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Suicide Squad Review - Trying Too Hard



I must congratulate you, Warner Bros. You've successfully produced a film that makes Batman V Superman look coherent. Suicide Squad, the latest train wreck in the series of train wrecks that is the DC Extended Universe, is trying desperately to be good, but is consistently held down by a studio trying desperately to be Marvel. Despite all my issues with the depressingly serious tone of BVS, at least the film was its own thing. But Suicide Squad is the movie equivalent of that annoying kid from school who insists on playing football with you, despite not being able to kick a ball to save their life.*

The tragedy of Suicide Squad is how much it could've worked. The performances are mostly strong. Margot Robbie is sparky and spontaneous as Harley Quinn, and Will Smith brings more emotional heft to Deadshot than I expected. The rest of them don't get as much attention from the camera, but provide decent entertainment. Jai Courtney is fun as Captain Boomerang, although he is still Captain Boomerang. Jay Hernandez doesn't provide much action as Diablo, but is one of the more developed squad members. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje doesn't do anything as Killer Croc, but his makeup and prosthetics are amazing. And Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, the mastermind behind the squad, is genuinely scary. She's a better villain than the villain.

Unfortunately, not every performance is equal. Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, the soldier hired to babysit the squad, is as bland as flat pack furniture. And his girlfriend-turned-villain Enchantress, played by Cara Delevingne, is somehow more stupid than Doomsday in BVS; spending more time dancing, surrounded by generic flashy lights, than doing anything evil. Adam Beach’s Slipknot is a waste of time, as is Karen Fukuhara's Katana. But the terrible performance to end all terrible performances is Jared Leto’s Joker. A perfect example of Warner Bros. trying too hard, Leto, infamous for his method acting, is cast to capitalise on Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight. But Ledger worked because casting him was such a strange decision, Christopher Nolan must've seen something exceptional in him. Leto, on the other hand, is too obvious. He might as well be flailing about and shouting "LOOK MUM I'M A METHOD ACTOR!" It's like watching Jack Sparrow on crystal meth.

Despite all this, Suicide Squad’s biggest downfall is its post production. The version in cinemas is actually a compromise between two films; director David Ayer’s grittier original and Warner Bros.’ more “fun” version. As a result, every element is in conflict with another. The upbeat soundtrack attempts to infuse fun into the film, but clashes horribly with the grim tone of the scenes. And the flashy titles contrast completely with the generally gloomily lit film. Worst of all is the pacing. The first act of the film crams so much exposition into 45 minutes that nothing is able to breathe. Or, for that matter, make any sense. The film opens by introducing Deadshot and Harley Quinn, before showing the main titles. Deadshot and Harley are introduced again, along with the rest of the squad (apart from Slipknot). Then the entire squad is introduced for a third time, this time with Slipknot appearing out of absolutely nowhere. [SPOILER] Five minutes later, Slipknot is killed.

Somehow, the second and third act are worse. The two are completely indistinguishable, consisting almost entirely of dull, emotionless and atrociously edited action sequences. One second everything is flying around so fast you can’t tell what’s going on, the next everything’s in slow motion for no reason. None of the action flows naturally; it's an awkward mixture of confusion and tedium. The action, if you can call it that, all takes place in the same glum, lifeless city. The film was possibly trying for a claustrophobic, thriller atmosphere, but the sloppy editing and creaky pacing prevent any tension from rising. Really, the last two acts should've been condensed into one. Everything would've been tighter and subsequently more exciting. It would also free up space for all the backstory squashed in to the first act. Although, considering how much there is, they'd need to create an entire prequel trilogy for anything to get the focus it needs.

Suicide Squad does not bode well for the DC Extended Universe. This is a franchise with way too much studio influence. You could argue the Marvel Cinematic Universe has the same issue, but at least that studio knows what a film looks like. Warner Bros. have worked themselves into a frenzy, trying way too hard to produce an MCU competitor, without having any idea how to. Just please, for everyone's sake, keep your hands off of Ben Affleck’s standalone Batman film.

3.8/10

*To be fair, I can't kick a ball to save my life, which is why I don't play football.


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