Suicide Squad Review

There are always properties that are hard to translate to certain mediums. It could be argued that DC’s Suicide Squad is one of those kinds of properties. As the whole point of the team is that they’re a group of villains sent on missions that are deemed so impossible to complete, that they are in fact suicide to do. The team has had mixed success in mediums other than comics. They were a standout episode in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon via “Task Force X”, but then they floundered in Arrow before being literally killed off so that the movie Suicide Squad could be made unopposed. So how does the first movie version of the team fair? Well, it isn’t a perfect film, but it’s still a darn good one.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

From the outset, it’s clear that this is a character story first, and plot second story. Though the plot is the reason for the teaming being brought together. After the “death” of Superman, and with a clear indication that the Justice League isn’t formed yet, the government is fearful of what would happen if another Superman like being arrived on the scene, but without Superman’s morals. So, Amanda Waller arrives and reveals that she’s collected a group of individuals who are all villains, but under the right circumstances could do good. Not surprisingly, things go wrong quickly, and the team is put into action.

Easily one of the best parts of the film is the “rundown” of the characters. Suicide Squad did itself a big favor by casting a wide net to fill up its team, the downside naturally though is that not everyone would know who these characters are, or what their motivations are. Thankfully, Waller fixes that, and so even if you don’t read comics, you’ll know the basics of all the characters.

As I stated, Suicide Squad really is about the characters, and it really shines when it focuses on them. From Deadshot and his desire to see his daughter again, and have her see him as not a murderer, Harley wanting to be free and back with Joker, El Diablo not wanting to be the monster that cost him his family, and so on, it really was good to see many of these characters so fleshed out in a limited span of time. A problem that many movies have when dealing with large ensembles. Now yes, some characters didn’t get as much time, but I’ll get to that later.

A few standouts I would like to mention are Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Jay Hernandez as El Diablo. These three are in many ways the different faces of villainy in the film, and many scenes are dedicated to showing how different evil can look. There was a lot of concern over certain castings, especially Will Smith. Anyone who thinks he doesn’t play a perfect Deadshot does not know the character.

Then of course there’s Rick Flagg and Amanda Waller, two different sides of a similar coin. One is a pure solider who has a very personal stake in the mission. The other is a cold equations woman who likes to get results. Both are represented really well here, and both give fans reasons to love and hate them in the best ways possible. Especially for Waller, who has been “miscast” in recent years in shows and comics, she finally gets her due. Viola Davis is amazing as her, and I look forward to seeing her again.

Without spoiling things, the plot of the Suicide Squad is remarkably simple. They’re sent on one mission, that fails, and then they’re sent on another mission to save the world. It’s a paint-by-numbers to be sure, but others have done the same with less satisfying results. Suicide Squad really does show why and how this team can function when they’re a bunch of psychos and killers. Anyone who knows how the Squad is “controlled” will be very happy here. For not only do they note it, they show it, and it’s awesome.

There’s a lot to be said for the action of the film. It’s fast paced, full of realism, and often does some very cool singular moments. An early scene with Deadshot really stands out. However, I do wish that there were more time dedicated to other characters talents in the field. Captain Boomerang for example only uses his Boomerangs in close quarters combat, never really getting the chance to show off his skills. Another is Killer Croc, who only gets a few close-ups of his kills. Overall it’s great, and the final battle is very powerful and intense, but, I do hope that in potential sequels, we get more focus.

You may be noticing I haven’t mentioned a certain character yet. The Joker. For good reason. I wanted to focus on him specifically and recite what worked and what didn’t in my eyes. Jared Leto did a great job as Joker in my opinion. Yet another unique take on a classic character. The focus on the “Mad Love” between him and Harley was great. For this is something only shown in the comics and cartoons. That being said, I wish we had more time with him. I’ve seen that director David Ayers referred to Leto’s Joker as a “glorified cameo” and for that he is right. But, with the emphasis on him in the trailers, I wish we had a little more with him. Though a certain scene does indicate we’ll get that soon.

A side note, I’ve seen many argue that the relationship with Joker and Harley wasn’t “true” to the comics. As they long have had a history of abuse. What’s important to remember, is that this is literally the first film, outside of cartoons, that they are together. So I think it was wise to do what I call the “honeymoon phase” of the “Mad Love” storyline and show that they truly are in love. Then, as time goes on and Joker inevitably gets “bored” with Harley, then we can see the abuse that will likely lead to more independence from Harley. Again, this is only the first time in live-action they’re depicted together, give it time to spiral out of control.

In the beginning, I said that this wasn’t a perfect film, and it certainly is not. The plot is too simple at points, and some of it likely won’t make sense for some. Then, though many characters get times to shine, others don’t. Captain Boomerang is mainly comic relief, and some of his lines kind of feel forced. Though he is the reason for one of the biggest surprises in the film, he comes off as very one-dimensional at times. Which brings us to Killer Croc, who is very much window dressing sadly. He has some good lines, but I hope he gets more focus later. This goes the same for Katana, who has much of her backstory crammed within a few short scenes. It’s more than Croc got, but one scene in particular felt really out of place character wise.

All that being said, this is still a great film. When it works, it really works. David Ayer and crew do a wonderful job of fleshing out much of the cast, and there are plenty of surprises and swerves in this film to show that this isn’t a “standard” superhero film.

Much like a previous DC Comics film, Suicide Squad has gotten a lot of negative reviews. Well, just like that previous movie, I’m going to say the same thing now that I did then:

If you want to go see this movie, go see this movie! Don’t let some people’s opinions ruin a possibly good experience for you. You may love it, or you may hate it, but let that be your decision. Not anyone elses

Is Suicide Squad better than Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice? Not to me, but I also gave BVS a 9.1/10. Which shows how high I hold that film up. Is Suicide Squad still a great film I’ll likely watch many times once I have it on DVD? Yes, yes it is.

So suit up, and get your bad guy on. The Suicide Squad is here, and it looks like they’re here to stay.