“We almost pulled it off” says Will Smith’s character Deadshot, which is really a perfect way to summarise Suicide Squad.
★★★ ½
In the latest attempt by Warner Bros/DC to establish itself in the comic book movie genre, Suicide Squad is a step in the right direction but unfortunately the movie doesn’t reach its full potential.
Based on the comics with the same name, Suicide Squad tells the story of an elite group of supervillains who are forced to become heroes when the world finds itself fighting an evil ancient foe.
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Viola Davis, Jared Leto and previously mentioned Will Smith make their presence felt in the film, but it is really Margot Robbie who shines. Robbie plays the role of Harley Quinn, a former psychologist who fell under the spell of the Joker (Leto) and became devoted to the villain.
Robbie plays an insane character who could easily have become annoying, but she cleverly moves been humour and drama. Her character also beats up some bad guys, and it is fun to watch.
There are pleasant cameos in the film, some of which have already been spoiled online, but long-time comic book fans will enjoy it.
However, there are multiple things that don’t work for the film.
Almost all of the one-liners in the movie can be seen in the trailers, and those kept for the film often land awkwardly. The trailers also reveal way too much of the film, painting it to be more light-hearted than what the movie actually is.
The casting of Cara Delevigne comes across as a miss, as the actress’ youthful looks make her prominent role as a Dr June Moone feel underwhelming.
The romance between Delevigne’s character and that of Joel Kinnaman’s isn’t given the necessary time to develop so that when a relevant plot point is revealed, the audience has had little time to care about their characters.
Suicide Squad also nudges the idea to the audience that even the good people are not that different from the bad, but it never really goes that far other than one surprising moment featuring Viola Davis’ character.
The soundtrack for the film often catches the attention for it’s enjoyable and often modern hits, but actually the soundtrack sometimes better describe the characters than the actual film itself.
There movie will definitely appeal to some, but ultimately doesn’t deliver in the way many had hoped.