Movie Review: Suicide Squad (2016)
I saw this in theaters when it came out and immediately forgot about it. It had so few redeeming qualities that I figured it was best to put it out of my mind. Then I was dragged into seeing the extended cut a few weeks ago, and I remembered just how insufferable this film is. The story is beyond ridiculous. Instead of using the Squad for some classic shady government skullduggery they opt for another blue sky beam save the world plot that already felt tired years earlier. The direction is also insufferable with its try-hard soundtrack, funky text freeze frame character intros, and dialogue so on-the-nose it would make Tommy Wiseau blush. That the movie was edited by a group known for making trailers helps explain why the movie feels like one long advertisement and takes forever to get started. None of the characters are done well, though I give credit to Margot Robbie for embodying Harley Quinn’s chaotic spirit quite well.
What’s sad is Suicide Squad isn’t even funny. Formulaic MCU movies at least make you smile a few times. The frustrating thing is this could have been great. A more down to Earth plot, better character development, and snappier dialogue could have made this DC’s answer to Guardians of the Galaxy. The animated Suicide Squad film Assault On Arkham got it perfectly right by giving the villains a covert mission that made sense and making Batman into an interesting lurking antagonist. 2016’s live action take instead goes down as foreshadowing the death of the entire DCEU experiment with 2017’s failed Justice League all but sealing its fate.
Grade: D
