Suicide Squad

[Travesty]

My problem with Suicide Squad was the poor execution. I wanted to find it funny, but I didn't. It was really awkward watching this in a theatre full of people and hearing the deathly silence after every joke fell flat.

That may be why I enjoyed SS, cause my theater was laughing at the majority of the jokes.

[thecolorsblend]

My problem with Suicide Squad was the poor execution. I wanted to find it funny, but I didn't. It was really awkward watching this in a theatre full of people and hearing the deathly silence after every joke fell flat.

That may be why I enjoyed SS, cause my theater was laughing at the majority of the jokes.

Mine was filled with a few idiots who kept causing distractions by turning on their phone flashlights. I threw candy at one of them. She got pissed about that but couldn't figure out who threw it.

*sigh*

I should start seeing movies at the Drafthouse.

[Silver Nemesis]

My problem with Suicide Squad was the poor execution. I wanted to find it funny, but I didn't. It was really awkward watching this in a theatre full of people and hearing the deathly silence after every joke fell flat.

That may be why I enjoyed SS, cause my theater was laughing at the majority of the jokes.

I can imagine the mood must be very different under those circumstances. I think watching the film alone would be a different experience too. But in the theatre I saw it in, the best we got was a few snorts from the audience. Maybe the humour was too American and we Brits just didn't get it. It might also be because SS is rated 15 here, so there were no kids in the audience. Whatever the reason, the humour just wasn't resonating.

I had low expectations for BvS, but I ended up enjoying it. I had high expectations for SS, and I was sorely disappointed. But humour is indeed subjective. People will find different things funny, just like they'll find different things frightening. Once again, this is just my opinion – my reaction – and I'm not saying anyone else is wrong to hold a contrary viewpoint. All I would say to people who enjoyed this movie is... I envy you.

[The Dark Knight]

My problem with Suicide Squad was the poor execution. I wanted to find it funny, but I didn't. It was really awkward watching this in a theatre full of people and hearing the deathly silence after every joke fell flat.

That may be why I enjoyed SS, cause my theater was laughing at the majority of the jokes.

I did find Will Smith charismatic and an asset to the film. Same goes for Waller and Harley. I guess I'll have to forget about the deleted scenes and the tonal shift they finally decided upon, and simply accept the final cut. It's not going to be easy. But I'll give it a go and see the film a second time.

[The Dark Knight]

My key likes about Suicide Squad.

1. Universe building

We see a man selling Superman and Batman shirts on the street, with the Superman shirts commemorating his death. Waller says humanity got lucky with Superman sharing their values, and they may not be so lucky next time. Task Force X was made in direct response to Superman's death, and it also serves as a precursor to the Justice League being formed. We get those brief Batman cameos - encountering Deadshot and chasing Joker, and we see The Flash capturing Captain Boomerang. These small touches go a long way in confirming past events and building upon them.

2. The other trinity

Amanda Waller, Deadshot and Harley Quinn. These three characters make the movie. Amanda Waller is one of the best live action DC villains you'll find. She's a manipulative, ruthless killer and has screen presence. Will Smith shows why he became a big name in the first place. If you think of the movie as an exclusive vehicle for the charismatic Mr Smith, with everything else just window dressing, the movie goes up in my estimations. Harley is rather fun to watch, too. The other members of the squad don't receive as much screen time and aren't as memorable. But these three characters are worth watching. And for that alone, the film has merit.

3. Mid-credits scene

I loved this. Something so simple but something so spine tingling. Ben Affleck appears in the flesh talking to Amanda Waller, requesting information on meta humans. The more Affleck the better in my opinion, and this small scene elevates the whole product for me. When prodded by Waller, Bruce bites back and reverts to his aggressive Batman persona. "You should shut it down. My friends and I will do it for you." And then he leaves.

4. The soundtrack

From what I've heard of the score by Steven Price, DC continue their dominance in producing quality music for their films. Task Force X brings Danny Elfman's Batman theme to mind. This cue is a slam dunk. Harley and the Joker is my second favourite, along with The Worst of the Worst. The source music, such as Bohemian Rhapsody, etc, isn't my ideal choice. But I think Price did an admirable job with the music. Even if Hans Zimmer is a hard act to follow.

5. A willingness to be unique

Love or hate the execution, at least Suicide Squad represents a different flavour in the comic book genre. The universe is the same, as shown with the BvS Easter eggs. But Suicide Squad does strike out on its on with a completely different vibe. Watered down or not, we enter a subculture of criminality where the villains are the heroes. This represents a first for the live action genre. I can respect that general concept.

So there we have it.

[Slash Man]

Was it good or bad? My friends hated it, but I couldn't look away the whole time, so it was okay in my book. Though some random thoughts:

Slipknot's execution was hilariously bad. It was telegraphed from a mile away that he was going to die. His only power was "being able to scale any building", as well. The entire purpose of the character was to demonstrate the bomb implant, and there were better ways to do that.

Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc also don't really do anything. This is obviously because they fall lower on the "power" spectrum, although despite Harley being a relatively inept villain, she's shown to be one of the more effective characters just because she's a main character.

I loved Leto's Joker. True to the successful depictions of the past, he's a crazy kind of unpredictable that you can't take your eyes off. Though then there's the editing. I didn't take the "trailer lawsuit" seriously, but then I saw the film myself and noticed the entire scene around Joker throwing the grenade was missing. The sequence in the film made it obvious that it took place after the helicopter crash, so I waited for it... and waited.

Despite being shoved aside, the Killer Croc character was pretty faithful. There was the tragic aspect of his rejection with mentions of him being treated "like an animal", and even a bit of his vanity when he says he's beautiful.

More so than BvS, I want to see the alternate cut of this film. I felt like I saw what I needed to with Batman v. Superman, and the extended cut was just that. But the very structure of Suicide Squad was changed with the studio's edit, and I'm very curious to see the numerous scenes that were cut.

[The Laughing Fish]

Slipknot's execution was hilariously bad. It was telegraphed from a mile away that he was going to die. His only power was "being able to scale any building", as well. The entire purpose of the character was to demonstrate the bomb implant, and there were better ways to do that.

There was no purpose for this villain other than killing off the token Native American guy. They could've given him  some action before getting rid of him, at least he would've died with dignity.

Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc also don't really do anything. This is obviously because they fall lower on the "power" spectrum, although despite Harley being a relatively inept villain, she's shown to be one of the more effective characters just because she's a main character.

That's true. Deadshot, Harley Quinn and El Diablo were the focus while the rest of the other villains were there to make up the numbers. But Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc managed to get some laughs at the cinema where I saw the film.

I loved Leto's Joker. True to the successful depictions of the past, he's a crazy kind of unpredictable that you can't take your eyes off. Though then there's the editing. I didn't take the "trailer lawsuit" seriously, but then I saw the film myself and noticed the entire scene around Joker throwing the grenade was missing. The sequence in the film made it obvious that it took place after the helicopter crash, so I waited for it... and waited.

I'm glad you got enjoyment from Leto's Joker Slash, but I felt let down because he was given little to nothing to do. Of course, we all know that WB and David Ayer decided to cut out a lot of his scenes, particularly how he abused and manipulated Harley. I've heard complaints about Joker is depicted as a "lovesick puppy" in SS, but that's because the most important and critical material had been left out on the cutting floor. Which is a shame, because the film would've been rich if those scenes were kept. It would've shown how even the cruel and sadistic Joker is not too inhumane to show affection for someone. If they were going to cut out some scenes, why not remove the entire subplot to capture Harley? It felt pointless.

[The Dark Knight]

A favourite little scene of mine from SS:

Harley taking the elevator and dispatching two opponents without a care in the world. Exiting to the top level with everyone staring at her, as she saunters off in those short shorts. I like what Margot did with Harley. Much better than the likes of TDKR Talia.

SS is cut down and could have truly excelled. But it's not a complete loss.

[riddler]

with respect to the Joker I was kind of glad he wasn't part of the actual squad. Part of the appeal was that all these characters were on the big screen for the first time. Had the Joker been involved it would have been "Joker and Friends". Part of the appeal was that they were all meeting each other for the first time. Likely the only reason Joker was even in the film was to develop Harley (can't have her without Mr. J)

[The Dark Knight]

No one here wanted Joker part of the squad itself. He's a lone wolf.