After seeing Marvel comics find great success with their superhero films, their rivals, DC Comics, have tried catching up. Attempting to begin their own cinematic universe with the Henry Cavill-starring Superman movies, Suicide Squad is the latest in their master-plan.
After the mixed reviews for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a lot was riding on Suicide Squad. Unfortunately it shows DC still has a lot to learn in terms of presenting a satisfying production in spite of the mega-bucks thrown at it.
Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) are two of the most dangerous super-villains around. They are also imprisoned with other like-minded baddies by a secret government agency. Regularly called upon to participate in black ops missions in exchange for clemency, their newest assignment seems the most deadly yet. Fighting against the magical mayhem of The Enchantress (Cara Delevinge), the self-styled Suicide Squad face a foe whose nefarious ways are more wicked than anything they could dream.
Suicide Squad is a very uneven film, gradually falling under the weight of its excess. Whilst its first half is reasonably interesting with some engaging characters, its second half is pure formula. There’s a definite sense of having seen it all before with predictable fight sequences and plotting making for somewhat dull viewing. Its biggest problem is the over-abundance of characters, as there are too many to do them full justice. Each only receives sketchy introductions before being thrown into the action. This results in not really caring what happens to them, in spite of the solid performances.
Although Jared Leto’s role as The Joker has gotten much coverage, he only really has a cameo role here. It feels as if he’s there to serve as a teaser to another movie in which he’ll no doubt appear. Suicide Squad generally feels like an extended ad for a better film, only occasionally full embracing the colourful fun it promises. David Ayer’s direction is fine without being remarkable. He shows little flair in the action scenes with some characters getting badly short changed.
Suicide Squad is much better than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in terms of being more fun. In other areas it falls far short of its potential. Hopefully the next DC film will overcome the stuttering start they’ve had with their cinematic output thus far and show how high their heroes can fly.
Reviewed by Patrick Moore
Twitter: @PatrickMoore14
Rating out of 10: 5
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