The worst heroes ever represent the last, best hope for a seemingly doomed world. That's true within the narrative of Suicide Squad, and it also works as an allegory for the DCEU itself. Warner Bros. needs a hit, and David Ayer's super villain team-up is its final chance to swing for the fences. So does Suicide Squad fall flat like Batman v Superman? Not really, but it's not a masterpiece either. Cinema Blend's own Eric Eisenberg saw the film and his review doesn't exactly put the latest DC film on a pedestal. He said:
It was hoped that Suicide Squad could be a major step forward for the DC Extended Universe, but it's not exactly that -- with the film frustratingly and consistently stepping on its own toes. It lacks the convolution problems of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but is also so simple that it doesn't carry any weight. It has a sense of humor and fun, bolstered by a bombastic and multi-textured soundtrack, but its action is also repetitive and disengaging (hurt by the villain's plot lacking clarity and specificity). And while Ayer's vision for these characters is exciting, you're still left wanting more out of the ensemble as a whole within the story being told.
In an odd twist of irony it seems that Suicide Squad suffers from the exact opposite problem that befell Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice when that film hit theaters in March. Suicide Squad is fun, it's light and it's faithful to its characters, but it's also woefully unbalanced and stands on incredibly shaky narrative ground. Assigning the film 2.5/5 stars, Suicide Squad apparently epitomizes the idea of "mixed reviews."
Eric is far from alone in that assessment of the latest DC adaptation. Gizmodo's Germain Lussier similarly echoed that sentiment by taking to Twitter to praise the film's characters and performances, while simultaneously condemning its bloated and uneven plot:
That looks to be the overarching sentiment at this point, but there are those with more extreme opinions on both sides. Some critics in particular seem a bit more willing to see the silver lining on this cloud. Collider's Steven Weintraub acknowledges that the movie has some flaws -- primarily its lackluster villain -- but he also believes that it's far more deserving of praise than some reviews would have you believe:
However, despite the existence of those who would defend Suicide Squad, plenty of others have gone on the offensive. The Daily Beast's Jen Yamato also saw the movie last night, and she laid into it as a failure of a superhero film that even a great Harley Quinn could not save:
Ultimately it looks as though Suicide Squad continues DC's recent trend of producing highly divisive films. It makes certain improvements over Man of Steel and Dawn of Justice, but it also suffers from its own set of unique issues. Whether or not you think that's a good sign will entirely depend upon your own personal preference, but it's clear that Suicide Squad isn't for everybody. David Ayer's Suicide Squad hits theaters this weekend on August 5. You'll just have to see if for yourself and make up your own mind.
