Suicide Squad (2016), PG-13, ★★

They're some kind of Suicide Squad.

Besides Captain America: Civil War, this next DC Comic movie project was my most anticipated movie of the summer. Why? It is because of the talent and also grittiness behind the material and its characters reminiscent of The Dark Knight, still, the best superhero movie ever made in my humble opinion. When I saw most of its promotional material, I was pumped for it because DC has been in kind of a slump since Christopher Nolan stepped down from the director's chair of the Dark Knight trilogy to tackle on new projects. I liked Man of Steel enough despite the over-the-top third act but since then, nothing clicked for me. Going into this experience, I heard muddling reviews and news regarding the creative control over this film. I have seen it and from my experience, the chemistry and banter between the squad brought subtlety and wit but the story and its narrative structure was sort of a travesty.

MINOR SPOILERS

It's been months since the death of Superman. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) meets with her associates, Admiral Olsen (Ted Whittle) and Dexter Tolliver (David Harbour) to discuss an organization called Task Force X, a group of the most dangerous criminals to combat any possible major catastrophe. As she goes through her files, we see flashbacks, even flashbacks within flashbacks, of the most dangerous criminals and their vulnerabilities.

Floyd (Will Smith) is an expert marksman who is known as Headshot. He takes out targets very quickly, even kills targets by having his bullet ricocheting off a gate to hit the man. He also has a daughter named Zoe (Shailyn Pierre-Dixon) that Floyd wants to reunite but her mother does not want to because he is recognized as a killer. Waller's next pick is Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), who was originally a therapist named Dr. Harleen Quinzel. Her patient was The Joker (Jared Leto). She fell in love with him even when he tortured her. Waller knows that Harley is crazier than Joker and makes her a valuable asset.

The other recruits are Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), a thief that uses a double bladed boomerang. Chato Santana (Jay Rodriguez) also known as "El Diablo" is a former gangbanger, possessed by pyrokinetic abilities. Waylon Jones/Killer Croc (Adele Akinnouye-Agbaje) is a thug with an unusual disorder with green scaly skin like a crocodile. Waller's last pick is Dr. June Moone (Cara Delevingne), an archaeologist who found an idol in a cave which releases the Enchantress that possesses Moone. Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) heads the mission and he is motivated because he loves Moone. If anything happens to the colonel or does not respond, one of the squad members will die with no exception.

Jared Leto having fun with his knives.

I am conflicted about this movie because partially I had fun with this thrill ride and I enjoyed the whimsical chemistry between all of the squad members. It felt like a different DC movie which combined the dark mood with some of the humor. I felt some joy from most of the performances, especially Margot Robbie's. However, some of the creative choices in its narrative structure and its main plot is a muddled mess. I felt that David Ayer, the director, and the studio brought too much onto bringing every character into play especially in the sequence where Waller is recruiting the squad. Nevertheless, it is fun but it kind of was a crammed study and your brain would hurt a little bit unless you have read the comic.

Without spoiling much, I felt like the mission itself was underwhelming because it is another standard "destroying humanity or destroying the world" mission and the editing in the action sequences felt clunky and I was a bit lost as to what is going on. But, I had to suspend my disbelief because they put on some of the pop music and score onto the action and it hypes up my joy and the special effects were pretty good.

I thought most of the performances were good. Will Smith is charismatic and present as Headshot, portraying the assassin with technique well. Margot Robbie is great as Harley Quinn as she is having fun being menacing, tricky and sexy, balancing all of those qualities into a mostly a well-rounded character. Jared Leto as the Joker could've been great, however, he does not have many scenes in this movie and his chemistry with Harley was a highlighted moment and not constructed well as a solid side plot. I wanted more scenes with Joker and Harley Quinn. Viola Davis is great as Amanda Waller, having a few tricks up her sleeves, but there was a moment that took me out of the movie that made me question why the writers are using Waller like a pawn of the plot. Courtney is surprisingly good but needed more heft as his chemistry with Katana was not there, Kinnaman is solid, Delevingne was ok as her plot has to be the main plot and she has to carry most of the movie.

There's too many flashbacks and backstories that drove me crazy as I wanted a more simpler narrative and also a simpler style. I think there's too much going on its style that there is a weak substance which is definitely noticeable in its mission and I did not seem to care. Even though I enjoy some of the pop music, I felt like the movie was turning into a music video at times. Bottom line, I had more fun with this movie than Batman v. Superman. I enjoyed the acting, the action sequences, some of the art direction, the makeup and its ambition to elevate the DC genre but my criticism in the narrative, creative choices especially with the music, editing and a few rushed scenes in the chemistry forced me to say that I had fun watching it but I thought about it for 10 minutes as to some problematic scenes. I don't recommend it but I had a fun time watching this. The chemistry and banter was a revelation but the story and its mission was a travesty.

**