September 20, 2016
By Tiffany Skelnik
“Suicide Squad” is a David Ayer directed film and the latest chapter in the DC Cinematic Universe. Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jay Hernandez, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman and Cara Delevingne are just a few of the stars in this ensemble film, which follows the events of “Batman Versus Superman”.
The world is without Superman and the government grows desperate to fill the void. This leads to the creation of Task Force X by Amanda Waller, played by Viola Davis. Task Force X brings together the world’s worst supervillains to fight crime: a suicide squad.
This film is a visual explosion. “Suicide Squad” takes advantage of its origin as a comic book, creating an over the top and entertaining experience.
The visuals would be nothing without the amazing performances that compliment them. Will Smith who played Deadshot did a phenomenal job bringing to life both sides of this villain. The violent action scenes contrast nicely with the scenes involving Deadshot’s young daughter. It is in these quieter moments that the viewer gets to experience the full range of this character.
The duality of each of these villains is fantastically handled by each member of the cast. This is especially true concerning Harley Quinn and the Enchantress. Margot Robbie and Cara Delevingne have to juggle two different sides of their characters. Margot Robbie does this well. She expertly balances the zaniness of Harley Quinn and the complexities and nuances of this villainess’ infamous backstory and relationship with the Joker of Gotham. Similarly, Cara Delevingne is performing a balancing act of her own in bringing both Dr. June Moone and the Enchantress to chilling and brilliant life on screen. These two leading ladies deliver two of the strongest performances in the film.
Jared Leto plays the Joker. Leto’s Joker is different from any of the cinematic portrayals I’ve seen. In “Suicide Squad”, the Joker is portrayed as similar to a mafia leader of sorts. Leto’s Joker is composed yet shows a hint of madness when Harley Quinn comes into the mix. His madness is less about anarchy and more about chaos for the sake of control. It suits the film and the Joker’s role quite well, despite being something different than what fans are used to.
The film as a whole is a nice addition to the DC universe and gives fans a chance to see what happens when the villains get the spotlight. I would definitely recommend seeing it.
skeltiff@my.dom.edu