“Suicide Squad” is already in its second weekend, and yes there have been countless mixed reviews. I really wanted to see this film, as a big fan of Jared Leto and Viola Davis. But I also wanted to see what Will Smith, a great actor and awesome human being, would bring to the table. Cara Delevingne, a model turned actress, also had a role in this film and very little of her character was shown in the trailer, so I was very interested to see her character’s importance. My expectations weren’t very high but I still was pleasantly surprised. For me, there were some lows and some highs.
1. Viola Davis was totally badass as the tough and sharp boss of the entire Task Force X operation, Amanda Waller. But I expect nothing less from the always amazing Viola Davis.
2. Will Smith-- I mean, how could you not love Will Smith? He truly was the star of the show, as Deadshot, the highly skilled assassin. He is evidently an antihero with plenty of personality. (Smith’s character also kind of reminded me of his role as the vigilante superhero John Hancock in the 2008 film “Hancock”).
3. Cara Delevingne plays *spoiler alert* the main villain of the movie! (She also has an equally evil brother, who’s never referred to by name). This was such an unexpected twist and I was pleasantly surprised. Switching between her human self June Moone, and the sorceress who has taken over her body, Enchantress, Delevingne essentially plays two characters. Moone is torn between using her magical, mystical powers for good and evil, and then she officially is overcome by the darker impulses of Enchantress. Her powers are not very clear, though she can teleport and somehow start a storm of sorts in the sky. Though there was the usual “take over the world” villain plot, I applaud Delevingne nonetheless for taking on her first complex role.
4. As someone who has not seen or read about in depth the different versions of Harley Quinn, I did not have specific expectations for her character. I know there are a lot of mixed reviews about Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, but she did have agency in the film. Robbie brings Harley to life as a fearless, wild, agile, and alluring woman who is not just “the Joker’s girlfriend.” I definitely think Robbie deserves her own Harley Quinn movie, especially since we got such a short and rushed origin story in the film.
5. Jared Leto’s Joker. You either love him or hate him. I did not watch Heath Ledger’s performance of the Joker in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” (I know), and yes Jared Leto knew that he could not be compared to Ledger’s Joker. But as a beloved fan of Jared Leto-- the musician, actor, and amazing human being-- I was really intrigued. For numerous fans, he reminded them of the Joker in the “Batman: Endgame” comics. He’s a different Joker and he definitely brought something new to the Clown Prince of Gotham. But damn he didn’t get enough screen-time. There were barely a few scenes of him, either alone or with Harley. Yet, Leto recently said there was enough footage of him for a standalone film. Yes please! I also agree with Leto’s statement that it should’ve been an R-Rated film. The film, overall, was missing a certain oomph to it, and we definitely could’ve seen more of the Joker’s insanity, especially since he was an inactive villain for the most part.
6. El Diablo. At first it seemed like he wasn’t going to play much of a role since he didn’t want to fight and refused to ever do evil again. He still tagged along, but didn’t do anything but watch until Deadshot finally pushed him to the edge. I am glad that he showed his emotional side toward the end though, when he talked about his family, proving to to his team and the audience that there’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s not just some tattooed tough guy, and yes he finally uses his pyrokinetic powers for good. At the end, he embraces his “powers from Hell itself” and literally turns into a mystical warrior of fire (!?) when he fights against Enchantress’ villainous brother. (Did anyone else kind of think it looked like Ghost Rider?)
7. Killer Croc, with his animalistic abilities, and pretty terrifying exterior features, sure brought something extra to the team. The impressive prosthetics and overall performance of actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje should be noted. (Getting into the mind of a cannibal isn’t easy). Killer Croc also had some personality and a sense of humor, which was a pleasant surprise. Though it would’ve been nice to learn more about his origin story.
8. I’m probably not the only one but I truly didn’t care for Rick Flagg. He’s an elite soldier, who is the second in command of the Suicide Squad, under the guidance of Amanda Waller. But I didn’t get enough from him. Yes we learn of his romance with June Moone. He supposedly loves June, but did we really see that or feel that? Also, he saves her in the end by destroying Enchantress’ heart which brings June back to life. Ehhhh. Not very original. (Joel Kinnaman was arguably better in 2014’s “RoboCop”).
9. I wanted to see more of and learn more about Katana. She has an interesting backstory, but nothing about her is explained or ever really explored in the film, which many have argued. I also wish she would’ve had more personality. She seemed like a badass magical sword-wielding soul-taking fighter, but there really wasn’t much to her. We only know that her husband was killed by the sword she wields and we are shown the quickest moment of her talking to her husband’s soul in the sword. She also only speaks Japanese, the very few times that she actually speaks and of course no one else on the team understands her, except Rick Flagg (??). Other than that, we get to see Captain Boomerang, our fave Aussie, hit on her here and there. *Eye roll*
10. Captain Boomerang for me wasn’t very memorable, except for a few humorous moments throughout the film. However, I do think the action, the visual effects, and the sincere moments the villains shared which showed their emotional human sides were notable.
Overall, I thought the movie was pretty good. Of course it’s not the best film I’ve seen so far this year ("Deadpool" and "Captain America: Civil War" are definitely my top 2), and I did not have high expectations either. I read numerous mixed reviews prior to seeing the film so I knew what to expect. Sure, I was a little disappointed and thought there could’ve been more. If there’s a Harley Quinn and/or Joker standalone film in the works, I will gladly go see it when it comes out. Lastly, a lot of fans complained about the scene in the credits, but as someone who didn’t watch “Batman v. Superman” I thought it was a great way to connect the DC universe and show the audience how the film ties into next year’s “Justice League.” I definitely am looking forward to seeing that film. Until then, there’s plenty of films to wait for!
Go listen to Suicide Squad’s killer Soundtrack, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 Chart!
