Suicide Squad (d. David Ayer USA 2016)
Please read On Reviews for a guide to how I write film reviews. Any spoilers are appropriately marked and, though I personally prefer to know little about a film before seeing it, there is a synopsis at the bottom for any who wish to see one.
Entertainment: 
Performances:
Predictability:
Technical:
Oh has this film got a reputation. So a brief history first. DC are known for Superman and Batman and have their own universe much like Marvel. In fact so much like Marvel that there is such a rivalry between them. DC being the darker side, whilst Marvel the more fun and colourful. Both have pros and cons and I’m not going to take sides because I really don’t know comic books enough for that. Marvel have had a successful run of films with The Avengers (d. Joss Whedon USA 2012) and similar films showing how big their universe is. DC seemed to be doing a lot better with Batman for a while with films like Batman Begins (d. Christopher Nolan USA/UK 2005) and this showed their darker and grittier side when compared to Marvel. However, with Marvel’s The Avengers and subsequently Captain America: Civil War (d. Anthony Russo, Joe Russo USA/Germany 2016), DC simply had to try their shot at it too. Hence we had Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (d. Zack Snyder USA 2016) and we also are to see Suicide Squad (d. David Ayer USA 2016). Here we see the return of The Joker after Heath Ledger and the arrival of much loved villains like Harley Quinn. Reportedly Jared Leto took his role very seriously. The hype around this film was intense. Just how good will The Joker and Harley Quinn be? What about the other villains with stars like Will Smith taking on Deadshot? There is so much going on for this film. Reportedly critics hated it, I somehow managed to hear about this before the film which I don’t usually find happening. Just what should we expect?
So Suicide Squad has a lot to say in style – sort of. There are some inventive scenes – sort of. CGI and some rather promo style snazziness, which is given to some of the characters – sort of. This isn’t really continued though. The introductions to the characters are ….interesting – if i’m being generous. Props for effort but there’s a lack of focus here. What is it exactly they’re trying to do for the characters? Though, to be fair, it is worse afterwards where scenarios and lines for the characters just drop. There is a desperate attempt at giving them a ‘cool factor’ and nothing to give them actual character or believable lines. Events are so contrived and the characters are just so all over the place. Jared Leto also gives a very forced and brief appearance as a Joker that just doesn’t feel on the mark – no presence, no nothing. Characters are just there, always awkwardly, never fitting, just there. They go against themselves and fit plot convenience with no interest. I’d criticise the characters but there were a serious lack of any traits based upon a script that just couldn’t be anything believable or consistent – just terrible.
Okay, but what about style and entertainment? There’s got to be a way of saving this, let’s turn our minds off and just focus on that cool spectacle of defeating people. Well, yeah, there’s a bit of that. However, the pay offs are very small and who cares if the build to get you there is so awkwardly contrived and with very little suspense. The style, it’s visually interesting in the way of an annoying advert. It can stick in your head but it wont necessarily make you care nor even fit it’s product. Okay a few pretty and interesting shots in but otherwise just a mess with very little emotion.
Apparently there’s a reason for this mess… the reaction to Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was nowhere near what they were hoping for. So, apparently, they panicked and chose to change so much about this film. This went as far as bringing in the team for the trailer to make edits. This explains what is a rushed and emotionless mess of a script and film. This film may have remembered pictures but it will never be a film in it’s entirety. It just fails. Personal taste will dictate whether there is anything you can see in the visuals of the characters and that’s about all you can get form this film.
Synopsis
Amanda Waller assembles a team of dangerous villains sentenced to life or death for a mission against an abnormal entity that could threaten the world.
Synopsis
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