Film Review: Suicide Squad

My opinions seem to not follow the status quo of many others, which is something I am getting accustomed to. So when I heard about the negative press Suicide Squad was getting, I didn’t mind. I means sure, it meant that I wasn’t going to be in for the blockbuster I hoped at the beginning of the year, but I wanted to see it. I knew that I would likely enjoy it – and enjoy it I did. But I am not afraid to point out the already well documented flaws of the title.

5 Geek Films To Watch Out For

UK residents, are you looking forward to Captain America: Civil War in a few days? You’re probably looking forward to quite a few films this year, as well as having enjoyed some absolute whopping films so far. But what’s left for the rest of the year and what films am I looking out for in particular? Join Timlah as we look through a few upcoming geek films which might be worth a watch!

SDCC Trailers

So another San-Diego Comicon comes and goes, and the lucky few have had their chance to wait in mile after mile of queues to discover what the future of nerd-marketed-media holds, and right now there’s three big titles on everyone’s mind:

Batman vs. Superman

Recently leaked, and even more recently given a full release – because let’s face it, it was never going to stay SDCC exclusive for long – the Dawn of Justice trailer shows a fuller set up for the conflict, and shows us a clear shot of Wonder Woman in action, and even hints at Aquaman’s origins (it’s subtle, but it’s there). We also get a very thorough idea of how Jesse Eisenberg will be playing Lex Luther, and that’s where I want to start:

Jesse is a small bloke, maybe lacking the kind of gravitas that Superman’s greatest enemy usually comes with, but here we see a very different interpretation, one that I regard with the same kind of optimism as Heath Ledger’s Joker. He looks to have a subtle kind of manipulation, insidiously polite and jovial, I can see all kinds of villainy, and he absolutely has my curiosity. I’d also like to say that Jeremy Irons is an excellent casting for Alfred.

That’s about as positive as I can get for BvS: DoJ. Seriously, another Batman origin story is being crammed into this? We have two JLA characters being shoehorned in without an origins film, this is all getting out of hand. We get that you’re trying hard to play catch-up with Marvel, but this is not something you can rush.

In short, I can hardly contain my lack of enthusiasm. I’ve made my opinion of Zack Snyder very clear, but that’s really besides the point. The trailer has enough positive points that I can’t just right this film off. The true tragedy here is that Affleck is going to be playing Batman twice in the same year without nerd approval…

Suicide Squad

Now here’s the first DC project in a long time I’ve actually looked forward to for a while, right up until I saw the Joker. From that point on, everything else I’ve seen has increased my concern that this could be another failure. And yet…

The Joker is the biggest question mark for me. With both the loss of Heath Ledger and Mark Hamill retiring from the role with the completion of Arkham City, whoever takes up the role next is going to have a hard time of it, and Jared Leto has certainly weathered the scrutiny on his design. It has its’ prose and cons, he seems to have a decent voice for the job, but I remain unconvinced.

Harley Quinn and Deadshot are the central roles here, Margot Robbie especially seems to be occupying centre stage which makes sense if the Joker is the major villain. I generally have no problem with that so long as the other villains get a decent look in at the action. There are some big names here: Katana, Killer Croc, and Captain Boomerang.

In short, I’m back on the fence about Suicide Squad, which is a positive, but ultimately mediocre shift. The credentials of the director seem heavy on the low-brow action, but this trailer makes me wonder if he’s finally been given the chance to show what he can do.

Deadpool

Couple of things before you click play: 1) Sony have not given up and released the trailer properly yet so this is still “leaked footage”. Get it while it’s hot! 2) This is the Deadpool movie we asked for, so if you can hear it you’ll be hearing strong language.

Well, this certainly sets the tone! Plenty of fourth-wall breaks, a dig at Green Lantern, and just a whole bunch of cool stuff. Not a lot of story though. Not glimpse of the villains who could well be Ajax and Copycat, who are both cast. Could just as easily be Deadpool himself, let’s rule nothing out here.

This, alone amongst the trailers here is a film I am looking forward to, but this trailer doesn’t give us much except renewed hope, and I can’t say much more than that. Marvel have always played their cards a little closer to their chests, and Sony look to be keeping up the business model. Ryan Reynolds is the real driving force behind this film, he’s a nerd in a position of great power within this production, and after last year he has the burden of countless nerdy hopes on his shoulders.

Suicide Squad Cast

Whilst Joel spent his time watching Avengers: Age of Ultron recently, I have been looking at the cast of the upcoming DC movie for the Suicide Squad, set to air in cinemas in 2016.

The choice of villains in this film are fantastic, but let’s get the big one out of the way with first. Jared Leto, like it or not, is confirmed as The Joker for this film. He has starred in some incredible films in the past, such as Requirem For A Dream and Fight Club. He is also in the band 30 Seconds to Mars.

Source: IGN

I spoke to Joel about this and whilst I am excited, it doesnt look like everyone is as excited as me. When the tease picture of Jared dressed as Joker appeared, with all of his tattoos and grills in his teeth, I felt like I was looking at a serious Joker contender. He has big shoes to fill in Heath Ledger and even Jack Nicholson, but I believe he has been given a nitty, gritty Joker. Exactly the sort of role that he excels at! Let’s just say that Jared Leto might be the marmite of the Jokers… and I’m looking forward to seeing it!

Let’s move onto the biggest star name in the cast: Will Smith. He’s playing as Deadshot, a sharpshooter with two wrist mounted pistols. A big question is how will he fare as a secondary role? Smith cannot be overlooked, however the man has done some stellar performances in previous films. Does this mean that he’ll outshine everyone regardless? Only time can tell this one, but I believe his acting pedigree is strong enough that he won’t even mind playing his role. It’s a damn cool role too.

Next up, we have Harley Quinn who is played by Margot Robbie. She has starred not so long ago in The Wolf of Wall Street, which was certainly a success. I love how she has a realistic looking Harley Quinn to play, it suits her as an actress and the theme of the Suicide Squad. No doubt she’s going to take a more central role in the Suicide Squad, but it remains to be seen how the character will cope with going after The Joker. Hopefully like a lost puppy yapping for it’s parents!

Also of note are the additions of Echantress and Katana! What a spin we got there. Katana recently appeared on TV, only to then be announced into the Suicide Squad via the tease picture. If there’s one thing we can rely on here, that blade won’t be so supernatural… Unless that’s why Enchantress is there. A sort of overlooked baddy, Enchantress has had a heck of a makeover. Will these two work in unison to make a cohesive and pivotal part of the Squad? You can see the drastic change in character design between this version of the character (above) and the original artwork (below).

Of course that wasn’t an extensive look at the crew that call themselves the Suicide Squad, but these ones in particular were interesting to note. What do you think of the line-up and the choices of characters? Are you looking forward to this film, or is it another DC blunder? As always, comments below, or over on Facebook/Twitter and let us know: Will you be watching out for the Suicide Squad film in 2016?