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| ** SPOILER-FREE** |
SUICIDE SQUAD is a real mixed-bag of a film.
Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did!
Would I call it a GREAT film? Probably not.
It IS very entertaining, but it also harbours some major flaws.
Without going into too many specifics, let's start with some positives!
The casting is choice! Everyone plays their part really well, and there are some surprisingly solid performances throughout - even from the lesser-knowns!
Will Smith [as Deadshot] totally steals the show. He's easily my favourite member of Task Force X. This character is quirky and fun, while baring some genuine weight and depth. It's a really well-struck balance - well written, and Smith's innate charisma just sells it perfectly. He is the humanity a film like this needs. A winner in my book.
Other characters like 'Diablo' for example (who I was previously unfamiliar with), also help bring something relatable, somewhat grounding, honest and heartfelt to the film. While a number of these 'smaller role' characters get very little screen-time and dialogue, their unique personas are still conveyed quite well - and that's ultimately what this film is all about!
SUICIDE SQUAD is less about the plot and more about the personalities.
The story is pretty straight forward. A little generic in part, but still serviceable.
It's not so much 'the mission', but the character interactions that are the focus here.
The action is, admittedly, a little generic too, but once again - it's about the characters!
The dialogue is decent! There are a few stand-out lines in there. (Particularly pertaining to Smith's 'Deadshot'). Some of the design work is really creative too! I was pretty impressed overall!
Now...
The most glaring issue I have here, is with the film's editing and pacing.
This thing is pretty damn choppy! It feels kinda like a puzzle, where your pieces aren't quite fitting together how you'd like, but you try and mash them together anyway. You should be taking your time to find just the right place for the right pieces, but maybe the problem is, you're actually missing a few..? Bummer.
There's a lot of unnecessary jumping back and forth between scenes and locations. There's a lot of scenes inappropriately inserted over other scenes. There's a lot of segues that don't really add-up, and there's an overabundance of flashbacks! It can be damn confusing!
With all this jumping around, you can easily lose your place in the story - your grasp on the timeline. I often felt a little left in the dust, trying to piece things together - figure out how they interlocked, when I shouldn't have had to. More than a couple of times throughout, I thought to myself: "Why is this [scene] here?". I found myself distracted from the story, second-guessing, trying to comprehend what direction the film (and by extension - it's creative team) was taking. It's not directionless by any means, but it's often quite misleading, and NOT in a way that purposely serves the story. There are just so many [seemingly] random inserts that completely halt the story.
We need less cuts! Just let the scene run its course! Please, don't put any more on my plate 'til I've finished what's already there!
Oh, and I should mention that the film feels like it doesn't have a Second Act...
It just goes: First (Setup and introductions) - BAM! -Third (Let's save The World).
It's a structure that totally threw me for a loop.
It really is an odd cut - a bizarre amalgamation, and one that I questioned throughout.
The plot is an easy one to follow (I wont spoil anything here), but the tone the film sets for itself is constantly being interrupted and brought into question. This is primarily due to some strange editing choices.
The film can be really punchy and fun, but in the blink of an eye - it can turn really quite sombre. This doesn't sound like a bad thing, right? I mean, it's an action drama! It's gonna have it's ups and downs! This is normal, right? Absolutely!
The problem is the inconsistencies in the tone and the rate at which they occur.
The tone in SUICIDE SQUAD shifts back and forth at breakneck speed! We don't know how to feel about a lot of things, because we're never given enough time to let anything sink in. AGAIN, this is due to the editing - cutting from one thing to another so haphazardly!
Sombre scene! Now, a quick, fun, bubbly scene! Now, back to sombre! It's so arbitrary and disjointed!
How am I supposed to feel, film!? Huh!? What are you? A Warhol or a Rembrandt!? Tell me!
Another issue I have with the film relates to it's Soundtrack. (Specifically, the licensed martial). Now, don't get me wrong! This film has a kick-ass soundtrack! You'll hear some legendary tunes from some legendary artists! My issues stems from their usage, or rather, their misuse.
There's a time and a place for each of these tracks. An editor just needs to find that sweet spot. Sometimes, they get it right. Often, they don't. It's when they don't, that these tracks become a problem. They become little more than a distraction - overbearing and unnecessary. This film just has more tracks than it knows what to do with! Again, just cram them all in and hope for the best, right? Sorry, but that doesn't work! Music should be used to enhance the cinematic experience. It should be there to set a mood or create an emphasis - to mean something, assist in the story telling and make the audience feel a particular way. It should NEVER be there, just for the sake of it!
"We have this song. It's a pop song. People like pop songs. Let's put it in the movie."
Unfortunately, that's how a lot of the song placement in this film comes across. Simply for the sake of it. That's a BIG mistake. All these songs are great, but do we really need them? You've gotta ask: what purpose does each song serve? How does it enhance the experience? If you struggle to answer either of these fundamental questions, then it's time to re-evaluate.
...
Okay, so I should wrap this up before I get too carried away!
Obviously, I have a few gripes with the film. A few considerable gripes.
The pacing can be jarring, the repeated tonal shifts are honestly, quite mind-boggling, and a number of intriguing characters are sadly neglected.
Nonetheless, I did like SUICIDE SQUAD!
You don't go into a movie like this expecting something ground-breaking or poetic or whatever. You go in to see Will Smith, a psychotic clown girl and a crocodile man do-... Whatever it is Will Smith, a psychotic clown girl and a crocodile man do!
If you've seen the trailers, then you know what to expect.
If you liked what you saw in those trailers, then you'll probably like the film!
(Oh, and I should note: A lot of the biggest and best beats from the film ARE in the trailers, but funnily enough - there's a whole heap of material in those shorts, that doesn't appear in the final product! No doubt, a messy cutting room floor!)
All in all, SUICIDE SQUAD delivered exactly what I thought and hoped it would deliver!
It's a fun, entertaining movie! It's exciting and creative! It's a couple of hours of mindless escapism, and that's precisely what the doctor ordered - a good time!
- Woody
Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did!
Would I call it a GREAT film? Probably not.
It IS very entertaining, but it also harbours some major flaws.
Without going into too many specifics, let's start with some positives!
The casting is choice! Everyone plays their part really well, and there are some surprisingly solid performances throughout - even from the lesser-knowns!
Will Smith [as Deadshot] totally steals the show. He's easily my favourite member of Task Force X. This character is quirky and fun, while baring some genuine weight and depth. It's a really well-struck balance - well written, and Smith's innate charisma just sells it perfectly. He is the humanity a film like this needs. A winner in my book.
Other characters like 'Diablo' for example (who I was previously unfamiliar with), also help bring something relatable, somewhat grounding, honest and heartfelt to the film. While a number of these 'smaller role' characters get very little screen-time and dialogue, their unique personas are still conveyed quite well - and that's ultimately what this film is all about!
SUICIDE SQUAD is less about the plot and more about the personalities.
The story is pretty straight forward. A little generic in part, but still serviceable.
It's not so much 'the mission', but the character interactions that are the focus here.
The action is, admittedly, a little generic too, but once again - it's about the characters!
The dialogue is decent! There are a few stand-out lines in there. (Particularly pertaining to Smith's 'Deadshot'). Some of the design work is really creative too! I was pretty impressed overall!
Now...
The most glaring issue I have here, is with the film's editing and pacing.
This thing is pretty damn choppy! It feels kinda like a puzzle, where your pieces aren't quite fitting together how you'd like, but you try and mash them together anyway. You should be taking your time to find just the right place for the right pieces, but maybe the problem is, you're actually missing a few..? Bummer.
There's a lot of unnecessary jumping back and forth between scenes and locations. There's a lot of scenes inappropriately inserted over other scenes. There's a lot of segues that don't really add-up, and there's an overabundance of flashbacks! It can be damn confusing!
With all this jumping around, you can easily lose your place in the story - your grasp on the timeline. I often felt a little left in the dust, trying to piece things together - figure out how they interlocked, when I shouldn't have had to. More than a couple of times throughout, I thought to myself: "Why is this [scene] here?". I found myself distracted from the story, second-guessing, trying to comprehend what direction the film (and by extension - it's creative team) was taking. It's not directionless by any means, but it's often quite misleading, and NOT in a way that purposely serves the story. There are just so many [seemingly] random inserts that completely halt the story.
We need less cuts! Just let the scene run its course! Please, don't put any more on my plate 'til I've finished what's already there!
Oh, and I should mention that the film feels like it doesn't have a Second Act...
It just goes: First (Setup and introductions) - BAM! -Third (Let's save The World).
It's a structure that totally threw me for a loop.
It really is an odd cut - a bizarre amalgamation, and one that I questioned throughout.
The plot is an easy one to follow (I wont spoil anything here), but the tone the film sets for itself is constantly being interrupted and brought into question. This is primarily due to some strange editing choices.
The film can be really punchy and fun, but in the blink of an eye - it can turn really quite sombre. This doesn't sound like a bad thing, right? I mean, it's an action drama! It's gonna have it's ups and downs! This is normal, right? Absolutely!
The problem is the inconsistencies in the tone and the rate at which they occur.
The tone in SUICIDE SQUAD shifts back and forth at breakneck speed! We don't know how to feel about a lot of things, because we're never given enough time to let anything sink in. AGAIN, this is due to the editing - cutting from one thing to another so haphazardly!
Sombre scene! Now, a quick, fun, bubbly scene! Now, back to sombre! It's so arbitrary and disjointed!
How am I supposed to feel, film!? Huh!? What are you? A Warhol or a Rembrandt!? Tell me!
Another issue I have with the film relates to it's Soundtrack. (Specifically, the licensed martial). Now, don't get me wrong! This film has a kick-ass soundtrack! You'll hear some legendary tunes from some legendary artists! My issues stems from their usage, or rather, their misuse.
There's a time and a place for each of these tracks. An editor just needs to find that sweet spot. Sometimes, they get it right. Often, they don't. It's when they don't, that these tracks become a problem. They become little more than a distraction - overbearing and unnecessary. This film just has more tracks than it knows what to do with! Again, just cram them all in and hope for the best, right? Sorry, but that doesn't work! Music should be used to enhance the cinematic experience. It should be there to set a mood or create an emphasis - to mean something, assist in the story telling and make the audience feel a particular way. It should NEVER be there, just for the sake of it!
"We have this song. It's a pop song. People like pop songs. Let's put it in the movie."
Unfortunately, that's how a lot of the song placement in this film comes across. Simply for the sake of it. That's a BIG mistake. All these songs are great, but do we really need them? You've gotta ask: what purpose does each song serve? How does it enhance the experience? If you struggle to answer either of these fundamental questions, then it's time to re-evaluate.
...
Okay, so I should wrap this up before I get too carried away!
Obviously, I have a few gripes with the film. A few considerable gripes.
The pacing can be jarring, the repeated tonal shifts are honestly, quite mind-boggling, and a number of intriguing characters are sadly neglected.
Nonetheless, I did like SUICIDE SQUAD!
You don't go into a movie like this expecting something ground-breaking or poetic or whatever. You go in to see Will Smith, a psychotic clown girl and a crocodile man do-... Whatever it is Will Smith, a psychotic clown girl and a crocodile man do!
If you've seen the trailers, then you know what to expect.
If you liked what you saw in those trailers, then you'll probably like the film!
(Oh, and I should note: A lot of the biggest and best beats from the film ARE in the trailers, but funnily enough - there's a whole heap of material in those shorts, that doesn't appear in the final product! No doubt, a messy cutting room floor!)
All in all, SUICIDE SQUAD delivered exactly what I thought and hoped it would deliver!
It's a fun, entertaining movie! It's exciting and creative! It's a couple of hours of mindless escapism, and that's precisely what the doctor ordered - a good time!
- Woody
