Suicide Squad

Score:  ***1/2 out of ***** (B)

Directed by David Ayer
Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, et. al.
Running time: 123 minutes
Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Suicide Squad lands in theaters as the film that promised to change what we think of as a superhero film.  It seems at this point that most critics would say it failed, but after getting past all the fanciful expectations, it's a solidly made and entertaining film with all kinds of things we haven't seen before.  Will Smith and Margot Robbie lead the team of "bad guys" in different but compelling ways, and plenty of humor and a greatest hits soundtrack keep it all humming along.


With Superman gone, a world filled with mad men such as Lex Luthor and the Joker (Leto) is suddenly quite vulnerable.  One woman willing to do whatever is needed to bring back a sense of security is a mysterious government officer named Amanda Waller (Davis).  Rather than risk the lives of America's best and bravest, she intends to force some of the world's darkest and most dangerous individuals to do the dirty work for her.  Waller recruits a former soldier, Colonel Flag, to oversee this wild group, which includes the Joker's girlfriend, Harley Quinn (Robbie); the world's best marksman (Smith); and his own girlfriend, Dr. Moone (Delevingne), who had become transformed into a sort of Jekyl-and-Hyde after being possessed by an ancient spirit.  Dr. Moone is kept under extra control by Waller, who possesses the spirit's, known as Enchantress, physical heart.

Sensing a chance for escape, however, Enchantress summons her powerful brother and the two begin to rampage through Midway City.  Told that their first mission is to suppress a "simple" terrorist attack, the Suicide Squad grudgingly enters the city under Flag's command.  Even as they encounter an enemy far more formidable than expected, the Squad is also pulled back to loved ones long separated - some of whom are quite eager to reunite...

Suicide Squad has an eclectic cast that works effectively in a movie about bad guys playing good guys.  Will Smith and Margot Robbie - who also co-starred in Focus - take on the lead roles in the squad as Deadshot and Harley Quinn.  Smith, always charismatic and one of my favorites, seems at first to be playing way against type here as a smart-mouthed hit man.  However, his character has a "good" side, his connection with his young daughter.  Smith succeeds in giving the film its emotional core, and some good laughs, even if it's still a stretch to buy him as a ruthless killer.  Margot Robbie is even better as the Joker's girlfriend, Harley Quinn.  As the clown's one-time psychologist turned obsessed lover, Robbie is magnetic as the unhinged woman.  She appears, both physically and at times through her girly behavior, to be harmless, yet in an instant a dramatic change in expression and tone makes her seem like the most dangerous character in the film.  Leto has gotten a lot of press playing the Joker, following in Jack Nicholson's and Heath Ledger's famous footsteps.  He's much closer to Ledger's interpretation though it's still his own - and for the time being, we get only an appetizing introduction.  Viola Davis, a top-notch actress, is a great choice for Waller, the government official who coerces the Squad into obeying her.  She is brutal, whip smart and completely in - and (acting) under - control.  Other notes:  Joel Kinnaman does a solid job as the Squad's non-bad-guy leader; Jai Courtney is finally interesting here even if he nears overplaying his Aussie-accented baddie; and Ike Barinholtz gets a small but hilarious role as a prison guard.

Much like last month's Ghostbusters, the success or failure of Suicide Squad hinges almost entirely on expectations - critics', fanatics', general audiences' and so on.  This doesn't just mean whether it's expected to be good or bad, but what tone and style it "should" have.  After working through my own expectations to evaluate the film, I believe that Suicide Squad is a successful film overall thanks to solid execution of a new take on the superhero genre.  It all starts with the characters.  Whereas a traditional superhero starts with a core goodness and has flaws of some kind and degree, Squad's "bad" guys must do the reverse: start with the significant flaws, and find where the good is.  The film is not always subtle in how it does this - particularly with Smith's character and one named El Diablo - it still is an interesting exercise, and one which audiences can sometimes identify with better than other heroes.  A slower point set at a bar - while the city continues to burn outside - is critical and well done in this regard.  And Quinn is a character with rich complexity and intrigue, thankfully one not ruined by the filmmakers.  From a more direct action/superhero perspective, there is also plenty to enjoy here.  There's both plenty of humor with LOL moments courtesy of Smith, Robbie and Barinholtz's characters as well as some genuine chills, mostly from Leto's Joker and Davis' Waller.  The action is frequently fun, even if not in Marvel's league; Quinn's "batting" practice and Deadshot's marksmanship offer a little something out of the ordinary, at least.

By no means is Suicide Squad a perfect film, and depending - once again - on expectations, you can nitpick it until the cows come home.  The plot is not the most interesting in the genre, nor is the antagonist; although I would argue that at least the former is driven along with good pacing and the latter makes sense for the characters and their origins even if the details are generic and a bit stale.  At times the styling, script, and filmmaking can be sloppy to varying degrees.  Squad takes Guardians of the Galaxy's idea of a pop soundtrack which is smart but it's done less effectively and feels ripped off at times.  And probably the biggest complaint (not having read any full reviews yet - I didn't want my review to be slanted by them) is the tone.  This is NOT The Dark Knight trilogy, it doesn't have those films' grittiness and relative realism.  Heck, it's not even as dark in tone as this year's Batman v Superman.  For a film about bad guys, this might seem strange, and likely the film is being panned as just being a regular old superhero film with this "gimmick".  I can see where they're coming from, but ultimately I disagree.  I think the filmmakers chose, consciously or not, to focus more on the bad guys' capacity for good - for humanity - rather than on simply reveling in being bad.

***

Suicide Squad is not the landmark film in the ways that many thought it might be, but it still has good qualities.  In the wider superhero genre, this marks the third film in DC's attempt at a multiverse, and ironically, the worst of them in my opinion, Man of Steel, has the best Rotten Tomatoes score.  I think there are a few reasons for critics' drubbing of DC's films.  First is likely simple superhero fatigue; I get it, and that's fine (but critics would do well to at least be more honest about the fact).  Second, it shows just how good the Marvel series of films have been.  They are remarkably consistent in tone and quality, yet (usually) manage to not just repeat themselves over and over.  The new DC universe is still in its infancy and while it's clearly a departure from Marvel - a good thing! - it hasn't yet nailed down its overarching tone as effectively as Marvel.  Sure, the DC films also haven't been as consistent in their level of quality either, but they have brought some truly interesting new elements, attitudes and ideas to the table that haven't yet been given the credit they deserve.  Circling back to Suicide Squad at last: no, it isn't for everyone.  But non-superhero film fans might also be surprised by how much they enjoy it, particularly the performances from Smith, Robbie and Leto.  So tune out the critics, if you can, and give it a shot.



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