Amid much controversy and now out for all to see, will it be a diamond in the rough or leave you feeling suicidal?
From the outset we are introduced to some of the most beloved villains from the DC universe and are taken on a whistle stop tour of the character’s backstories. They are all larger than life and the actors have taken to them like ducks to water, making for captivating and dynamic performances. Their stories are extrovert and as out of this world as you would hope and expect. Soon however, they are harnessed by the law into the Suicide Squad and the movie begins to take shape.
At war with a strange and unknown enemy the Suicide Squad are deployed to fight evil with evil. Mysterious and all powerful their opponent draws the film into the realm of the gods, which like the recent X-Men movie has not gone down well, with any viewer base. Given such insurmountable odds and the ease with which the Suicide Squad cope there is little sense of foreboding or risk. The struggle between the squad and their morally ambiguous commander Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis) makes for much more gritty viewing. Contrasted by acts of their past and Waller’s nefarious plans the definition of good and bad gets an interesting evaluation. In this area of the film Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn really takes the spotlight alongside Jared Leto as the Joker. Together they epitomise the mad and the bad, and their twisted love could have made for an epic movie on its own.
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
The film’s artistic direction supports the characters well, however it does this at the cost of interesting back drops. City firefights, prisons and offices combined with a few chopper scenes do not really inspire. Interestingly director David Ayer has recently been taken to task by Die Antwoord for striking similarities to their music videos; the band can be seen in the recent movie Chappie. Jared Leto also mentioned the vast amount of unused Joker footage. Given that the minor roll he played was one of the most enjoyable parts of the scripting it seems a strange editorial decision. One last editorial quirk was the use of Norman Greenbaums, Spirit in the Sky, which suited the moment but immediately causes the audience to draw comparison with Guardians of the Galaxy. The sound track hit the top of the charts and includes music from a variety of big name artists, something that is a pleasing theme in many films over the last few years.
All in all it seems the director tried to make two films in one, the story of the suicide squad and their first outing. Luckily most people will be watching for the Suicide Squad and everything else is just background noise. Love or hate, good or bad, this film demands attention for many reasons. It is no Spielburg, but in the action thriller class it’s certainly a crowd pleaser. In light of this I can only attribute the majority of sordid reviews to disappointment with a film that could so easily have been phenomenal.
Author: Joe, Bath store
