Warner Bros and DC have definitely been going for a different vibe than Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Neither Man of Steel nor Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice really hit home with the critics or a large part of the audience. That brings us to this month’s Suicide Squad from David Ayers. There is a lot resting on the film as far as expectations. The studio has promoted the film as their answer to Deadpool: Edgy, dark, and funnier than you’ve come to expect from the DC film universe. With the film getting ready to hit the theaters and the critics embargo lifted, we decided to check out what some of the big reviewers have to say. Let’s just say, they aren’t painting a pretty picture. To give you an idea of the average, rotten tomatoes currently has the film at a dismal 34%, landing it just below the new Tarzan film.
Now, let’s see what some of the other sites have to say:
The Playlist:
And while “Suicide Squad” isn’t as poorly stitched together as its nearly unintelligible forebear “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice,” it’s still a patchy, makeshift effort of mismatched tones, tacked on jokes and messy narrative. While a flippant sense of humor assists its entertainment factor, the second DCU film ain’t no “Deadpool” either.
The Daily Beast:
Needless to say stylistic flourishes, like unstable villains, are bountiful in Suicide Squad. The fun is in letting yourself go along with every silly bit. Do you like montages and flashbacks? Writer-director David Ayer loves them. He cannot get enough of them. He leans on both far too heavily for far too long in a movie so stuffed to the rafters with colorful characters, there’s barely any room for a serviceable plot.
THR:
But the evil is never properly defined and, worse, isn’t personified in a way to balance the firepower of the opposition. In a fuzzy and hokey manner that encourages immediate viewer check-out, unlimited malevolence is made to reside in an ancient witch goddess whose physical heart literally is held by Waller and whose horrific spirit insinuates itself into a modern archeologist (played by Cara Delevingne); the latter’s boyfriend is Kinnaman’s Col. Flag, the guy who just happens to be in charge of the criminal team. Why anyone thought this creaky narrative line was a good idea for a wannabe-edgy superhero action piece is unfathomable. Indeed, it brings any and all investment in what’s going on to a quite complete end.
ScreenCrush:
If you liked the scene in Batman v Superman where Bruce Wayne watched YouTube videos about the future members of the Justice League, you’ll love Suicide Squad.
It will be very interesting to see how the film fares at the box office this weekend.