Suicide Squad

Synopsis: In the wake of Superman, the US government builds a team of “meta-humans” to deal with the possible consequence of the next Superman not being on their side. Unfortunately, all they have available are a bunch of criminals.

What is it with DC films and their war on colour? Drab and desaturated, from Batman Begins to Batman v Superman, they’ve all been render in shades of grey. Could someone please hire Christopher Doyle to DOP one of these films? (Oh please let it happen.) I’m tired of peering through the muck to try and figure out what’s going on.

So yeah, Suicide Squad is another dour and dreary-looking superhero film. But that’s not all that’s wrong with it. It is a mess, reportedly due to a studio panicked by the negative reaction to Batman v Superman trying to make the film more upbeat. They didn’t really succeed, though there are moments of lightness and fun, especially in the first half. The problem is, it appears they sacrificed narrative cohesion to achieve it. Characters drop in and out with little to no explanation, the core plot seems rushed (and lacking in logic) and those moments are thrown in to make someone sympathetic or motivated just before they need to appear sympathetic or motivated. It’s artless and clumsy, as if it were the world's most expensive student film.

And on that point about plot logic. The idea of the “Suicide Squad” is that they’re a group that the US government can deny involvement with and throw under the bus if something goes wrong. So why the hell are they sent out with a bunch of (expendable) special forces soldiers? Doesn’t that negate the ability to disavow their connection to the government? That bit really bothered me. Didn’t anyone think about that?

BUT… There are some bright spots. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is full of shattered personality, a broken mind longing for the love of her life, Jared Leto’s Joker. (He’s rubbish, but don’t worry about that, he’s barely in the film.) And Will Smith generally Will Smith’s it up as Deadshot. Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang is good comic relief too, and it’s the first time I haven’t disliked his performance in a film. Possibly because he clearly relishes being as stereotypically Aussie as can be. There’s also some neat visuals here and there. It’s not enough to save the whole enterprise, but it stops it from being a complete waste of time.

I know a good Suicide Squad film is possible, because they've already made one. The direct-to-dvd animated film Batman: Assault on Arkham is a solid example of how to do the source material justice. David Ayer’s film is unfortunately well below that standard. I didn't hate it, but I'm not going to recommend it either.

 

 

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