Suicide Squad Review (NO SPOILERS)

Amidst a world where critics are favoring the DC brand less and less, I was genuinely worried about my experience with this film after seeing those early reviews of Suicide Squad reach the internet. I don't believe critics seek to have a bad time with these movies, because that's not what I look to do with them either. That being said, the reviews allowed me to mitigate my excitement ever so slightly before I went into the 11 AM showing today. What I was looking for was a fun, villainous romp with some of my favorite characters from DC comics. And that's exactly what I got. And that is a great thing to have happen.

For those of you unaware, DC's Suicide Squad takes place in a world after the loss of Superman (not a spoiler, they tell you as much in the first 5 minutes of the movie) where the U.S. government tries to rally some sort of initiative to prevent any "evil supermen" from having any potential authority over the U.S. government, or the world at large. Amanda Waller, played by Viola Davis, decides the best way to fight fire is with fire, and sets forth the initiative of creating Task Force X, a.k.a. the Suicide Squad. With the help of government officials and a few costumed heroes, Floyd Lawton, a.k.a. Deadshot (played by Will Smith), Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a.k.a. Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie), Chato Santana, a.k.a. El Diablo (played by Jay Hernandez), Waylon Jones, a.k.a. Killer Croc (played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), George "Digger" Harkness, a.k.a. Captain Boomerang (played by Jai Courtney), June Moon, a.k.a. Enchantress (played by Cara Delevigne) and Christopher Weiss, a.k.a. Slipknot (played by Adam Beach) are all rounded up and held captive under threat of death. Keeping the squad in line is Colonel Rick Flagg (played by Joel Kinnaman) and Katana, a.k.a. Tatsu Yamashiro (played by Karen Fukuhara). When the squad is called into Midway City to deal with an impending threat, not only do these bad guys have to play good or get their heads blown up, the Joker (played by Jared Leto) makes waves in the crime world as he works to free Harley from the grip of his enemies.

For all that this movie tries to accomplish, I think it succeeds. Beginning with the plot, the idea is intriguing enough to engross me within the first two acts. To see villains play good is something that we as an audience get a glimpse at every now and then. To see the protagonists of the film still be antagonists in their own right is a new concept altogether. The way this story and the dialogue crafts itself around the fact that these bad guys are still bad in their own right, but coerced into doing good, is something really fun to see. That being said, by the time the film drifts into its third act, it does become rather simple. The awe of seeing a super-villain team fades away, especially after you see these guys being the bad-asses that they are. The story and plot is essentially here to compliment the action sequences these villains find themselves in, which was fine for me since it was really cool to see these lower-powered villains fight. Deadshot's shooting was awesome, and he's got a few sequences to shine with his skills. Harley is brutal with her bat, Katana is fearless with her sword, and Boomerang's boomerangs are fun to see. El Diablo is cool when he has time to show off his stuff, but those opportunities are few and far between. The same is said for Killer Croc, Slipknot, and Enchantress. That doesn't mean they're lame to see fight, we as the audience just don't see them as frequently.

Even though the story eventually becomes rather simplistic, both the individual acting of the cast as well as their chemistry with each other is an absolute joy to watch. It's actually very similar to seeing the Avengers unite (at least, it is for a DC fan like myself). But even if you have no basis for these characters, their dynamic and unique personalities emanating from the characters and clashing with their respective co-stars is fun to watch. These characters are fun, albeit terrible people; but I think that's what makes them fun. While (most) superhero movies concern themselves with having the heroes remain the moral standard thanks to the gifts they're blessed, here is a movie that offers us a different perspective to what different "super-powered" people choose to do with their gifts, and how they use their abilities - and what exactly the consequences of those very actions are.

And to get any semblance of sympathy for these characters is a tribute to the acting of this wonderful, diverse cast. Will Smith is incredibly subtle in his role, but also a confident leader of the squad. He's a solid, strong character. Margot Robbie does Harley the best justice I could have ever seen on the big screen. She's wacky, she's insane, but she's also methodical and cunning. Jay Hernandez is damaged as Diablo, and he's able to translate his pain in a few lines in the same masterful way that Bradley Cooper was able to as "Rocket Raccoon" in Guardians of the Galaxy. Adewale is incredibly intimidating as Killer Croc (although the makeup helps), Joel does a great job as the loyal soldier, Jai has fun with the loopy Aussie, Karen is committed as the wayward warrior, but perhaps the best performance came from Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. She's tough, she's intimidating, she's cold: everything that the character is in the comics. The writing was able to nail the spirit of these characters, and these actors helped bring them to life in the most enjoyable of ways. Even Jared Leto's Joker, who was in the movie for the right amount of time (weird to think, I know) established his take on the character beautifully, distancing himself from Heath Ledger's award-winning performance but honoring it at the same time. This Joker takes the best elements of the past fan-favorite Jokers, and mixes it with a drug-boss inspiration that's fascinating to see onscreen. I love what the actors were able to do with these roles, even when some were serviced less than others.

And when I previously mentioned the action, it should be mentioned that it's some of the best action I've seen in a movie this year. Taking place in nearly exclusively close-quarters, it's incredibly exciting to see these bad guys mow through faceless soldiers and do their stuff. The cinematography work helps accentuate each character's personality by highlighting their fighting style: Boomerang, being the rash rogue he is, gets up-close and personal to take down his foes. Croc throws his enemies across whole rooms before clawing at their bodies. Katana keeps low to the ground,and swiftly rises with her sword to slash her opponents. But I don't want to spoil the fun of an audience member seeing for themselves the action. At any rate, it's tense and fun at the same time.

All in all, what I wanted from this movie was a fun, popcorn romp. That's exactly what I got. I could honestly consider this the best connected DC movie to date. It's more fun than either Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice or Man of Steel, and it's got more heart than either of those films as well. But that's just my opinion. As an end-of-the-summer movie, this is exactly what I wanted. I'm looking forward to the next time I get to see the squad, and the characters that make it up. But please go see for yourself. I'd hate for this movie to suffer because of an odd stir in critics' opinion.

Rating: 8.75/10

*P.S. - There's finally a post-credits scene in a DC movie! So hold in that pee; you're not gonna want to miss it!