Review: ‘Suicide Squad’ Is Vibrantly Dull

When I first began seeing promo materials for “Suicide Squad,” whether on subway platforms or splashed across my TV screen, I was struck by the vibrant, in-your-face nature of the trailers and posters. It was riveting in a way that films rarely are. Warner Bros. seemed to be ripping this story straight from the pages of their beloved DC comic books, bringing the infamous Task Force X to life through stunning pop-up art and vibrant letters. A highly-anticipated film, with a diverse and star-studded cast, the villain riddled “Suicide Squad” got me all the way into the theater, only to abruptly leave me hanging a mere twenty minutes into the film.

Written and directed by “Training Day” scribe David Ayer, the story opens shortly after the events of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (which I called aggressively overblown, but fun to watch). Government Agent Amanda Waller, (who is played ferociously by Viola Davis) has managed to round up some of the worst criminals in society. Holding them hostage at a Black Ops site, Waller hopes to manipulate them into becoming a team of super villains. It is her hope that this team will help serve her in taking other meta-humans and evildoers down.

So who are these mega villains? There is a motley crew, which is where I think the film began to trip over itself. Along with Davis’ Waller, the main cast consists of Will Smith as the assassin Deadshot, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto as Harley Quinn and The Joker respectively, Joel Kinnaman and Cara Delevingne star as Rick Flag and Enchantress, and rounding out the supporting cast is Australian actor Jai Courtney as Boomerang, Jay Hernandez as El Diablo, British-Nigerian actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaj as Killer Croc, Adam Beach as Slipnot and Karen Fukuhara in her first ever film appearance as Katana. With a cast bursting at the seams, there was little room left for poignant storylines and a well thought out trajectory. Furthermore, the gaps in acting ability were glaringly obvious. When juxtaposed with heavyweights like Davis, Smith, Leto and even Margot Robbie’s topsy-turvy Harley Quinn, Delevingne and Kinnaman’s performances as star crossed lovers felt false, and fell flat.

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Image: Warner Bros.

Review: While Often Aggressively Overblown, ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Is Still A Lot Of Fun To Watch

In preparation for “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” I attempted to re-watch 2013's “Man of Steel,” which I hadn't seen since it first premiered. It seems that I failed to remember how dull the film is. Honestly, other than Henry Cavill's strong jaw and even harder build, I found director Zack Snyder's Superman origin story rather lacking. As a result, I had no idea what to expect from “Batman v Superman,” much less understand all the hype and questions surrounding it.

With Cavill reprising his role as the Kryptonian come to earth, I was most interested to see how Ben Affleck would gel as the Caped Crusader, especially since Christian Bale’s performance as Batman is the one I’ve grown most accustomed to.

“Batman v Superman” opens with Affleck's voiceover as Bruce Wayne; there's a short retelling of his parents murders, and then Synder thrusts us forward in time. Through Wayne’s eyes we watch Superman and Zod come to blows as they did in “Man Of Steel,” but this time, the perspective shifts to the massacre left in the wake of the attack. For Bruce Wayne, this moment solidifies his opinions about Superman, and as he watches the chaos around him, it further hardens an already war-weary man.

A great deal happens in this 2 hour and 30 minute homage to two of the world’s most iconic superheroes. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne's stories move and shift around one another before colliding epically at the very end. And yet, as someone who admittedly only has surface knowledge of the DC Comic world, I often felt exhausted trying to keep up. The various dream sequences especially, felt overdone. Likewise, Clark Kent's relationship with journalist Lois Lane relied way too much on the  "damsel in distress" narrative in this film. I've long since appreciated Synder’s casting of seasoned actress Amy Adams in the role of Lane. Nearly a decade older than Cavill, she's so much more than a pretty face, but in this film Lane does litte more than wait for her unbreakable beau to come and save her.

Still, for any fan of superhero films, there was plenty to enjoy.

Perhaps it was the extra $25 million Synder had to play with this go-round, or maybe technology has advanced significantly since “Man of Steel” was shot, but either way, everything in this film—fight sequences included—was more lush and fun to look at. As for Affleck, what he brought to the character of Batman was surprisingly one of my favorite parts of the film (though his beefed up Batsuit and voice were comical at best). Massive, despite his humanity at 6'4," Affleck's Bruce Wayne is broody and somber. This is Batman in his 40s, with hair streaked silver and weary lines around his eyes. Bruce Wayne has seen and done just about everything at this point, and it shows. Caring deeply about others has cost him a great deal and he does not apologize for his apathy. The only time his eyes truly come alive is when he's interacting with his trusty confidant Alfred (played to perfection by thespian Jeremy Irons) or when he's trying to flirt with Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), who will be getting her own film next year.

More than anything, Affleck's portrayal of Bruce Wayne is fixated on the legacy he'll leave behind.

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Image: Warner Bros.