Suicide Squad - Movie Review

'Suicide Squad' is the best DC film this year. Does it say much? Unfortunately no. The comic studio brand had quite a rough time delivering its goods in 2016. Batman v Superman, and most recently Batman: The Killing Joke didn't reach everyone's high expectations, and this movie was an unfortunate addition to the aforementioned disappointments.

I can't blame anybody to get their hopes up here. This film is filled with great talents. David Ayer takes helm, and his previous works has been nothing but impressive. He directs a uniquely diverse thespians that include Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Jared Leto, all with notable credibility on their sleeves. While the film turned out to be a powerhouse acting-wise, none of these actors can save the overflowing flaws of its creative choices.

Given the fact that a lot of characters here aren't well-known to the general public, introducing them for the first time on-screen is a difficult job to pull-off. They happen to go to the cheapest route though, with the film's opening forcing you to swallow as much backstory of big stars Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) as possible without letting itself breathe for a while to focus on somewhere else. The result is a clunky mess, and a noticeable uneven characterization for all characters.

It's easy to compare this with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy which has the same exact premise as this film: B-list criminals forcing to team-up to defeat a large threat. That movie's success relies on how much emphasis they put enough emphasis on their goal as a team as well as their individual differences blend one another. Suicide Squad, on the other hand, falls short on keeping up with the unity of its main group. A scene at a bar halfway through the movie tries to compensate with its deficiency, but then again, it wasn't enough.

Suicide Squad is lost on what it wants to be. For a film marketed as a colorful spectacle, the assortment of characters and plot lines became a large flaw in itself. What a big mishap considering it has so many potentials imprinted all over.

The geek rates it 5/10!

'Suicide Squad' opens tomorrow, August 4 in cinemas nationwide from Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines! Rated R-13 by the MTRCB.