Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Release Date: August 5th, 2016
From director David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch) comes Suicide Squad, starring Oscar nominee Will Smith (Ali,The Pursuit of Happyness), Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Focus), Joel Kinnaman (Run All Night, The Killing) and Oscar nominee Viola Davis (The Help,Doubt).
It feels good to be bad
... Assemble a team of the world's most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government's disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren't picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it's every man for himself?
Written and directed by Ayer based on the characters from DC Comics, the film also stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Thor: The Dark World), Jay Hernandez (Takers), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors), Jai Courtney (Insurgent) and Scott Eastwood (Fury). It is produced by Charles Roven and Richard Suckle, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.
Ayer's behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Roman Vasyanov (Fury, End of Watch), production designer Oliver Scholl (Edge of Tomorrow), editor John Gilroy (Pacific Rim), costume designer Kate Hawley (The Hobbit Trilogy) and Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Jerome Chen (Stuart Little, Fury,The Amazing Spider-Man films). The music is by Oscar-winning composer Steven Price (Gravity).
Suicide Squad clearly wants to shake up the superhero formula by putting the focus squarely on villains instead of heroes. On paper, the idea of assembling Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Captain Boomerang, and the Joker is irresistible. With director David Ayer at the helm, there's an early sense that the movie might actually do something a little different from the typical superhero film. But in practice? Well, it's a bit of a chaotic mess.
The first act is easily the movie's strongest stretch. This is a film that knows the concept it's based on - drawn from the fantastic DC Comics series of the 1980s - is a total winner, and it leans into it. Bold visuals, rapid-fire editing, and a pulsing soundtrack inject energy into scenes that could otherwise feel like standard setup. Even though the pacing succumbs to some excessive exposition (including a staggering amount of character introductions, complete with stats) and the plot is chopped to pieces, the movie maintains a curious charm as it gets rolling.
Much of that charm comes from Margot Robbie and Will Smith, easily this squad's most charismatic members. Robbie captures Harley Quinn's manic energy and unpredictable humor while hinting at her tragic history. Smith's Deadshot balances charisma with a dash of emotional weight, making him both just likable and believable as a brilliant assassin. Robbie and Smith essentially carry the film, as many of its better and more noteworthy moments revolve around the duo.
Supporting them is Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, easily the film's most commanding presence and arguably its best performer. Waller is icy, intelligent, and entirely in control, which helps ground the movie. Unfortunately, Suicide Squad's tonal inconsistency, some of the script's confusing plot choices, and the film's "let's just get to the next set piece already" pace make for a difficult and uneven ride that ultimately buries much of the character work.
Dark, emotionally charged moments - like Deadshot's family drama or Enchantress's tortured origin - are trimmed down or clash awkwardly with Suicide Squad's crude humor, flashy visuals, heavy male-gaze approach to filming women, and over-the-top action. Serious moments are often undercut, and by the climax, the movie drifts lifelessly into generic blockbuster territory. Editing choices exacerbate the problem: scenes that could deepen character arcs are cut short, while stylistic flourishes are extended, creating a push-pull effect that can be exhausting.
Suicide Squad's attempts to up the ante with larger-than-life antagonists complete the film's turn into another run-of-the-mill blockbuster with the typical overblown, CGI-laden finale. It's admittedly impressive in spots, but it lacks weight. Main foes Enchantress and Incubus never really feel threatening despite the VFX glow-up. Their motivations are vague, their stakes low, and aside from a few striking moments, they mostly exist to get punched or blown up.
Supporting characters fare similarly: Killer Croc is backgrounded, Boomerang serves as comic relief, and Jared Leto's Joker - despite all the hype - is frustratingly mishandled and underdeveloped. While each member of Task Force X gets a moment to shine, most are underdeveloped and largely unnecessary to the overall story. It's difficult to invest in a team when the majority serve no real purpose.
Even so, and despite heavy odds, there are genuine highs to experience. Diablo's fiery rampages, Deadshot's sharpshooting, and the Harley/Joker montage stand out as flashes of what Suicide Squad could have been. Easter eggs and references—from ARGUS nods and cameos by a certain Dark Knight to nods to Harley Quinn's comic origins and Batman: The Animated Series—reward attentive fans and hint at real respect for the source material from the creative team. Even the soundtrack, which relies heavily (and eventually exhaustively) on needle drops, helps create thematic cohesion to steady the film's chaotic narrative.
The first half, while clearly rickety, is the film's strongest thanks to an interesting setup and strong work from Robbie, Smith, and Davis. The second half disappointingly collapses into conventional blockbuster tropes, losing much of the edge that initially set it apart. Tonal whiplash, underdeveloped villains, and sidelined supporting characters prevent the film from creating a fulfilling experience.
Suicide Squad doesn't redefine the comic book movie genre, not even close, nor does it capitalize on its cool premise. While it's genuinely intriguing to see DC's villains nab the spotlight, the uneven and baffling execution underwhelms, and not even a cameo from Batman can lift it. Still, there are a few memorable moments and solid performances that might make it worthwhile for the curious or less discerning viewer. Enter at Your Own Risk!
[Home media release update: The Blu-ray adds an additional 13 minutes of footage, including more moments between The Joker and Harley and some character beats for the Suicide Squad crew. However, the story remains unchanged. While these scenes flesh out the characters slightly, the overall impact is minimal. If you want more Joker and Harley moments, they deliver, though issues with the film's story, character development, presentation, and visual style remain.]
