Skip to main content

Suicide Squad (2016) - Movie Review


Suicide Squad is the third and latest entry into the DCEU, and is about a bunch of bad guys that are rounded up to fight for someone else. And just like this year's BvS, this movie received overwhelmingly negative reviews by the critics and was divided among the fans. I was super curious to watch it because unlike many, I actually enjoyed the DCEU till this point. Enjoyed both Man of Steel and BvS. But unfortunately, this one's a mess.

The majority of the movie just feels choppy, editing was all over the place. Like they had a final product but because of disagreements, they took out a lot of scenes, shorten the runtime, and added others, making a giant choppy mess in the end. Scenes don't properly flow, including the flashbacks. Some scenes feel like they were added later (Probably the re-shoots) and they definitely didn't fit, particularly the elevator scene with Harley. The songs were all over the place as well. Some worked with their respective scenes, but most of them didn't, and again it felt like something added later, to give the movie a more jolly feel. And difference between development given to each member of the squad is astounding. Some were completely left in the dust, while some got a bit of line here and there, while some got a lot more development. Basically, to me it felt like that the movie reeked of studio involvement.

Also, the focus was just off. Movie is called Suicide Squad yet there is a whole lot of other stuff that gets way too much screentime. The whole end of the world plot was totally generic, uninteresting and unnecessary. The villain wasn't good, and the movements were weird, and not in a good way. Joker-Harley romance was also something padded on, and could have been removed in exchange for more screentime with the squad. 

Speaking of the Joker, he and his whole weird mafia/gangster lord type vibe didn't work for me. Jared Leto felt like he was trying too hard at times. There were moments where I saw the Joker I wanted in him, but those moments were swiftly followed by over the top feel that he gave most of the time. And that laugh....Yeah NOPE!!  

Even the action was mostly OK, apart from a couple of good scenes. There was no proper thrill, no proper buildup. Too many cuts. Say what you want about Snyder, but you have to admit that the dude can atleast direct amazing action sequences. 

And all of that sucks because there is stuff in the movie that works, like the main squad. Will Smith as Deadshot was great. He played his usual cool self and it worked. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn was sexy and mostly good, because there were few instances where her dialogues gave me cringe. These two had a good chemistry together too. Also liked other members like El Diablo, Killer Croc, and captain Boomerang, all of whom were likable, had some fun moments etc. 

Plus, among all the mediocrity, there were glimpses of what the movie could have been like. Fun moments between the squad, some touchy moments, rare cool action sequences, full group scenes or rather a scene, the bar scene and such. 

Ultimately, The movie is like a mediocre cake covered with a thin layer of good frosting. The overall taste isn't bad, but it isn't good either. You enjoy the good frosting for a short while, and then have to deal with a whole lot of mediocre tasting body of the cake. I was disappointed. I really REALLY wanted to like this film. Pushed back all the negative or positive criticism and went in with an open mind. I'm not too hopeful what the extended cut will improve as 13 mins of footage isn't much, and I'm guessing it is Joker footage mostly.

It's funny that after watching this, I respect MCU more now considering what they were able to do with the more risky project: Guardians of the Galaxy. 

6/10
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Mummy (2017) - Movie Review

You know, I see people saying they're sick and/or tired of the whole shared universe style that has been the craze for the past almost decade or so. But I, personally, still enjoy it. Thing is, there is a correct way of doing it, and then there is a shitty way of doing. I don't know why Universal thought the shitty way was the path to be on. The Mummy should have been a movie about, well, THE MUMMY. But instead, it is an amalgamation of several poorly executed plot threads in an attempt to jump-start the new 'Dark Universe', with one of them being related to The Mummy. And it all comes together to create an incoherent messy movie. There are so many things going on with multiple changing rules that you just don't give a shit.  Tom Cruise is the lead, and I will say that even in a movie like this, he still brings his charm and charisma to give somewhat of an enjoyable performance. His buddy in the movie made for some funzies as well. But even th
Post a Comment
Read more

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) - Movie Review

"Everyone creates the thing they fear. Men of peace create engines of war. Avengers create invaders. Parents create children, that will supplant them." It's the kind of movie that I had great time with, even though I will agree to it having tons of flaws. Lets start with the story, it was mostly a mess. Throughout the movie, it felt like so much stuff have been crammed into a runtime obviously not enough for it. Pacing was a hit and a miss. There were some stuff that was really rushed while other sequences dragged on. Ultron creation and character development in particular was rushed like hell, something that would have benefited greatly from getting more screen time. Also, whole thing between Bruce and Natasha felt forced and out of place. Their scenes really dragged on. It would have been better if they went with Natasha and Steve instead as they had great chemistry in Winter Soldier. It just felt like the whole movie needed more time to be polished out, smooth out
Post a Comment
Read more

The Crown (2016) - TV Series Review (Season 1)

"We’re all dying. That’s what defines the condition of living ." The Crown is a series about Queen Elizabeth II and her early years as the Queen. Now personally, I don't really have that much interest in the subject matter and wouldn't go actively look for media showcasing it, but after hearing so many great things about it, I decided to give it a watch. To my surprise, I was hooked from the start. The series is so well made, the execution of everything is so exemplary, and its pacing is remarkably well balanced (for a series like this), that I couldn't help but have a wonderful time with it. I was intrigued by the inner workings of the royal household, and how the crown weighs on the bearer and the people surrounding them.  The casting was damn good. Many of the actors do look similar to the personalities they are portraying in that time, and the acting itself was marvelous. Clair Foy is so lovely and plays as the queen with great beauty. John Lithgow
Post a Comment
Read more