Suicide Squad

Going into David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, I felt as though it needed to accomplish two things:

1. Get the characters, sorry “squad,” right.
2. Put them in a story that gets the best out of them while being entertaining.

Oh, and also properly insert them into the narrative of the DC cinematic universe, though that last one wasn’t that important to me.

After seeing the film, I can say that I thought it got the first one mostly right, and the second mostly wrong (It did actually do a very good job of the unnumbered and less important third one).

Suicide Squad is an early departure from the, so-far, mostly grim DC universe by focusing on what is always the most fun thing about a superhero story: the bad guys.  Now that doesn’t mean it’s supposed to be a happy outing, just more gleeful when it comes to the carnage.  Which makes David Ayer a curious choice as writer/director.  Here’s a guy that wrote the screenplay to Training Day, and directed films like End of Watch and Fury; both depressing affairs.  Which means that DC chose their first “different” film to be made by a man that would be making a departure as a filmmaker if he took the helm.  But hey, a good director working with his own gifted screenwriting along with good characters can make a good movie right?

Right?

As far as plot goes the film does the smart thing, in principle, by making the story a contained one.  The first third introduces the players and why they may be needed. Then it gives them something to be needed for, resulting in the entirety of the final two-thirds to consist of their mission seen to it’s conclusion.  Of course, just because the story is contained, it is once again about the end of the world, only no one seems to care except for the characters involved (Aquaman must be busy fighting Ursula or something).  Now I can forgive that because I want these guys to have their own movie.  Less forgivable is the very rough, hack & slash, and short-changed way that this whole thing plays out.

The first act does introduce some of the characters in a creative and entertaining way, however, it introduces others messily.  It gives said characters a fair enough reason as to why they may one day be needed, but then it does something incredibly stupid in order to give them a mission.  The only explanation is “we need a movie.”

U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller (an ferociously cool Viola Davis) proposes a plan to military defense guys in the pentagon to use imprisoned super-villians for potentially dangerous missions, that if successful, will give the government all of the credit, while none of the blame should things go wrong.  She explains that the team would be led by trusted team leader Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman) to keep the baddies in line along with Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), a witch whose possesses the body of Flagg’s girlfriend.

All under control, right?  No, because Enchantress steals something from Waller that is in no way difficult for her to steal, and now she can resurrect/wake-up her brother, Incubus,  to try to end the world.  It’s incredibly stupid, too stupid to not care.  This allows the team of bad guys to enter the frey.

The assembled team consists of Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Slipknot (Adam Beach).  Some of these characters, like Deadshot and Quinn, get excessive backstories, while the others get less; Slipknot gets zero backstory because his character has one function for the film.  Why? The answer is simply lazy script writing. Regardless, they’re all off to save the world

My real problems with the film started here, as once this section of the story begins, it immediately begins to feel as though we’re already close to the end, but not in the inevitable and exciting way.  It more or less feels like it’s going through the motions while occasionally making sure to have fun and care about the characters; the good news is that when the film took time away from it’s plot and focused on the squad, it worked for me.  Everything else though is just…I don’t know…just uninterestingly there.  The film consists of an action scene, bitching by the characters, another action scene, and more bitching before it’s time for the showdown with yet another machine that creates another big beam of light that’s going to open a portal and let bad things through.  The thing is that, once again, all of this would be forgivable if it didn’t all feel like it was once a solid script that was put into a shredder, and covered in very visible scotch tape that leaves a paper riddled cutting-room floor.

Of the “heroes,” Flagg, Deadshot, and Quinn have the most to do. Joel Kinnaman never impressed me until the most recent season of House of Cards; he’s fine here as Flagg, but the film forces him to spend too much time barking and taking orders instead of letting him play off the potential tragedy he faces. Will Smith plays Will Smith, but I didn’t mind because unlike Flagg, his tragedies are front and center.  This gives Smith an emotional target that, much like his character, he does not miss. I’m sure comic fans will be annoyed, but it didn’t bother me.

Margot Robbie is a star, and her performance as Harley Quinn burns bright.  There are scenes and moments with the character that feel forced or lessened, as if Ayer was giving Robbie the wrong direction.  But she somehow is able to fight through those obstacles and create a twisted, vulnerable beauty that loves her abusing Mistah J.  While the adult in me couldn’t help but be attracted, the kid couldn’t help but grin when Harley gets annoyed at “Batsy” for “ruining date-night” with her “puddin,” who is of course, laughing his ass off beside her.

Speaking of her “puddin,” Jared Leto takes a turn following Romero, Nicholson, Hamil, and Ledger as the crime-prince of Gotham.  Leto is a strong actor, and I certainly believed his Joker was crazy, but he’s only in the film for roughly seven or eight minutes which doesn’t allow him to make as much of a mark as those in the past.  Still, the best compliment I can pay him is that I definitely want to see more.

Hernandez, as Diablo, gets more to play as the film goes along and he’s better for it.  Courtney, who I’ve never liked in anything, was fun in a mostly comedic relief role.  Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, as Croc, was…well…a guy in a crocodile skin suit who likes “BET.”  I’m not kidding…that’s the character.  Ask him yourself.  Katana is in the film too, though I’m not sure why.

Ayer does a fine job with the action sequences, though nothing is that special outside of a great moment for Deadshot, and Diablo’s tumble with Incubus.  Enchantress is a visually impressive creation, and Delevingne is fine in the role until a crucial moment near the end when things are supposed to be serious, but she starts acting like one of those big inflated flailing tube men.  I didn’t know if she was trying to end the world or sell me a car.  I don’t have any opinion on the rated “R” vs. “PG-13” matter because, I don’t think that would’ve helped or hindered the film.  I will say that the soundtrack, while great as an album, mostly distracted me here;  the songs weren’t out of place, so much as screaming attention to themselves.

Ayer, for the most part, seemed out of his comfort zone. And while this isn’t poor film-making, it feels like it was made by the wrong guy. I’ll give DC credit for not making the cameos feel forced (Affleck is once again excellent), but this is yet another misfire in a series that desperately needs to get going.  Though I will forever anticipate Affleck’s solo Batman film if all else fails.

When Suicide Squad ended, I was sad because I wanted to continue to see more of these characters.

Just in a better movie.

Grade: C+