Suicide Squad: What went wrong?

Suicide Squad was destined to commercial success-the Joker’s new image, Will Smith’s return to blockbuster movies and the beautiful Margot Robbie starring as Harley Quinn, the Joker’s girlfriend. The first trailer ‘blew up’ the Internet, as people say nowadays. However, after the premiere, many still wondered, ‘What actually went wrong?’ 
Let’s begin with a synopsis of the film. After Superman made his public appearance, the government became concerned that there would be more people of his kind–equal in power, but with completely different intentions. Thus, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), a federal agent, recruited a team of supervillains to oppose an already tangible threat. Even if someone died during the mission, there would be no need to feel sorry for their loss. As luck would have it, the world urgently needed help, and the prisoners were not coddled much.

The whole film can be divided into two parts: the introduction of the characters and the suicide mission. An attentive viewer can understand right from the very beginning that the film’s major problem lies in its clumsily edited scenes. The villains’ background was stuffed into the film as flashbacks, whereas the transitions became more colorful and comic-esque. Some people may like this, but such an approach doesn’t fit well with the film’s grim style. The director was apparently ordered ‘from above’ to make it a little bit funny. It was like trying to kill two birds with one stone…

The second problem is the uneven distribution of characters’ screen time. Within the Suicide Squad the characters Deadshot (Will Smith), a hired assassin who never misses a shot, Mad Harley, who has a strange soft spot for the Joker, and El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), a brigand, who will surely add enough turd to the punchbowl are perfectly revealed. However, we never learn why Killer Croc and Captain Boomerang were so dangerous that they were put into the world’s most secret prison.

And then things gets worse. Instead of focusing on a single charismatic villain, David Ayer, the filmmaker, introduced as many as three of them to the audience! The powerful Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), who is does nothing save from kissing people, turning them into zombies, and dancing on a ‘giant horrible beam’; her brother, Incubus, who is just a huge and boring thug, and finally, the Joker.

I really don’t envy Jared Leto. He’s a good actor. However, performing as the Joker after Heath Ledger’s oscar performance puts him under incredible stress, as well as having the risk of being cursed at by a huge army of comics fans. In my opinion, the image of the Joker presented by him is very ambiguous. There are less jokes, less philosophy and more aggression. He is a crazy gangster, holding the entire city in fear. Some people may say, “He is overacting, isn’t he?” and I would respond that he is the Joker. He must overact. As Jared Leto admitted in one of his interviews, there were more scenes featuring him than what was included in the final version of the film. And that was a real crime against the audience.

Then things develop according to a set pattern. The characters crack wise jokes from time to time, they shoot a lot, become friends and then comes the mandatory happy ending. That’s not a spoiler at all. The audience realizes how the film is going to end after a half an hour has passed.

So, is this film worth watching? Yes, it’s worth it. At least for the sake of the most beautiful Harley Quinn and the chemistry of her unearthly sadomasochistic love for the Joker, as well as for the sake of Will Smith, who, despite some racist moods in public (Deadshot wasn’t an African-American in the comics books), showed some real class. And, dammit, for the sake of fiery El Diablo!

The only question that will remain the subject of heated debate is: who is sexier, Cara Delevingne or Margot Robbie?

Published 04.09.2016