A team of bad guys (some with meta-human abilities) are forced together to be a covert ops team for the US government agency Argus.  Their first mission is to go into Midway City to rescue someone important, but they also may have to stop two ancient beings that have possessed people and they want to destroy the world.   Part of the team is assassin Deadshot (Will Smith), Joker’s girlfriend Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Killer Croc, El Diablo, Captain Boomerang, Katana, and Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman).   In addition to people turned into evil monstrous minions, the Joker is looking to rescue Harley Quinn.

SUICIDE SQAUD is an enjoyable action romp.   Margot Robbie shines as the crazy adorable and deadly Harley Quinn while Jared Leto gives one of the best takes on the Joker ever.   The only thing I have issue on is they didn’t quite nail the love and hate relationship between Harley and the Joker where they go for love between a sociopath and his demented lover instead (but it seems the darker relationship between the two of them ended up on the cutting room floor).   Will Smith is OK as Deadshot, but he isn’t quite bad guy enough compared to the rest of the criminals in the Suicide Squad.    The movie does manage to deliver origin stories and an overall plot more successfully than BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (which crowded in too much plot).   SUICIDE SQUAD takes place after BATMAN V SUPERMAN with an end credits scene setting up for JUSTICE LEAGUE plus Batman shows up for a couple of scenes (and so does the flash for one scene).    The movie does have plenty of nods to the comic books (especially some of the Harley Quinn backstory which ties into the Batman animated series and the comic books).   Jared Leto’s Joker is more unhinged than Heath Ledger’s take on the same character with the Joker’s gang being more organized than Ledger’s gang.   I would definitely sign up for another suicide mission in the inevitable SUICIDE SQUAD sequel, but I have a feeling they might make a Harley Quinn movie before that to make it tie into the sequel given how the movie ended.

This review is ©8-7-2016 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

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