SUICIDE SQUAD is an enjoyable action movie with some major plot flaws.  It works better on a character interaction level to push the story along instead of having the actual story work.  The edit of the movie was reworked in post-production and I was hoping the extended cut would show more of what David Ayer was intending to do with his take on SUICIDE SQAUD.  Instead we get on additional Harley flashback and some scene extensions with deleted dialogue and such.  We don’t get the darker side of the relationship between Joker and Harley which was toned down in the editing stage.

 

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 an interesting take on the Joker even though it comes off as the Joker playing a crazy tattooed gangster version of Prince at times.   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.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Both blu-ray discs have the same featurettes and gag reel.  The only real difference in extras is that trailers for BATMAN V SUPERMAN and WONDER WOMAN play before the menu on the theatrical disc.

 

TASK FORCE X: ONE TEAM, ONE MISSION- explore the comic origins of Suicide Squad along with cast and Director David Ayer talking about the characters of the movie

CHASING THE REAL- a look at the production design, costume design, and special effects makeup

JOKER & HARLEY: “IT” COUPLE OF THE UNDERWORLD- Margo Robbie, Jared Let, and David Ayer talk about the joker and Harley Quinn.   Jared Leto was in character while doing the movie while you can blame the director for making the Joker into a crazy tattooed gangster version of Prince

SQUAD STRENGTH AND SKILLS- all the training that went into preparing the actors to be the characters and a little on their off-set bonding

ARMED TO THE TEETH- the weapon props of the movie

THIS IS GONNA GET LOUD: THE EPIC BATTLES OF SUICIDE SQUAD- a look at the action battles in the movie from stunt work to CGI

THE SQUAD DECLASSIFIED- a promo fluff piece on the Suicide Squad that plays like a conspiracy news report

 

FINAL ANALYSIS: SUICIDE SQUAD is an enjoyable mess which is held together by some well-directed action scenes and some great characters.  I do hope Warner and DC Entertainment release a version of SUICIDE SQUAD in the future which is closer to David Ayers’ original edit of the movie.

 

This review is ©12-21-2016 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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