2016 will forever be remembered as the year everyone died,
starting with David Bowie. After that, we were lucky to get through a month
without hearing someone marvellous had passed away. Comedians like
Victoria Wood and Ronnie Corbett, behemoths of music like Prince and George
Michael, and Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher. Worse still, her mother,
Debbie Reynolds died a day after her daughter.
2016 was also the year Suicide Squad happened. Oh, it
happened. Following
on from my review of Birds of Prey, I was inspired to revisit the
film that introduced us to Margot Robbie’s fantabulous Harley Quinn.
As per my previous revisits, my thoughts on Suicide Squad
from my original review will be highlighted in green.
 |
| Suicide Squad poster: Our characters explode out of a mushroom cloud, along with the film's title and a tagline, "Worst. Heroes. Ever." The characters flood the bottom of the poster. The colours are garish. |
The Director: David Ayer
The Cast:
Will Smith – Deadshot
Margot Robbie – Harley Quinn
Jared Leto – the Joker
Viola Davis – Amanda Waller
Cara Delevingne – June Moone/Enchantress
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje – Killer Croc
Jay Hernandez – Diablo
Jai Courtney – Captain Boomerang
Karen Fukuhara – Katana
Joel Kinnaman – Rick Flag
Adam Beach - Slipknot
Margot Robbie – Harley Quinn
Jared Leto – the Joker
Viola Davis – Amanda Waller
Cara Delevingne – June Moone/Enchantress
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje – Killer Croc
Jay Hernandez – Diablo
Jai Courtney – Captain Boomerang
Karen Fukuhara – Katana
Joel Kinnaman – Rick Flag
Adam Beach - Slipknot
Certificate: 15
The Plot:
After the events of Batman VS Superman, the world had
to wonder who would protect the world without Superman on hand. Enter Amanda
Waller (Davis, Fences) with a grand scheme to use “bad guys” to fight the
good fight against an ancient Enchantress (Delevingne, Valerian and the City
of a Thousand Planets) who plans to destroy the world.
The Review:
2016: Suicide
Squad is one of those films that was never going to live up to the hype…
In theory, the idea is great [because] why would a ‘bad guy’ want to save
the day? What could motivate them to fight for a world with people who don’t
want to understand them?
2020: The end of the world, perhaps? In which the
scriptwriters decided to use a giant pillar of light as a weapon. You know,
something that’s never been used in film before. Oh, unless you count Avengers
Assemble, 2015’s Fantastic Four, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, 2016’s
Ghostbusters…₁
2016: Let’s start with Deadshot: he’s a
wise-cracking super-assassin who probably entices the most sympathy from the
audience (partly because he’s Will Smith… being Will Smith).
2020: He entices sympathy because he has a daughter.
As it is, Smith appears to be on autopilot throughout most of the film.
2016: Smith trained with Navy SEALS and Army
Rangers to perfect his shooting₂.
2020: It shows! It’s a shame the enemies – namely the
Enchantress’s possessed minions – look utterly terrible. I don’t mean they are
disgusting (though, with pulsating masses for faces, they almost certainly are),
the effects seem laughably lazy.
2016: Then there’s Diablo, perhaps the most
complicated character, who happens to manipulate fire.
2020: I wish I had explained this more. Diablo is
“complicated” because he has vowed never to use his powers again, after he lost
control and killed accidentally his lady. So, you can probably guess what
happens at the end.
2016: The Enchantress has a vendetta
against humanity for some reason that isn’t explained very well, and after
escaping her captors, she enlists the help of her brother – who is he? I don’t
know; he’s all-powerful and stuff, so don’t even worry about it, alright?
2020: Delevingne is acting her socks off in this role
– and the effects used in June’s transformation into the Enchantress are
actually pretty cool.
Nevertheless, introductions for each character appear both
individually rushed, but stretched out for too long, collectively, in a desperate bid to tell all their stories. The film
takes great pains to point out that Captain Boomerang’s secret fetish is, er, pink
unicorns; it’s a passing comment, supposedly meant for laughs, but nothing comes
from that, rendering it pointless.
Also, their introductions rely heavily on popular songs to
lead the audience by the ear. For Harley Quinn’s segment, Rick James’s ‘Super
Freak’ plays. It’s all very flashy, dumb, but damned entertaining, which makes
the plot as a whole boring in comparison.
2016: [Harley Quinn] is the Joker’s
right-hand lady, and this is the first time she’s made an appearance on our
screens that isn’t animated. Her costume, complete with her customised baseball
bat, will undoubtedly be a favourite Halloween costume this year!
2020: I was correct!₃
2016: Margot Robbie is phenomenal in [her] role,
both ruthless killer and victim of the Joker’s manipulations. Despite this, it
is an absolute treat having them together. They’re crazy…but it’s amazing.
2020: It’s not.
2016: This brings me nicely onto Jared
Leto’s performance. It goes without saying that he had some large shoes to
fill, after Heath Ledger’s now-iconic rendition of the Dark Knight’s greatest
nemesis back in 2008. You cannot compare this with Leto’s Joker: there’s
something decidedly reptilian about [Leto’s Joker], and he seems to be a
gangster boss this time, with a purple Lamborghini and enough weapons/ammunition
to shake a diamante stick at (he probably has one of those, too). And then
there’s that laugh. You’d have to
have nerves of steel for that not to make your skin crawl.
2020: Just because he’s acting creepy and reptilian,
doesn’t mean it’s memorable for the right reasons.
2016: Leto apparently sent his co-stars
twisted little gifts, like dead animals, and used condoms. With this much
dedication, it is a shame the film doesn’t feel quite worthy enough for it.₄
2020: Ladies and gentlemen, method acting at its
worst. Worse still, Leto looks like he’s trying too hard in all the scenes he
is in, which is fortunately only a few.
2016: Then there are the other poorly used
characters that just seem to be…there in the background. Katana and her samurai
sword (which captures and harnesses the souls of its victims) could easily be
one of many stand-alone films that really need to be made, as a result of Suicide Squad.
2020: Well, I got my wish with Harley Quinn, so a
part of me remains hopeful for Katana. Her story is far more intriguing, as I
neglected to mention that her husband’s soul was also trapped in the sword. I’m
sorely tempted to do some research to see if she has her own comic books.
Slipknot, as a
character, signed his death-certificate after punching a woman. Also,
Viola Davis’s talent is completely wasted as Amanda Waller. She and the rest of the
characters are trying to make her out as this cold-hearted badass, but the
whole business around the Enchantress’s heart is embarrassing in its silliness.
As for Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, his lines are the worst in the film. A particularly
memorable ditty comes at the end of the film as (spoiler) Harley Quinn cuts out
the Enchantress’s heart. What does Flag say?
"Her heart’s out! We can end this."
Thanks, Flag, for your unnecessary exposition. It makes me
wonder what Tom Hardy would have done with the role if The Revenant hadn’t
come along.₅
2016: In conclusion, Suicide Squad is slick-looking fun, the soundtrack is perfect, and
the actors look like they are having a blast. On the other hand, the plot and
dialogue severely let it all down.
I give this film ** 2 STARS OUT OF 5
2020: Are the actors enjoying themselves? Maybe just
going through the motions, united in the mess as the plot and dialogue clunk
along, like skulls against Harley Quin’s mighty baseball bat. I still love the
soundtrack, which its main redeeming quality in the chaotic editing. I was having a
blast at the time, discovering the back catalogue of Twenty-One Pilots. Their
song for the film, ‘Heathens’ was one of my favourites of that year.
In conclusion, Suicide Squad is as slick as a puddle
and messy as hell. Fun, but stupid.
The Verdict: 2 STARS OUT OF 5
Sources:
Picture source:
₁Pillars of light in films
₂ “To prepare for his role as Deadshot, Will Smith shaved his head,
and spent time training with Navy S.E.A.L.s and Army Rangers, practicing firing
a Glock 9mm handgun and an AR-15 rifle. Smith turned out to be a quick learner,
particularly with long distance shots using the AR-15.”
₃Harley Quinn was the most popular Halloween costume in 2016
₄ “Jared Leto got so immersed in playing The Joker that he wouldn't
break out of character on set even when he wasn't filming. He even sent his
fellow cast members "Joker-like" presents: a live rat to Margot
Robbie, and bullets to Will Smith, a soiled Playboy magazine to Adewale
Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and a dead hog, anal beads, and used condoms for the whole
crew.”
₅ “Tom Hardy was originally cast as Rick Flag but dropped
out to do The Revenant (2015). Hardy had previously played Bane in The Dark
Knight Rises (2012), who was a former member of the Suicide Squad in the comic
books. Hardy later expressed his regret at leaving the role, given that he did
not want to lose the work.”
Comments
Post a Comment