As "Suicide Squad" opens in theaters nationwide this weekend, it is plagued by negative reviews among critics who were present at its pre-screening. In all honestly, I can begin by stating that the film wasn't everything I'd hoped for, particularly after multiple adrenaline-packed trailers were shown upwards of a year before its release. It had pacing, editing and script issues. However, the manhunt against films whose reviews are less than stellar ahead of audiences even having access to the film needs to stop.
While ratings and reviews can be (and usually are) accurate to the material displayed in the finished product, they are much like this piece - an opinion. Many critics and DC fans alike seem to draw much of their comparisons of any DC franchise film to director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy ("Batman Begins", "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises"). Not only is this unfair, but it ultimately dooms the company as a whole to never live up to the success of those films unless they are blatant carbon copies.
In the case of "Suicide Squad" reviews, a common comparison made to the Nolan trilogy is that of the portrayal of the Joker following the late actor Heath Ledger's performance. A frequent point made is that Jared Leto's Joker is "not the same" or will "never live up to" Ledger's character, but all in all, that's the point. Ledger had a groundbreaking performance not to be forgotten, and an imitation would be like that of a bad cover -- lackluster. Each portrayal of the Joker since the character's "conception" has been unique and a fit for each actor's style. In the case of Jared Leto, the Joker is legitimately crazed, which is most suitable for a method actor such as Leto.
Joker comparisons aside, the film was criticized for being inexcusably boring, a far cry from the Marvel franchise's fast-paced Avengers saga. With respect, I wholeheartedly disagree. "Suicide Squad" is entertaining. Whilst Harley Quinn's cheeky one-liners may be eye roll worthy at times, they are charming and often endearing.Having a taste of her past and back story in the film universe is refreshing and new, as is finally seeing interaction between herself and Leto's Joker, barring how unfortunately short his appearances are. The film sets itself up well for further character development in the future, which is an entertainment value in itself.
