Suicide Squad opens August 5th, 2016 and I had the chance to check out the premiere. I have been looking forward to this film for awhile! I remember the 2007 Will Smith movie, I Am Legend, where hidden in the dilapidated city you could see a giant billboard for the at-the-time fictional film – Batman Versus Superman (read more about the origin of that story here).
Billboard in the background from the movie I Am Legend says 05.15.10, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opened 03.25.16.
That was almost 10 YEARS AGO and that film now exists! Suicide Squad is the follow-up to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and takes place directly after those events.
This DC based comic film is about a group of antiheroes – all imprisoned by Batman; that are recruited by the US government (another typical gung-ho US propaganda film), to carry out black-ops missions with life-threatening stakes (ergo suicide), that no one else would dare tackle in return for lesser sentences on their death row incarcerations. This film is directed by David Ayer who was the director of Fury, End of Watch, and wrote Training Day. Talented guy!
Check out the trailer here with an epic Queen song:
I was never a big comic book kid growing up, but I have always loved Superman and the Joker, they're two of my all time favs. At first I was a little disappointed when I heard Jared Leto was cast for The Joker, I mean c'mon... Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger... but once I saw this photo, I knew this was going to be epic! And he KILLS it! SOO GOOD!
Jared Leto as the Joker
This film is the third instalment for the DC Extended Universe, following Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I am more than happy to see DC start their franchise. I am tired of what Marvel has become. Remake after remake of the same character/story, sometimes even a remake of the same character (with a different actor), within a few years! Marvel repeats the same jokes, the same plot, and the same boring content riddled with Hollywood popcorn special effects. They've reached their peak and it's time for a new story arc to flourish.
The Brave and Bold - Suicide Squad (1959)
The first incarnation of the Suicide Squad appears in a 1959 comic called The Brave and Bold. It includes the characters Rick Flag, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and Enchantress – which are all from the 2016 film; and even includes Superman's arch nemesis, Darkseid – my favorite baddie! In this debut issue, the team must save the world from a red tidal wave that incinerates everything it touches. It ends with a giant reptile being sent into space on a rocket. Weird shit man.
The second appearance was the Suicide Squad's first series Vol.1. This volume started in May 1987 and lasted for 66 issues. As I stated before, I wasn't much of a comic book guy so these issues meant nothing to me. Although it's pretty amazing the fact that they are almost sixty years old!
Suicide Squad's First Series Vol.1 (1987)
The 2016 film carries these characters over from the comic books:
Will Smith as Deadshot / Floyd Lawton
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn / Dr.Harleen Quinzel
Jared Leto as The Joker
Jai Courtney as Boomerang
Jay Hernandez as El Diablo
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc
Cara Delevingne as Enchantress / June Moone
Joel Kinnaman as Col. Rick Flag
Adam Beach as Slipknot
Karen Fukuhara as Katana
Alain Chanoine as Incubus
and even:
Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman
Ezra Miller as The Flash
Common as Monster T
Pre-52 Suicide Squad
I won't give away the story by revealing crucial plot points so I won't go into too much detail here: A US government official is worried after the events of Superman's arrival that any meta-human like him can easily carry out a terrorist event at anytime, and the US government would be useless. A quote from a US official in the film "What if Superman had decided to fly down, rip off of the roof of the white house, and grab the president right out of the oval house?" So the head of this "Task Force X" (as they're called by the gummint), Amanda Waller played by Viola Davis, assembles this group of misfits to take on a new threat. Blah, blah, blah.
Worst. Heroes. Ever.
Think of Suicide Squad as a comic version of The Dirty Dozen, or DC's answer to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. A bunch of misfits running around with some humour peppered in and a great soundtrack. Wait, let me rephrase that... a KILLER soundtrack! Now I'm not talking the original motion picture soundtrack like you'd buy with the classical arrangement of the film and the best songs from the movie missing, I'm talking the music played throughout the film! From Kanye's Black Skinhead, Eminem's Without Me, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Creedence's Fortunate Son, The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army, and The Animals' House of the Rising Son – one of my all time favs and it was the original at that! The soundtrack alone kept me groovin'!
I'll just leave this here.
The acting of these characters was phenomenal! Leto's portrayal of The Joker was a refreshing twist from Ledger and Nicholson. Margot Robbie was a spot-on as a disturbingly great Harley Quinn, and even El Diablo, Killer Croc, and Boomerang had neat backstories and were portrayed well. Will Smith was... well just like he acts in every other character role, as Will Smith. And Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman... ugh, the usual bad performance from ol' Ben.
I did find it weird how they showed the background and history of certain characters to intro them, but then glossed over others. If you are going to introduce the Suicide Squad, intro them all equally! Not just a few deeply and then a few points about the others?! That was a little strange.
As they go on to their world saving mission, it seems that the entire film is tied up in montages of the team's past. I know this is an intro film for The Justice League, but c'mon... make this an actual movie and not just a flashback/catch-up sequence.
The Justice League (2017)
Overall it was fun, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. Don't expect any major plot points or deep interwoven character traits, but sit back and enjoy this summer blockbuster. For a film that has an estimated budget of $175,000,000 it better be good, right?! It was. Shit blows up everywhere, Toronto is a prominent player in the background, the music is deadly, and it's quite the stylish flick! Hopefully this will kick-start the DC Universe films off right. Don't listen to the naysayers and check it out.
Funny, twisted, and a bit weird. Just like me! :)
Pros:
- Cool characters and super stylish!
- Batman kicks some ass
- An intro to The Justice League
- Sick and twisted humor
- Joker is unique and so gangster
- Music throughout keeps the tone like an awesome music video. So fun!
- The movie Will Smith turned down Independence Day: Resurgence for
Cons:
- Lame-ass story filled with characters back stories/flashbacks and light on the villain. Typical 21st century comic book movie I guess.
- The relationship between Rick Flag and June Moone is def yawn-worthy
- El Diablo doesn't do anything for two-thirds of the movie
- Not enough Joker. Seriously, maybe 20 mins total.
- No Superman
- A little dragged out in parts
- The movie Will Smith turned down Independence Day: Resurgence for
Psst... stick around for a mid-credits scene (you know, a scene that takes place after the elaborate animated credits but before the more boring slow scroll). Nothing post credits though so don't waste you're time. Unless you want to see who the caterers were or if any animals were harmed in the making of this movie.
By the way, what if animals were injured in the making of a film? Do they list that in the credits?
Jack hurt one monkey. He is very sorry.
* All the photos and videos included are not mine.