Suicide Squad: A Review (With very minor Spoilers)

Suicide Squad: A Review (With very minor Spoilers)

(Originally posted on Facebook 08/26/2016)

By Eric Urmanita

Ooookkkaaaayyyy then.......

So, I finally saw the third movie in the DC Extended Universe. It took me exactly three weeks to see the dang movie. So, what do I think of Suicide Squad? And on top of that, was it a better movie than Batman V Superman (the theatrical cut, at least. Expect me to review the Ultimate Edition later on down the line.)? Honestly, I didn’t think it was that bad. I didn’t think it was a critical hit either, but I can’t bring myself to hate this movie outright. This movie is definitely more fun and entertaining than BvS. Let me rephrase: less dark and broody, and more emotionally investing. BvS was also emotionally investing (for me, at least), but Suicide Squad is just a tad bit more of a thrill ride. Here are the positives: 1. By far, the cast.

- Will Smith is Will Smith and fits his role as Deadshot, so that’s all I can say about him.

- Jai Courtney’s role in the movie as Captain Boomerang is my favorite role of his by far, as he’s butchered so many other roles in the past.

- Viola Davis IS Amanda Waller, and she steals every scene she is in. This is not a woman you want to mess with.

- Margot Robbie. She gives a pretty good performance as Harley Quinn, don’t get me wrong. But unfortunately, she tends to be PRETTY annoying. But overall, I can’t hate her.

- Jay Hernandez as El Diablo was the surprise hit. A villain with a conscious seeking redemption. That’s all I’ll say about him.

- Joel Kinnaman is fine as Rick Flagg. That’s all.

- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc. Again, fine. ‘Nuff said.

- And of course, Jared Leto as the greatest supervillain of all time, the Joker. Unfortunately, he’s not in this movie a whole lot and I’d like to see more of him, but from what we see, I dig it. I look forward to seeing more of this version of the Joker.

2. The characters in this movie are characters audiences can more emotionally invest with than Batman V Superman (again, the theatrical cut at least), and that’s something you want out of your movie characters: being able to relate with audiences. And character motivation is also made more clearer (at least I think it does).

3. Like I said, Suicide Squad is more entertaining and more fun. I found myself laughing quite a bit throughout the film.

4. The cameos. That’s right, Ben “Batfleck” Affleck is back for a brief moment here and there, and he continues to prove that he’s earning his keep as Batman. Also, the brief 5 to 10-second cameo of The Flash was great.

And now, the negatives.

1. What I really didn’t like was the editing. Good God, it was almost like Baz Luhrmann edited this movie. There was consistent editing/pacing, but when it went nuts, it tended to throw me off. Heck, Batman V Superman was more consistent in its editing/pacing than Suicide Squad.

2. Unfortunately, some of the cast is wasted here.

- I liked Karen Fukuhara’s performance as Katana, but she was way underused, and I really wanted to see more of her and interact more with the cast.

- Cara Delevingne. I think she’s gorgeous as well as talented, but she sucks in this movie as a villain. Enchantress’s motives aren’t really made any clear, and it’s hard to tell what the heck she wants.

- It breaks me to say this, but Jared Leto’s Joker. I really wanted to see more of him in this movie since he’s so heavily marketed in advertisements, but his screen-time is so limited. Heck, he should have been the main villain in this movie. It would have been much more interesting. I pray to God that he gets more screen-time in the solo Batman movie. 3. The dialogue at times was pretty predictable. 4. The way they set up characters (Deadshot and Harley Quinn especially) is off-balanced. I feel like these flashbacks could have been integrated into the greater plot rather than the way they were in the first act. 5. WWWWAAAAYYYYY too much neon for my taste.

Overall, Suicide Squad is pretty solid. It definitely has its flaws, but it’s more enjoyable and entertaining than I thought it was. I’m going to give Suicide Squad a 3/5.

But was it a better movie than Batman V Superman? Well, it’s definitely better than the theatrical cut.

Before you ask, yes, I’ll go over the Ultimate Edition of Batman V Superman eventually. Alright, 5 superhero movies down. One more to go in November. I’m looking at you, Doctor Strange.