Suicide Squad wasn't made for critics, it was made for people who are fans of the DC property and, the obvious answer, to make money. While I can't comment on the financial side of the movie, I can tell you that it hits almost every mark to whet the appetite of a genuine DC comic book fan and is a fun-fueled, action-packed ride from start to finish.
You know the setup, but in the event that you don't here is a quick refresher: Figuring they're all expendable, a U.S. intelligence officer decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret mission. Now armed with government weapons, Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc and other despicable inmates must learn to work together. Dubbed Task Force X, the criminals unite to battle a mysterious and powerful entity, while the diabolical Joker (Jared Leto) launches an evil agenda of his own.
Part of me wants to spoil the movie and talk about the scenes that are pulled directly from the comic book, the tie-ins with other super heroes and all the little nods to characters both here and there, but I can't. I do that then I come off as a gushing fanboy and I ruin some awesome surprises that need to be seen, so let me reset.
The cast here is really awesome, I had many reservations about how the characters would be portrayed but they where completely alleviated after the first 15 minutes.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc is so good, seriously I thought it wouldn't work but Adewale kills it and brings Croc to life. The practical fx on Killer Croc is so good that you have no trouble believing that a crocodile-man exists in the world.
Jai Courtney makes Captain Boomerang a hardcore badass. His comic counterpart is okay, but here we get a version of CB that I have always wanted. Jai has the comedic timing and the physicality to be both funny and imposing when need be. I really hope we get to see Jai in The Flash movie because more Captain Boomerang is never a bad thing.
Jay Hernandez as El Diablo is a beast and carries the most tortured backstory out of the Squad. Hernandez is the only one who doesn't want to be what he is and feels punished by his gift/curse. The backstory combined with Hernandez's acting is just a one-two punch to the gut. You are instantly invested in this character and feels that he deserves redemption more than anyone.
Will Smith. I'm glad to say that he can in fact do a bad guy extremely well and is a very deserving Deadshot. Smith takes the character of Deadshot and makes him more than just a hitman. He is a guy who enjoys his job, but also cares deeply for his daughter. Smith is able to show Deadshot has no qualms killing, but having his daughter think he is a waste is worse than a bullet to the head. Smith could very well carry a Deadshot solo film and I'd happily pay to watch it.
Last, but not least, is the star of the hour Margot Robbie as the pitch perfect Harley Quinn. Simply put, if you watched Batman: TAS growing up this is that Harley come to life. From the voice to the mannerisms Robbie is the living incarnate of Harley Quinn. But to take it a step farther, she is 10x more vicious than here animated counterpart... She is to Harley Quinn what Heath Ledger was to the Joker; perfect.
Speaking of the Joker..... As much a I enjoyed Suicide Squad there is one small hitch and really it can be fixed in future movies. Jared Leto's voice for the Joker needs to be tweaked. Leto delivered perfectly with his mannerisms but when talking it feels off. The look of Joker is awesome (said that since day one) and complements Quinn perfectly. He look like a drawing brought to life and has the laugh too, but the odd delivery of dialogue needs to be more fine tuned. However when Leto and Robbie share the screen, it is clear that the two work greatly together and are quite picturesque.
There is a lot more that I would like to explain in great detail but, again, that forces me to do spoilers, so I'll leave you with this...
Suicide Squad is a great addition to the DC cinematic universe and is the first time where we get the villains point-of-view throughout a story. Often we think of villains as one-dimensional with basic goals, but David Ayer does a fantastic job of showing that everyone has their reasonings and that no one, with the exception of the Joker, sets out to be a bad guy. This movies does more than setup villains for future installments, it is the connective tissue that the entire DCCU will be built upon.
Rating: 8.5/10 Stars
Rich Stile @TheDevilsEyes1