‘Blu-ray or Bust’ - SUICIDE SQUAD

‘Blu-ray or Bust’

SUICIDE SQUAD (2016, PG-13/NR, 123/134 minutes, WARNER BROS./DC ENTERTAINMENT)

When I first saw SUICIDE SQUAD in theatres, I, like many others, was disappointed.

The editing was too jumpy, the story seemed unfocused, and it just didn’t feel as fun as the trailers had been. I enjoyed Will Smith’s “Deadshot”, Margo Robbie’s “Harley Quinn”, and Viola Davis as The Meanest Woman in the World. Everyone else felt… well, kinda bland.

Thank The Sweet Baby Hey-Zeus that DC and Warner Bro’s are committed to a director’s visions. As with the previous release of BATMAN V SUPERMAN’s “R-rated” cut on Blu-ray, another film exists—one better than what was released in theatres, one that nails all of the previous flaws it exhibited in theatres. But like the last Superman film, I worry that it is too late.

The story itself is about a bunch of villains forced to team up to save the world. What has become a regurgitated idea is a bit more fleshed out with the extra eleven minutes, and gives us more insight into what makes these people as bad as they are. Harley, for instance, gets more screen time; her street psychoanalysis of her teammates is truer to the nature of her comic book character than all of the well-timed one-liners she has in the film. Smith as “Deadshot” is even better than you would expect; his is the conscious of the film, a deadly Jiminy Cricket that knows he’s bad, and has reasons for being so. He might be a serial killer for higher, but he has an all too human side to him.

Then, there is Jared Leto’s “Joker”. While I still believe that Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the iconic madman was truer to the “Batman” TV series, and Heath Ledger’s was a pure exercise in insanity (a brilliant one, mind you), Leto comes closest to the comics than anyone else. Like, EVER. He is a maniacal, violent, sadistic genius who needs no backstory. He just is.

The rest of the characters are perfectly cast, right down to Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s “Killer Croc”. If anything, this is quite a diverse cast, and is deserving of respect at least for its use of great character actors from so many different cultures and peoples. While much of Hollywood can still be accused of white washing (see every freaking movie about ancient Egypt for examples), DC opened up a lovely bag of ethnicities this time around.

The special features are plentiful, and all are worth the watch. The story behind the original Suicide Squad comics, and how the filmmakers got to this version, is an interesting watch; it is refreshing to see a studio take the time to interview the original creators, and give them an equal say in the development of their characters.

Despite the negative reviews, SQUAD made more than enough at the box office to garner a sequel—of sorts. Robbie will reprise her role as Harley with another off-shoot of the DC Universe called “Gotham City Sirens”. Writer/director David Ayer will be back as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Leto reprise his role. The other characters, however… while a direct sequel may not be necessary, as a fan, I would appreciate a continuation in the series. It is good to know that the studio didn’t drop Ayer and his vision completely; they just waited to share it for the video release.

Grade: B+

Special Features: A

Blu-ray Necessary: Most definitely

-- T.S. Kummelman