The Suicide Squad Movie was seen by many critics who felt it was their duty to tell us what a failure in cinematic quality it is. The Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes sets at 26% which ties it with Green Lantern from Year 2011 and Superman III from the Year 1983, both not the best films by Warner Bros. On Rotten Tomatoes the Critics Consensus: Suicide Squad boasts a talented cast and a little more humor than previous DCEU efforts, but they aren’t enough to save the disappointing end result from a muddled plot, thinly written characters, and choppy directing. This consensus has not stopped the audience score to be steady showing the User Ratings of 89,776 that 72% liked it with a Average Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars.
SPOILERS AHEAD: The first point “Suicide Squad boasts a talented cast” well it not only boast but it backs it up with great performances by Will Smith as a believable Deadshot with a complicated life and wonderful daughter whom he loves more than his own life. Will does everything that is asked of him to bring Floyd Lawton or Deadshot to life in the DC cinematic universe. He is an assassin who had the drop on Batman but let him live for his daughters sake. Deadshot proves his worth and leads by example and Smith does not over shadow others acting.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller plays a the government official who gives out the Squad’s orders commissioned by the U.S. Chief of Staff. She is ruthless with a button that can blow the head off any criminal member of the Suicide Squad. She killed five subordinate government workers because they heard something that she deemed beyond their level of security clearance. She is the government leader in the story that everyone detest but respects because of the power she wields.
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn is a crazed super villain and former psychiatrist and girl friend of the Joker who is played by Jared Leto. Both come across as psychotic as their comic book likeness and in all the craziness they convince the audience they love each other. While their relationship is not accentual to the story the development of the characters is intriguing to watch. What a start to the Joker and Harley story that will ripple its way through the DC Cinematic Universe.
Jai Courtney plays Digger Harkness / Captain Boomerang. He is a thief who utilizes deadly boomerangs, and he is rugged, unpredictable and mouthy. Courtney’s acting as Captain Boomerang surprised me how good he was in that role and it was great to see him play one of the Flash’s adversarys. I loved the unexpected cameo of Ezra Miller’s Flash capturing Captain Boomerang.
Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag: He is a West Point graduate and Army special forces officer who leads the Suicide Squad in the field. He is all business and executes Amanda Waller’s orders but develops respect for the group of antiheroes as the mission goes on.
Jay Hernandez as Chato Santana / El Diablo had one of the saddest back stories of all the group and one of the most interesting powers controlling fire. In a fit of anger he destroyed his whole family including his kids. His performance was a key part of the movie and helped the last fight seen work for me. Karen Fukuhara as Tatsu Yamashiro / Katana: serves as Rick Flag’s bodyguard and friend who wields the mystical Soultaker blade, capable of trapping the souls of its victims. As she is a volunteer, not a criminal, she does not have a micro-bomb implant. Both Hernandez and Fukuhara give believable performances in the screen time given to them.
Adam Beach as Christopher Weiss / Slipknot, who did not last long in the movie and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Waylon Jones / Killer Croc, both played minor rolls in the movie. Killer Croc helped set up the final confrontation of the villain who turns out to be Cara Delevingne as Dr. June Moone who is possessed by the Enchantress a supernatural being that is thousands of years old with enormous powers. The chemistry of these actors make this movie work with just enough story to see them perform.
The movie was a fun crazy comic book movie not a play like Macbeth deserving of high critical claim. It is what it is. You could empathize with the characters and get into the story and realize that DC Entertainment has some very interesting villains and heroes. The future is set up nicely for more movies involving these characters. Harley Quinn and the Joker have to be featured in a movie with Batman. That is a movie I would like to see.
There is a huge disconnect with the movie goers and the critics about the quality of this movie. The movie is like a Timex watch, I remember the old commercials that said “it takes a licking and keeps on ticking”, this movie will endure. The audience is the last line of defense between movie producers and the critics. The truth is this movie is the third attempt of DC Entertainment to enter the superhero collective universe highlighting the many colorful characters the DC Universe. Marvel Studios first three films were Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man 2. Back then in 2008 through 2011 Marvel Studios was learning how to put together a string of good movies and eventually arrived as THE major competitor in the superhero world with the release of The Avengers.
So DC Entertainment is on it’s way to succeeding or failing to obtain a piece of the superhero pie at the box office. Next is Wonder Woman and then Justice League and with each movie they build the collective DC world of superheros. It is exciting to realize the fulfillment of the hopes of a comic lover and movie goer to see the production of Marvel and DC characters into their respective movie universes. I hope the critics can let up on the over the top scrutiny of the DC Movie Universe and let them grow into what we hope is something special. 🙂 Walt