Sun film critic put on Suicide Squad watch and he’s really not happy about what he sees
Our man says critics have rightly mauled the comic-book caper but mostly for the wrong reasons
SUICIDE SQUAD
(15) 123MINS
SHEESH. Where to start?
I’m so cross with Suicide Squad. I’ve been looking forward to this film for ages.
But when director David Ayer uttered the dreaded words: “We made this for the fans”, I knew the defence mechanisms had kicked in and it was a film on the ropes.
Critics have rightly mauled it but mostly for the wrong reasons.
Is it misogynistic? A tad. The female lead, Harley Quinn, IS a hot blonde in hotpants using all God gave her but, for goodness sake, the show-stealing Margot Robbie looks and acts exactly as Quinn has been portrayed for years.
What were they meant to do? Put her in dungarees and a cagoule?
Is it violent? Extremely. But it’s an adaptation of a bloody comic book. It’s like complaining Game Of Thrones is a little bit unbelievable.
No, the main problem is that Suicide Squad is nowhere near as good as it could, and should, have been.
We start with Superman’s funeral (spoiler) allowing the Pentagon to take stock and plan for the possibility of the next caped alien being a bad guy. Their answer is to create a crack squad of misfits to call upon. So they do. Erm, that’s kind of it.
The vast majority of the film is taken up by introducing a huge amount of obscure characters, but these origin sequences are messy and flit around far too much.
You know how, in some US dramas, the credits keep going throughout the show so ten minutes in you’re still finding out who the producer is? It’s kind of like that.
Only half the jokes land, the big villain looks like a reject from a Brendan Fraser film or, worse, Ghostbusters 2, there are plotholes you spend too long trying to work out, there is barely any peril, you create no emotional attachment to the characters . . . the list goes on.
But there are flashes of brilliance. For instance, Ben Affleck’s underwater scene is fantastic. But these rare glimpses of humour, excitement and greatness are almost entirely from Will Smith or Robbie. Quite frankly, that isn’t good enough from a 175million-dollar movie.
Cara Delevingne is utterly, utterly dreadful, as in “How the sh***ing crikey did her scenes EVER make the final cut?” She completely ruins the film’s big finale
And I haven’t even mentioned The Joker yet. Jared Leto’s take is pretty moribund — all fur coat, no knickers. He’s an angry cereal cafe owner with good hair.
Cara Delevingne is utterly, utterly dreadful, as in “How the sh***ing crikey did her scenes EVER make the final cut?” She completely ruins the film’s big finale (although the dreadful CGI helps considerably).
But then you have Will Smith, who is so charismatic and so in another league, you simply wonder why the hell he bothered doing this.
He delivers his lines with such timing and humanity, Deadshot ends up being the only character you give a stuff about. And Robbie is absolutely terrific.
So comic and superhero fans, don’t hate the critics for pointing out that Suicide Squad should have been a whole lot better.
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I’ve given it three stars — one for Will, one for Margot and the last for the music, as the soundtrack is amazing. Shame the film seems to hide behind it.
No one is sadder about that rating than me (and possibly Warner Bros — they must be regretting the “Worst. Heroes. Ever.” tagline).
DC’s movie mastermind Zack Snyder has a lot to answer for.
★★★
MEET THE SUICIDE SQUAD
SUICIDE Squad has a killer line-up of A-list Hollywood stars playing some of the the roughest, meanest and maddest villains DC Comics has to offer.
A few, such as The Joker, are well-known. Others, like Enchantress, will have people asking: “Who?”
So here’s my guide to the baddies battling for the greater good in David Ayer’s new release.
RICK FLAG
WHO: Military man and the leader of the Suicide Squad.
PLAYED BY: Joel Kinnaman (The Killing).
SKILL: A killer instinct – literally. Has the ear of terrifying Amanda Waller, too.
KILLER CROC
WHO: A cannibal with rage issues that usually takes on Batman.
PLAYED BY: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Game of Thrones).
SKILL: Regeneration, plus his skin acts as armour.
ENCHANTRESS
WHO: Possessed archeologist June Moone.
PLAYED BY: Cara Delevingne (Paper Towns).
SKILL: All the tricks you’d expect from a witch, plus mind control.
EL DIABLO
WHO: A disturbed ex-gang member named Chato Santana.
PLAYED BY: Jay Hernandez (World Trade Center).
SKILL: Summons fire at will, so he’s pretty hot.
CAPTAIN BOOMERANG
WHO: A despicable, dirty and unpredictable killer, unpopular even by villain standards.
PLAYED BY: Jai Courtney (Terminator: Genisys).
SKILL: Clue is in the name.
AMANDA WALLER
WHO: Devious official “The Wall” gives the squad their orders.
PLAYED BY: Viola Davis (Ender’s Game).
SKILL: Intelligence, extreme willpower and a complete and utter lack of guilt.
THE JOKER
WHO: Oh, come on, he’s the Clown Prince of Crime, the world’s most infamous and colourful psychopath.
PLAYED BY: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club).
SKILL: Being the biggest, most creative nutcase we have ever seen. Taking on Batman and living.