Amanda Waller’s squad of good for
nothing desperadoes are barely introduced to the viewer before being thrown
into a mission to save the world or die trying.
And that’s
about the snappiest summation of Suicide Squad that I think is possible. This latest entry into the DC Cinematic
Shared Universe arrives with an awful lot of baggage weighing it down – less than
stellar critical response to the first two movies (Man of Steel and Batman v
Superman), the use of some of the most iconic characters in the DC stable
(Harley Quinn and a post Heath Ledger Joker) and a premise that doesn’t really
do anything in and of itself to remedy the persistent ‘problem’ of the DC/WB
collaboration being ‘too dark’ next to Marvel’s bubblegum bright and laugh a
minute MCU. Given all of this, is it
possible that David Ayer, a director known for gritty, dark characters in
gritty, dark movies can pull all of this off and deliver the first true ‘hit’
in the DCCSU?
The short
answer is no. No movie can possibly
succeed in the weight of so much expectation from fans and non-fans of the
genre alike. This was never going to be a film which pleased all of the people
all of the time, and the best it could hope was to avoid the fate of its
predecessor, sitting at a measly 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The long answer
though – now that’s where things start to be really interesting.
Let’s start
with the relationship of two of the key characters in the film – Harley Quinn
AKA Dr Harleen Quinzell and the Joker AKA Mister J. Much has been made in the
run up to release of Jared Leto’s tattoos, shiny grill and on-set antics, and
equally as much has been made of Margot Robbie’s costume, accent and general
appearance. Words like ‘problematic’
have surfaced often in any discussion of Robbie’s apparent appearance and use
in the film judging by trailers, and many more explicit words have been used
about Leto. Getting the obvious out of
the way first, yes Leto brings us a different take to previous cinematic
incarnations of the Crown Prince of crime and no, it won’t be to everyone’s
taste. Arguably it’s irrelevant anyway
because he isn’t in a whole lot of the movie and certainly several of the lines
and scenes shown in trailers featuring him don’t appear. Harley is an
interesting character and holds the attention of the audience less by way of
her outlandish garb and more by way of her actions. This is a film that doesn’t forget who
Harleen Quinzell was, and as much as it doesn’t shy away from the
dysfunctional, abusive nature of the relationship she shares with the Joker, it
also doesn’t allow her to be defined by it.
Quinn has her own agenda, is capable of making her own decisions and
importantly has insight into the issues of others. Victims of abuse all too often get played on
the large and small screen as only victims.
Nothing else stands out from their personality (if they are lucky enough
to get one) but Robbie excels here in leaving her mark, her Quinn being every
bit as intelligent, insightful and capable as she ever was while still having
an Achilles heel in her love for the very wrongest man. Leto plays into this dynamic well, and his
Joker is equal parts abusive asshole and doting obsessive. It isn’t love that he feels for Quinn, and
nor is it sold as such – in the parts where he is ‘rescuing’ her, it’s clear
that he does so because he can’t bear to be parted from a favourite plaything
rather than out of any selfless feeling of attachment. Of everything in the movie, it was this
relationship which surprised me the most, Ayer having the restraint to not let
it override the actual plot of the movie or the story of the other characters
as well as the courage not to shy away from what it is, or try and smooth off
the rough edges. Leto’s individual performance
may not be to everyone’s taste, but his execution as part of this double act is
pitch perfect.
Next up we have
Deadshot. Many people expressed dismay
at the idea suggested by the studio that it was Smith’s movie, anticipating a
typical Fresh Prince-esque vehicle in which Smith quipped one-liner after
one-liner and gurned to camera at every opportunity. What a refreshing relief then that here Smith
delivers one of his finest performances.
Deadshot, AKA Floyd Lawton is the world’s most deadly assassin for hire,
a cold-blooded, quick-thinking murderer for money who has a very human weakness
– his love for his daughter. That
summation alone may have you convinced that we will see Smith do his usual ‘bad
boy with a heart of gold’ routine here, but disabuse yourself of that notion
because that isn’t what we get. Lawton
is a stone cold killer, with a certain sense of (admittedly clichéd) honour (no
women or children). His journey here is
a linear one through the plot – he doesn’t grow, doesn’t suddenly discover a
wellspring of human compassion or a reason to turn good. He does what he has to
so that he can see his daughter. That he
genuinely appears to bond with his fellow squad mates (especially one) doesn’t interfere
with this. Yes, he gets some humorous lines, yes he can’t disguise that
distinctive charm and screen presence that he’s always had, but this is a
hard-edged performance for a hard-edged character and it works to a tee.
And then there’s
Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, as the hard-nosed government agent overseeing this
bunch. Unfamiliar as I am with Davis as
an actor, here she is a revelation. It
is difficult to say too much without spoiling major beats in the story but
suffice it to say that if the squad themselves are bad, it follows that the one
holding their reins must be as bad if not worse, and in that respect Waller
does not disappoint. Ruthless, manipulative and highly capable, she is a
character to be reckoned with, and far from being the boring boss character to
the circus of the Squad, she joins them as being every bit as memorable.
Other characters, as is inevitable in this sort of ensemble movie, get less space in which to shine. Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang is impressive enough with what little he gets to do. Jay Hernandez as the reluctant pyrotechnic gangbanger with a dark past is a great, if mostly understated performance who suddenly gets a lot of backstory levered in for him during the third act and Karen Fukuhara is kickass but slightly anonymous as Katana, a part which ends up with precious little to do/say in the shadow of the more colourful members of the squad itself. Adewale Akinnoye-Agbaj as Killer Croc gets the odd decent line and some quality action, but his main scene in which to shine in Act 3 is let down by some messy cinematography which obscures the action and makes for confusion at one point as to exactly which side he's on.
And then there is Cara Delevingne as June Moon/Enchantress. While I was personally stoked by the idea of a witch character in the traditional rather than mutant/gifted person sense that the MCU gave us in Scarlet Witch, the character itself delivers early promise which is then inexplicably allowed to fall flat. having established a brilliant introduction not only to the character but also her capabilities in scenes we saw in trailers, she is then allowed rather to fade into the background, only really returning for the finale. Certain critique has been raised at the costume (or lack thereof) of the character, and it is tempting to think that perhaps Ayer is shooting for the trope of 'frumpy girl in suit and glasses gets possessed by hyper sexualised bad girl spirit' but honestly it didn't feel like that was quite what the movie was shooting for. The idea seems to have been simply to contrast the two characters who inhabit the one body, but the issue is that Delevingne lacks the range to carry this through to her performance, the result being that the mostly CGI enhanced Enchantress is more interesting to watch not because she is less dressed but simply because the CGI of swirling mist and flies is combining with the makeup to do most of the work for her. This woodenness means that the romance between Moon and Joel Kinneman's Rick Flagg lacks any substance or depth, highlighted all the more by the contrast with the Joker/Quinn romance, which feels real and organic if dysfunctional. Bottom line, I honestly didn't care about their relationship, or about the Moon half of the character, and that is problematic for certain elements of the plot.
The plot itself, as indicated by my opening, is fairly straightforward to the point of absurdity - Waller forms the squad to fight meta human threats, and immediately a threat arises barely after we have been introduced to them. The circumstances of the mission are convoluted at best, and on reflection show evidence of the heavily publicised re-shoots as well as some messy editing. Suggestions are already in the air that the domestic release of the movie might get the same Ultimate Edition treatment as it's Batman v Superman stablemate and I would certainly be interested to see if we do, and if such a cut casts the movie in a new light in a similar way. But the plot is nothing if not relentless. There are twists, plenty of action and many nice character moments for each of the motley crew which serve to endear them to the viewer. Bad guys they may be, but likeable ones at that.
So does the movie succeed? Yes. It tells a decent story, rounded out with some excellent character work and nice twists. It has flaws and weak links (Delevingne chief among these) but overall it entertains well for its two hour run time and manages to continue the DC/WB theme of examining the source material characters and the place that they would occupy in the modern world. It is far from the best comic book movie that you will ever see, and like Deadpool before it, the desperation of its anarchic vibe is one that could only come from a corporate source. Like the Merc with a Mouth, this movie screams counter culture from its every billboard, but beneath all that neon and graffiti is a slick, by the numbers entry into the comic book movie stable which isn't anywhere near as anti establishment as it might like to think it is, the one exception being that romance between the Joker and Quinn which I really hope we get to see explored more going forwards.
It won't remake the world, nor change your view of the comic book movie genre, but if you enjoy a good comic book romp, you can do a lot worse than spend time with the Squad.
7/10
