First off let me say, I enjoyed the movie. It’s a decent popcorn flick and if you have a general idea of the backstory of the characters involved, you can fill in the blanks that may have ended up on the cutting room floor. That being said, the action scenes were very entertaining and did not drag on. From here I will warn you, there may be SPOILERS ahead. If you have not seen the movie and don’t wish to know the plot, stop here for now, and come back when you’ve seen the film.
I was in the apparently small camp that did not enjoy Jared Leto as the Joker. My favorite Joker is probably Mark Hamill, and he probably sets unrealistic expectations for anyone else who takes the role for me. Leto was a bit over the top for me, and his “grill” distracted me with each scene he was in. I also felt like they missed a big part of the Harley/Joker relationship. The Joker seems obsessed with Harley and their relationship is not shown to have some of the more negative aspects we see in the comics and cartoons, partially because some of those moments ended up on the cutting room floor. Personally, I’m dying to see what scenes were cut. I also felt as if the entire storyline in the present with the Joker could be removed from the film and it would not heavily impact the plot, as long as the flashbacks that showed Harley’s origin remained.
The plot felt a little contrived, and some of the relationships felt forced. For a group of villains that seemed to have no contact prior to the forming of their team, it felt as if we were supposed to believe they were family, with very few moments that established them as such. Again, I’ve read the Suicide Squad comics, so I had a little more to go on to be able to believe the relationships between the Squad members could be tight. That being said, the characterizations felt dead on me. Harley came across perfectly, both playful and a bit demented. At one point they showed her deepest desire, and it was simply a normal life with the Joker. Robbie did an excellent job with the character, and she did not feel over the top. Will Smith was also very good as Deadshot. The other members of the Squad were distinct and entertaining, even if it felt like at times we were still missing a few flashbacks for them.
Suicide Squad did suffer from some of the cutting that Batman Vs. Superman seemed to struggle with, but overall it seems to keep the plot rolling along until the end of the movie.
I would absolutely recommend this movie for DC fans and fans of comic book movies. It is definitely not a Marvel film, but if you go in with the expectation of a fun flick filled with action, you will not be disappointed.
The Taming of the Muse 