Suicide Squad (2016) - Written Review

Wow, this movie is just...a mess.

Suicide Squad was initially announced back in 2014 by Warner Bros and DC after the huge success of Guardians of the Galaxy, and after apparently only six weeks of writing the screenplay, David Ayer directed the film. Apparently various issues plagued this production, from the rushed pre-production through the extensive and costly re-shoots. There were also reportedly at least 3 completely different edits of the film, and Warner Bros have been desperately marketing this as their big fun DC movie of the year, especially after the hugely disappointing reception to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. So, despite all of these problems, is Suicide Squad any good? Well, I'm sure it is...just not this theatrical cut at least.

Now, before I go any further into this review, I am going to have to address certain plot points in the film not revealed in the trailers - and there is a very good reason as to why - so bear in mind there will be some minor spoilers. I won't spoil too much, but if you'd rather not know too much before seeing the movie, I'll sum it up quickly for you:

Suicide Squad has all the makings of a genuinely great movie. The writing is mostly pretty solid, the overall production quality is excellent and the cast (with the exception of Jared Leto) are all great. The real problem is that this film has been edited to an extent where some characters lack development that is clearly visible in brief scenes, some lack important flashbacks and introductions, the ordering of some scenes is completely wrong and the whole thing really has been hacked to pieces in the edit. While this does mean that Suicide Squad is actually a decent length compared to most of DC's movie output, this does mean that the film is plagued by continuity errors, plot holes and obviously missing scenes to the extent where the only way you can enjoy Suicide Squad - and believe me, it is very enjoyable - is to not think about it. At all. Do I recommend it? Yes, but don't have high hopes for it.

Now that that's out of the way, here is my spoiler warning.

Suicide Squad follows Amanda Waller - an agent of ARGUS (an organisation the film forgets to introduce to the audience meaning that Waller's actual job is left completely unknown) - persuading Government officials (who, again, aren't introduced) that they should commission her plan for a Taskforce X - a group of meta-human villains who will do exactly what the Government wants them to do. Waller insists that this group of individuals are needed for the next world war, consisting of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang (none of which are meta-humans), Diablo and Killer Croc. In case you can't tell already, this screenplay isn't exactly airtight.

Anyway, after all of these characters are introduced with strange animated top trumps cards and for Deadshot and Harley some introductory flashbacks (which forget to really show Harley Quinn's full origin story), the film then proceeds to introduce Dr June Moon (who's a doctor of...something) who is possessed by a mysterious action figure which gives her a split personality with the Enchantress - an ancient goddess who just so happened to be an action figure. Amanda Waller has (somehow) taken away her heart and uses it as blackmail to persuade her to join Taskforce X. Sometime later however, Enchantress just decides out of nowhere that she can steal back her heart from Amanda Waller really easily, resurrects her brother and begins to take over Midway City because...um...she's some kind of goddess?

Anyway, this is somehow connected to an incident involving Rick Flagg - June Moon's boyfriend - who somehow escapes her and assembles Taskforce X which now includes Slipknot...who doesn't get any kind of introduction at all. Also along for the ride is Katana - who's there to...um...look cool? One of the prison guards has been kidnapped by the Joker though, who uses him to give Harley a tracking device so that the two can join up while she's on the mission. So, you'd think Rick Flagg and Waller had some kind of fail-safe for this? Well, every Taskforce member has a miniature bomb in their neck that detonates if they misbehave. Oh, and for some reason there are some random soldiers joining Rick Flagg and Taskforce X. Because...I guess we needed some redshirts to kill?

As the Taskforce (nicknamed by Deadshot as the Suicide Squad) arrive in Midway City though, they're shot down in their helicopter by...someone, and they begin their mission.

I've not even got beyond the first act set-up of this film and the plot is filled to the brim with holes and nonsensical things that just don't add up. And the worst part is that I don't know if these are faults with the screenplay or are explained in deleted scenes. Batman v Superman has loads of strange plot holes that are suitably explained in the extended cut, and I'm seriously wondering if Suicide Squad has this as well. There's a huge amount of set-up in this film, and none of it really works without feeling clunky or forced. The only character with a decent introduction is Deadshot with a flashback showing his life as an expert killer, his relationship with his daughter and his ex-wife and how he got caught by Batman in a surprisingly heartfelt scene. Crikey, this movie is off to a very shaky start.

So, when the Squad arrive in Midway City, Slipknot tries to escape and gets killed (big surprise there), while the rest of the Squad face down an army of Zombies created by Enchantress to...um...you know what, the movie doesn't explain. In fact, why Enchantress and her brother have gone all Ghostbusters on Midway City isn't explained either. But as the Squad are apparently nearing their target, their actual mission is revealed to be to get Amanda Waller out of the city, who has stayed because she wanted to study Enchantress and for some reason needed the Suicide Squad to help her escape. As she tries to escape though, the Joker attacks, rescues Harley Quinn and then gets shot down, supposedly killed. Harley just about survives, though. Amanda Waller then tries to escape in a helicopter and gets shot down too. She then disappears from the movie almost entirely.

Rick Flagg then reveals to the Squad that the whole situation with Enchantress is Waller's fault and he's just trying to save his girlfriend, and the Squad abandon him to have a pint in a nearby pub. Flagg then gives Deadshot letters from his daughter, causing Deadshot to team up with him again, but not before Diablo reveals his tragic back-story almost randomly. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic moment in the film, but it's very oddly placed. Anyway, for whatever reason the rest of the Squad go with Deadshot and Flagg to fight Enchantress and we're treated to the most clichéd climactic fight ever. The weird Zombies completely disappear, Enchantress tries to show the Squad their hearts' desires (which in the case of Harley and Deadshot don't even make sense) before Diablo confronts her brother and sacrifices himself. But, there's no time for mourning as the Squad have a fog-covered fight with Enchantress, who is using Amanda Waller to attack the world...somehow. Then Flagg throws a bomb at the big beam of light emitted by Enchantress and as Deadshot is about to shoot it, Enchantress tries to stop him by putting his daughter in front of the gun. As you've probably guessed by this point, Deadshot shoots the bomb and this somehow destroys the light beam thing, while Harley cuts out Enchantress' heart and Flagg crushes it. How the hell just bombing Enchantress and her brother solves the situation is left frustratingly unclear, but never mind. Just as it looks like Enchantress and June have been killed, however, June turns out to really be alive! Amanda Waller then shows up out of nowhere unscathed and sticks the Squad back in prison, albeit with select benefits for each one.

Just as it looks like the status quo is back to normal though, the Joker returns to rescue Harley from prison...

...and that's it! There's nothing about the aftermath of the events in Midway City, what happened to most of the population or the actual state of Taskforce X, but at least we have an admittedly pretty cool cliff-hanger.

Crikey, here I am 1,403 words into this review and I've only just got through explaining the plot! This film just doesn't work when you apply any real thought to it and I can't tell if that shows how much has been edited out or how poor or rushed David Ayer's screenplay is.

Right, before I pick out more plot holes, let's address the cast. Margot Robbie and Will Smith are rather conventional choices for Harley and Deadshot but are both good in their respective roles, Viola Davis is perfect as Amanda Waller (despite her role in the plot being really, really weird) and Jai Courtney is actually good, if underdeveloped as Captain Boomerang. As for the rest of the cast, their fine but they have little or nothing to work with here, but as for Jared Leto's Joker...crikey.

Jared Leto is by far the worst version of the Joker ever. He looks terrible,  sounds terrible and acts terrible. This Joker is not the Joker, and this isn't even just a radical new interpretation of the Joker. This is a character with the name of the Joker, the girlfriend of the Joker and nothing else connecting him to the character he's supposedly playing. He's a cross between a tattoo-covered mafia boss, Heath Ledger's Joker and a snake and...he's just awful. I don't know who on the production team watched Leto's first scene as the Joker and said "hey, this guy's great" but whoever allowed Jared Leto and David Ayer to completely screw up one of - if not the - greatest villain of all time...I have no words for you. Oh, and Cara Delvinge is only there to dance around in a bikini looking vaguely menacing.

I should also give credit to the guys who brought Killer Croc to life in this film. Despite his small role, he really does look fantastic and the prosthetics on the actor do look pretty incredible. It's such a shame that the character is pushed to the side with Slipknot, Boomerang and Katana.

The film is very well directed for the most part, incorporating the grit of this DC Universe with a slightly fantastical element that's very crucial for getting all of these meta-humans and supernatural beings to fit in the story. While the re-shoots are mostly very obvious and the big climactic finale is about as dull as it could possibly get, at least the film has some brilliant moments beforehand - particularly in Arkham Asylum and Ace Chemicals, which have both been brought to life really well.

The soundtrack is a bit of a mixed bag and I can imagine a lot of the songs dating the movie in years to come. A lot of the song choices feel forced, and it's a real shame that such a great composer as Steven Price barely gets his score into the movie at all.

Overall, Suicide Squad is a right old mess of a movie. While I do genuinely believe there is something special in here, the terrible editing choices have opened up plot-holes, continuity errors and obvious re-shoots and it's clear whatever the movie was like before, Warner Bros weren't happy until they tinkered around with it. A lot. Maybe an extended cut could sort some of these problems out, but for now, this is the movie we got and it's a real disappointment. An entertaining and incredibly messy disappointment, but a disappointment nonetheless.

I give Suicide Squad a 5/10.