Today’s quick review: Suicide Squad. In the wake of Superman’s appearance on Earth, government operative Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) sets about assembling a team of super-powered criminals to tackle any threats too dangerous for ordinary soldiers to handle. The team includes Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the Joker’s (Jared Leto) psychotic girlfriend; Deadshot (Will Smith), a hitman with perfect aim; El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), a penitent pyrokinetic; Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), an ancient witch; and a host of other baddies. They are led by Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), a special forces operative with iron will and the key to the explosive devices planted inside the team’s heads. Together they infiltrate the remains of Midway City to recover a person of interest after the appearance of a supernatural being that overpowers the troops sent to subdue it.
Suicide Squad is a twisted take on the superhero genre featuring a large cast, a punchy soundtrack, and loads of style. Unusually for a superhero movie, the cast is almost entirely villainous. The Squad themselves are all dangerous killers, but even Amanda Waller comes off as sinister. Despite the potential moral ambiguity of the premise, the plot is set up so that the audience is free to cheer for the “heroes” for most of the film. The villain is a special effects bonanza, and the Squad themselves see plenty of action on their way through the city. A couple of twists keep the overall direction of the plot in question, and while the film could have been longer, it covers most of the ground you would expect.
For all that Suicide Squad delivers on action and special effects, the heart of the movie is its characters. Although the supporting characters get short shrift, all the characters that Suicide Squad focuses on are great. Margot Robbie delivers an excellent performance as Harley Quinn, balancing perky antiheroism with signs of psychosis and genuine if twisted affection for the Joker. Will Smith walks a similarly delicate line between sympathetic and detestable. Deadshot is comfortable with his life as an assassin, but not with excess killing or the disapproval of his daughter. Joel Kinnaman gives Rick Flag just the right amount of bravado to tame the Squad without coming across as blustering. Jared Leto’s Joker fits right into the universe, an erratic nutcase whose dark charisma puts Harley under his spell.
Fans of the superhero genre or stylized action movies should check Suicide Squad out. Not every shot it takes lands, but nearly all of them are aimed in the right direction. Slight miscalculations in character arcs and certain moments keep it from being a masterpiece, but as a rule, everything it gambles on pays off. Suicide Squad is an entertaining if dark action movie that establishes a new and interesting section of the latest incarnation of the DC Universe. Skip it if you hate villainous protagonists, action-heavy superhero plots, or movies with twisted tones. Watch it if you’re into energetic, colorful, and risky action flicks.
6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for stylishly delivering on a difficult premise.