government is looking for a contingency plan in case the next Superman is not on their side. With a new threat now facing national security, Waller finally convinces the Secretary of Defense to enlist the Suicide Squad, which is designated as “Task Force X.”
With an interchangeable line up of the Suicide Squad in the comic books over the years, the film chooses many of the foes Gotham’s Bat has locked up in Belle Reve prison. Led by Colonel Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), the team is highlighted by Floyd Lawton (Will Smith), a.k.a Deadshot, former Arkham Asylum psychiatrist Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Gotham sewer-dweller, Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and The Flash’s villain-from-down-under, Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney).
Audiences had yet to be introduced to magic in the DC universe, until the Squad found its true enemy, the Enchantress.
Suicide Squad is the first film in the DCCU not to be directed by Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). Instead, heralded director David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury) leads DC’s gang of misfits into the most fun and colorful DC film to date.
It hasn’t been a secret that many critics panned DC films for not having humor and being too dark (even for Batman), but Ayer constructs his characters differently then we’ve seen before. After the success of Marvel’s Deadpool, Warner Bros. looked for its version of tongue-in-cheek humor and I think they found it.
Ayer manages to do what Snyder seems to lack: develop characters, deliver a story line and also provide some laughs along the way.
Margot Robbie’s Quinn steals the show. Her over the top shenanigans mixed with a “head-in-the-clouds” mentality provides the Quinn many DC fans remember from the Emmy winning “Batman the Animated Series.” She is easily the most lovable; although with Quinn in the mix, Joker cannot be too far behind, right?
Jared Leto is the first to portray the prince of crime since Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. While Leto was marketed in the ensemble cast, his joker is only on screen for a very minimal time, and his only plan is to break out Harley Quinn.
Joker does what he does best — interferes in moments where he’s not needed. Even with the hype of the new Joker, his role falls flat. It’s out of place and feels like WB was trying to rush a new clown to fill seats, rather than tell a coherent story with him.
Even with the competent plot line and exuberant characters, the situation Task Force X finds itself in leaves me scratching my head. The Enchantress becomes so powerful that it’s hard to believe that a former psychiatrist with no abilities, a guy who can throw boomerangs and an expert marksman could stop her threat, especially since audiences know that the Justice is near.
For a movie with characters the general public is very unfamiliar with, David Ayer delivers a film the DCCU needed, but it’s not the one it deserves. With non-stop turns, lovable villains, fleshed out characters and a few moments with the Bat, Ayer causes us to wonder how bad can, in fact, be so good.
Rating: 7/10