The Review
*** REPEAT! THERE WILL BE SPOILERS... MAJOR ONES***Let me just start of by saying I was excited for this movie... I mean really excited, like so excited I actually went to the movie as soon as it came out even with all of the coughers and talkers that come with a crowded movie theater. I had really high expectations for this movie... they might have been fueled by the Queen song that dominated the trailers, but nonetheless I was expecting greatness. I'm sad to say that my expectations weren't met... Let's start with the plot.
It was obvious this was going to be a better, gritter version of the Avengers movies, but I was not expecting it to have such a similar, generic plot. Sassy government official puts together a rag tag group of superhumans... superhumans clash... eventually they get their shit together and take on the magical antagonist... Magical antagonist makes some vaguely, if at all, explained magic machine that threatens to destroy the world... protagonist destroy said machine saving the world. The plot wasn't bad it just disappointed. With our protagonist being hardened criminals you'd think the plot would have a bit more excitement, maybe incorporating their villainous tendencies into their actions rather then just zainy one-liners would have made the plot a little more exciting and the characters a little more believiable... That being said let's move into Harley Quinn.
Where to begin with Harley Quinn... Suicide Squad marketing revolved a lot around Margot Robbie's character, Harley Quinn. Being a pretty popular DC character before the movie it was only natural, but the hype that the marketing created was a little more then Harley lived up too. Let's begin with Robbie's performance. Robbie is a very talented actress. So when I heard she was playing Harley Quinn I was excited to see what she would bring to the role. What she brought wasn't nearly as exciting. With an exaggerated Boston accent that was sometimes very heavy other times absent and clique delivery the character came off dittsy and cute rather then the appropriate insane and dangerous. The fault was not all on Robbie. The dialogue that was provided (particularly with her character) was full of nothing, but cliques. Not to mention the direction they took her character in. I often got the feeling that her emotions were to rational. She felt anger were a sane person would feel anger, sadness where a sane person would feel sadness, dear where a sane person would feel fear... it was unsettling to watch a character who is supposed to be out of her mind act level headed. With such an interesting character the Suicide Squad version was quite disappointing, but Harley was not the biggest disappointment...
I was already aware that Jared Leto's Joker was never going to live up to Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight Rises, but after seeing Leto in Requium for a Dream you could tell he had a nak for playing crazy. Suicide's Squad was obviously going for a more satirical take on the villain then the gritty Ledger version at that's okay. In fact it's really the only way you can follow up Ledger's performance, but saidly even their flamboyant take on the joker fell flat. Leto just wasn't convincing. I felt like a was watching a green haired Miley Cyrus trying to cackle like a witch while trying to act gangster. I don't know if I was the only one, but from the trailers I assumed Joker was the main antagonist. I was mistaken. He was merley a set up for the sequel. I think it would have been much more interesting if he were. The dynamic between Harley and the Joker would be strained as her squad tries to take him down. I feel like that is the path the sequel will take, but I would have much preferred that plot to the chosen, confusing antagonist of The Enchantress.
The real antagonist, the Enchantress, is a very interesting character yet her rushed evil plan is old news. How many times have we seen a magical, ancient being scorned after awakening into a modern world. They exact revenge on the human race who used to worship them and now ignore their existance. Her plot maybe old news, put her costum is great.
The one thing I don't really have a single complaint about is the costum design. Each costum stayed true to the comics while putting a modern a stylistic twist to it particularly Killed Croc. The approach to his costum not only highlight how dangerous he his, but also stayed true to his backstory which seemed like a difficult thing to do in live action without making him into a cheesy CGI character.
My final and largest compliant is in regardes to the character development. With so many characters with intricate backstories it's almost impossible to explain them all in one movie, but I think it could have been done much better then it had. A side from Will Smith's Deadshot your not really made to feel anything for these characters. Deadshot's family life coupled with Will Smith's good execution makes him one of not the only character that tugs at your heart strings. They should have spent more time developing the characters and making them all seem important so when Slipknot is suddenly killed off in the first half hour your actually shocked like intended. It would have been much better if you were made to care for the rope slinging theif before his head was abruptly exploded.
Despite my many complaints it was a good movie I just thought it had so much more potential and I'm hoping the inevitable sequel will too this one. Thanks if you made it this far!
I didn't care when El Diablo died...
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