Jennica Martin
Staff Writer
What do you get when you combine a film about some of the most notorious villains from the DC Comic Universe with a film company that’s trying to maximize its profit? You get a glorious mess titled Suicide Squad.
The entire film struggled with which tone it was going for, as if three different editors worked on the film and spliced it all together. The writing was also disappointing, considering the awkward dialogue and the disjointed storylines. There were so many fascinating characters in this film, but most of their storylines were cast aside. This film was trying too hard to be edgy, fun, clever, dark and humorous all at once, but if you’re able to ignore all those problems, you might actually find it to be a fun film. You would especially find this film to be fun if you genuinely care about its iconic characters.
Among all the characters in this overstuffed movie, Margot Robbie shined as Harley Quinn, the wild and unpredictable criminal. She did say some of the most of cringe-worthy lines, but regardless, she was a shining gem in the mess that was this movie. Despite being one of the few characters who did not have any crazy super powers, she was able to pull her own weight and kick some ass. On top of being involved in some of the greatest action sequences in this film, she also had a great storyline and character development.
Will Smith also brought life into this film by portraying Deadshot as a character more complex than a simple, cold-hearted gun-for-hire. Along with Harley Quinn, Deadshot was in many exciting fight scenes and went through great character development. His relationship with his daughter, and also with Harley Quinn, served as the emotional core of this film. It brought depth to what would otherwise be a boring action movie.
Unfortunately, the rest of the characters were not as extensively explored and were largely underused. Some of the other characters in the squad, like Killer Croc and Katana, had the potential to be the most interesting, had the film explored their backstories. However, their backstories were cut out and they mostly served as characters that progressed the plot.
Many critics would argue that the Joker, played by Jared Leto, was underused and deserved more screen time, but I disagree. His character worked best as a domineering figure in Harley Quinn’s tragic backstory. His presence in this film was loud and chaotic, and any more screen time involving him would have just made him obnoxious and overwhelming. Considering that there was already a main antagonist in this film, the Joker’s side storyline seemed unnecessary, as it only made the plot more convoluted.
The plot eventually began to make sense and the film finally found its tone and direction once it reached its climax. There were some beautifully shot, slow-motion action sequences and some incredible emotionally-charged moments. It’s unfortunate that the rest of the film did not live up to its climax. In fact, Suicide Squad did not live up to its potential at all. It certainly was a fun film, but it’s also the type of film you’ll have to set your expectations low in order to enjoy it.