Suicide Squad (2016)

 

Goodness gracious me, this film has problems. How it has problems. And it could have been glorious, but apparently studio interference and multiple reshoots pretty much turned it into what we have today.

Oh, and something else as well, which we'll get into. Do not fret.

The idea is simple: it's like 'The Dirty Dozen', only with DC villains. Because you can only fight metahumans with other metahumans (or something akin to this), shady government official Amanda Waller decides to start up a task force comprised of a lot of baddies. In essence, they're expendable and perfect for suicide missions, but if they survive, they get years off their sentences. So yes, they're all just waiting on this opportunity. (notice the sarcasm)

When one of the squad, notably Enchantress (the most powerful metahuman ever, as they often state) goes rogue, the squad has to gear up and go get her. Well, first they are supposed to extract a VIP from the city that is now a warzone, but when it turns out to be Amanda Waller herself, it quickly turns to stopping Enchantress. 

This could have been great. I mean, the assembled cast is pretty darn impressive. But they decided to focus most on Will Smith as Deadshot and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Fair enough, but except the breakout role for Robbie, most characters get a bum deal. Will Smith is fairly bland, I'm sad to say. Killer Croc is forgettable and doesn't get a lot to do. Katana is totally wasted and hardly in this film and Joel Kinnaman as the military liaison/leader of the pack is so paperthin as a character could possibly get. Don't even get me started on the inclusion of Slipknot, because he gets offed very fast and in a very stupid manner. 

No, the best part is for Margot Robbie, who absolutely steals the show and gave hordes of teenage boys a new wank fetish in the process. But some characters are also interesting. Jai Courtney is a lot of fun as Captain Boomerang, but he is so underutilized, it's almost painful. Not to mention Diablo, who brings the most gravitas to his part, but again: he is so poorly used, it's almost criminal. 

Oh, and Enchantress' plan is to shoot a beam up in the sky to kill everyone. No, we haven't seen that a million times over. Skip!

But what really irks me to no end (and yes, I have to point this out), is the pointless inclusion of the Joker, played by Jared Leto. First off, this story could have easily done without him. Second: his portrayal is friggin' irritating beyond belief. This Joker is not scary or edgy, he's just a total tosser. See, with iterations by Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill and the late Heath Ledger, this character was insane, yes. But there was also a method to the madness and the figure of the Joker is constantly on a hairtrigger, so you never know when he is serious or when he is about to strike. Leto is hamming it up so much that he just isn't scary anymore. That stupid hissy voice, those overblown tattoos, the capped teeth... He feels more like a trailer trash pimp than a crimelord. What the fudge were they thinking? 

If you know the answer, please: enlighten me. Because this makes no sense in whatever way possible. 

But you know what does kick ass? The soundtrack. That is absolutely awesome. Too bad everything else is either mediocre or downright sucky.