While Suicide Squad is sure to rake in dump trucks of money starting Thursday night, it's already bathing in the same critical tub as 'BvS.' Currently sitting at a 29% on the Tomatometer (at the time of this review), critics are making like Harley Quinn and bashing the film. But does Suicide Squad deserve better?
The answer is "No, not really." The script is awful. Supposedly, Writer-Director David Ayer was given only six months to pen the screenplay and it shows.
This film plays more like a two hour music video than an actual story. It introduces the marquee members of the squad in short, bite-sized montages set to different pop songs while other members get barely any notice and zero development throughout. David Ayer also relies on this technique during big, action set pieces designed to showcase each member's specific skillset as they tear into hoards of faceless, nameless henchmen while you tap your toes along and wonder what makes this different from any other action flick. The only semblance of plot rears is revealed late into the film and by then I was already tired of these characters. Aside from Will Smith's Deadshot, Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn (who seems ripped straight from Batman: The Animated Series), and a few Batman Cameos starring Ben Affleck, there isn't anything special about these people. Even with the emphasis on the more important characters, everybody's motivations are unfocused, which makes them feel less like actual people and more like cartoons. This negates the more intimate scenes where they're all divulging their true selves to one another.
Speaking of characters, there's been a lot of hype about Oscar-Winner Jared Leto as the new Joker. While the sample size is too small to yet confirm or deny him as the greatest big screen Joker of all time, I must say I was not impressed by what I saw. Aside from the signature green hair, there isn't anything in Leto's performance to suggests this character is the Joker. David Ayer could easily have dropped him in from any other gangster movie and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. He also mumbles his lines so it's difficult to understand what he's saying most of the time.
Another character seemed plugged from any other movie is the villain. I don't want to give away who it is, but what I can say is that they're underwhelming. Their motivations aren't quite clear and how they go about executing their endgame is equally confusing. During the climactic fight scene it's hard not to wonder what in the world is going on and how we ended up here.
By the end I felt as if I'd seen this movie many times before. Because Ayer was give so little time to develop his script, the end result is an amalgamation of a lot of different things we've seen before and in better films. And while Suicide Squad isn't a terrible film, there isn't anything that sticks out about this film or makes it unique. Ultimately, this means it's not worth the price of admission but maybe a one-time rental down the road.
No comments:
Post a Comment