Film Reviews

AP2HYC Reviews Suicide Squad

Who’d have believed there could be a superhero film as divisive as Batman v Superman IN THE SAME YEAR? The third entry in the DC Extended Universe, Suicide Squad was locked and loaded to be the sweetly-sugared pill to the sour ecstasy of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As it turned out, that’s just how some fans greeted the film. Others however… didn’t.

Suicide Squad‘s polarising reception didn’t stop it being one heck of a box office winner, and follow-ups including a sequel and a Harley Quinn spin-off film are reported to be in the works. Hopefully such films should give Suicide Squad enough chance to redeem itself, since we here at A Place To Hang Your Cape were just as divisive in our thoughts on the film as the rest of the internet.

Read on to find out what our writers and editors thought of Suicide Squad!

Suicide Squad as a whole was great. The film ticked my three c’s going in: comedy, cannon and clowns. Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto steal the show with notable moments from others within the cast (e.g. who would ever have thought Jai Courtney would come out as one of the best factors of a movie?) However, the film is made up of three juxtaposing acts; the first being 10/10 comic book fantasy, the second a rushed construction and deployment of our ensemble and the third a play right out of Age of Ultrons‘s lazy repertoire. Make sure you hang around for the mid-credits teaser… And see if it annoyed you as much as it did me. Fans of the character I think will agree with my protestations.” Jake Barber, Contributing Writer.

“While slightly better than Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad still wasn’t THAT impressive. It had a great soundtrack, some decent action sequences, and a few fantastic performances, but it didn’t live up to the hype. Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Viola Davis, and Jay Hernandez were outstanding. Will Smith plays a good Will Smith, but he is not Deadshot, and I don’t know how they decided that Joel Kinnaman was the best replacement for Tom Hardy when they recast Rick Flag. Also, the jokes were pretty corny, even for a comic book film. Overall, Suicide Squad wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either – and no, Disney didn’t pay me to say that.” Alex Reale, former Junior Sidekick.

“It’s hard. This movie had so much potential and yet, for me, it fell extremely flat. Simply put, there were too many characters and too much development that needed to be done, causing the story to completely fall apart. But Harley Quinn and Deadshot were pretty cool.” Jillian Diblasio, Senior Writer.

Suicide Squad is the Donald Trump of movies. It’s loud, sexist, racist, and thinks it’s way cooler than it actually is. The filmmakers keep saying this was a film for fans, but that won’t change the fact that is this poorly constructed film where enjoyment is scarcely found (thank god for Margot Robbie, Will Smith, and I guess Jared Leto for bringing some life to the movie). I get it, director David Ayer, the film is about the bad guys (as every character in the movie says over and over again), but that didn’t mean you had to be a bad filmmaker.” Dustin Molina, Senior Writer.

“The Suicide Squad movie in my mind was much darker, more villainous, more twisted. The Suicide Squad movie I saw on-screen was sadly none of those things. While I liked the casting, the visual style and (to my surprise) the Leto Joker, there was so much that was lacking: why have another worlding-ending villain, why edit it like the entire editing team is on speed, and why, why, why have multiple characters hanging around that barely get a chance to do anything? So frustrating!” Grace Davies, Senior Interviewer.

“Oscar worthy? No. Godfather-esque? Certainly not. But a rousing good time? Most definitely. Suicide squad has been the most critically maligned and debated move since . . . well since Batman v Superman (hopefully everyone is noticing a DC trend here). Critics have skewered the movie, stating that it lacks strong plot development and that it was re-worked in order to cover flaws that never made it out of pre-production. The movie’s stars have taken part in the fusillade as well, with Jared Leto saying he was “tricked” into making a movie that wasn’t as artsy as he was promised. That all may be well and good, but the fact remains that Suicide Squad is a good time and a classic summer movie. The characters are interesting and charismatic.” Scott Austin, Contributing Writer.

“Was it the best film I’ve ever seen? Absolutely not. But was I leaving the theatre calling it DC’s worst attempt yet? No (*cough* that still goes to Batman v Superman). Suicide Squad pretty much delivered exactly what I was anticipating. My expectations were pretty much as low as they could have been, so I was pleasantly surprised when I released a few audible laughs and was sufficiently entertained. It was a summer movie through and through. It’s not winning any real awards or acclaim but it was fun. Having not had any real attachment to the characters going into it, Suicide Squad was at least successful at piquing my interest and making willing to see more of them.” – Silje Falck-Pedersen, Junior Editor.

Suicide Squad is that rare DC film that is actually fun. It’s entertaining throughout, with great chemistry between the group. Will Smith is the most Will Smith-y he’s been in years. Margot Robbie owns the role of Harley. Viola Davis is a perfect Amanda Waller. The climax definitely lacks intelligence, but the characters drive the film which is why it works.” James Leggett, Contributing Writer.

“If Amanda has files on the Justice League members, why did she bother with all this Suicide Squad nonsense?” Fred McNamara, Official Sidekick.

What did you make of Suicide Squad? A super entry in the DCEU or yet another blunder? Let us know in the comments section below or send us a Tweet!

About the author

Fred McNamara