“Storyless Shit”

I was really looking forward to seeing this film from the trailers. After Batman v Superman I was worried with DC so I was looking forward to it with trepidation. Looking at the cast they got very lucky, Jared Leto as the Joke, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jay Hernandez as Diablo = amazing! But there was also some very bad decisions.

The character of Enchantress and Dr June Moone I was expecting a really Jekyll and Hyde idea really separating the two sides of the individuals. Cara Delevingne was one toned and I saw no acting skills at all. In interviews apparently director David Ayre asked Delevingne to walk around in the mud and woods naked to get into character. I would never have guessed she made such an effort. (Shepherd, 2016)

I loved Jared Leto as the Joker. He brought a completely different interpretation of the character compared to Heath Ledger.(RIP)

                                               

(Katz, 2016)                                                                                                        (Browne, 2014)

Ledger brought the real manic mastermind side of the Joker to the story but Leto brought the real crazy psychopath. Even his eyes were crazy! But that means nothing because his not in the damn movie!! From the trailer I thought he was a part of the SKWAD but it was just a hyped up cameo. Considering how long Leto spent in Make up for the tattoos seems like a waste of time. Leto even commented “Were there any that didn’t get cut? I’m asking you, were there any that didn’t get cut? There were so many scenes that got cut from the movie, I couldn’t even start. I think that the Joker… we did a lot of experimentation on the set, we explored a lot. There’s so much that we shot that’s not in the film.” (Placido, 2016)I just think they brought him into the film to say the Joker is a part of it, even though Leto gave a great performance.

Speaking of the Joker, another standout character was Harley Quinn.  As Griggs says “That is just a whole lot of pretty and a whole lot of crazy.” Margot Robbie completely nails this. We see a few flashbacks of Harley and the Joker and unlike Enchantress we see the two sides of her. We see Dr Harleen Quinzel before she makes her transformation to Harley Quinn. I think it is a good metaphor that love can make you crazy.

“Harley Quinn: You ever been in love?

Deadshot: No. Never.

Harley Quinn: Bullshit.

Deadshot: You don’t kill as many people as I’ve killed and still sleep like a kitten, but feel shit like love.

Harley Quinn: Another textbook sociopath.”

I wish I could talk about every character in the film but there are too many! There are a lot of pointless characters such as Slipknot, who suddenly appears and then disappears in a few scenes but this isn’t the worst crime this film commits.

The main problem for me is the lack of storyline. It starts off after the death of Superman from Batman v Superman and Waller is suddenly creating this “task force of the most dangerous people on the planet” but for no real reason! Also once they have assembled their team the story just drops off. I found myself very bored for the second half of the film and no film viewer wants to be paying to be bored.

Another thing that bugs me is the sexist remarks towards the female characters. Examples include “Stay evil doll face…” and “Listen, you are my gift to this handsome honka honka! You belong to him now.” Women should not be referred to as “hoes” or an object. I think they focussed on this a bit too much. I can understand that the characters are that way inclined but it was too much of a focus for me and took me out of the film.

I wanted so much for this to be DCs comeback but it has just not happened. I don’t have a lot of faith in the upcoming Wonder Woman or Justice League films.

As this was slightly better than Batman v Superman I wish I could give more but I can only give 2.5 out of 5.

Director: David Ayer

Cast:  Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Cara Delevingne, Viola Davis

Crew: Roman Vasyanov (Cinematographer)

Genre: Superheroes

Rating: 15

Works Cited

Browne, K. S. (2014, Dec 10). There’s a Secret Hidden Behind Heath Ledger’s Joker. Retrieved from Movie Pilot: http://moviepilot.com/posts/2494166

Katz, J. (2016, May 25). ‘Suicide Squad’ Director Says ‘The Crew Stops Working’ When Jared Leto Does The Joker. Retrieved from Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7280199/suicide-squad-jared-leto-joker-crew-stops-working

Placido, D. D. (2016, August 6). Jared Leto Is Just As Disappointed With ‘Suicide Squad’ As The Rest Of Us. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2016/08/06/jared-leto-is-just-as-disappointed-with-suicide-squad-as-the-rest-of-us/#5e85db1d4ff0

Shepherd, J. (2016, May 19). Suicide Squad: Cara Delevingne auditioned by ‘getting naked in the woods’ and ‘howling like a wolf’. Retrieved from Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/suicide-squad-cara-delevingne-auditioned-by-getting-naked-in-the-woods-and-howling-like-a-wolf-a7037481.html