Bad To The Bone: Review of Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad

Director: David Ayer

By Alex Watson

You desperately want Suicide Squad to be this fun and carefree ride that we were all promised in its glorious advertising campaign. Sadly no matter how much fast paced action comes our way, director David Ayer just cannot make us ignore how thin on the ground his adaptation is. Sporting one of the best casts of the year, all the ingredients were there for one this summer's best movies. Once again DC fans will let down in a year that has been kind to its heroes.

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) forms Task Force X, a team made up of some of the worst offenders on earth including hit man Deadshot (Will Smith), psycho Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), bank robber Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) and fire wielding gangster Diablo (Jay Hernandez). When an ancient witch being and her brother resurfaces, the team is forced into action under the command of Rick Flag (Joel Kinneman). Can so many bad people together really be trusted? Also, Harley's boyfriend The Joker (Jared Leto) is also causing his own problems.

The first quarter of Suicide Squad is undeniably the strongest as we meet our heroes at a CIA Black Site in the Louisana swamp lands. It's fun and each meeting of the different bad guys has a strong likability to it, Harley Quinn makes her mark her early as on the surface she is all sugar and spice but below there beats the heart of a lunatic. Ayer's direction is wayward has his character development is ankle deep- through a series of rushed introductions we never really get a feel for these anti-heroes, only a gloss over of what their offenses are. Even the bit part player such as Slipknot (Adam Beach) and Katana (Karen Fukuhara) are thrust into the mix with little explanation. Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) is an impressive looking use of prosthetics, but aside from a couple of funny lines he never gets much action.

Not having a lead antagonist really makes this picture suffer at the core- Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) who is an ancient witch who has come back to turn humans into her own brand of alien slaves lacks any bite. The biggest crime of all is the lack of screen time given to Jared Leto's excellent Joker. Bursting onto the screen like a smooth old style gangster with metal teeth, this Joker is every inch as sadistic and terrifying as Heath Ledger before him. "I'm not gonna kill ya, I'm just gonna hurt ya really, really bad!" he says to his lady love Harley. The relationship between these two is not given nearly as much attention as it needs. One of the most destructive yet devoted pairs in DC history, we need fully feel the full effect of this union. Another key issue comes from both Ayer and cinematographer Roman Vasaynov's shooting of key action scenes. Due to poor visual effect and a far too breakneck execution, many scenes seem muddled and Ayer seems in a big hurry to get things out of the way.

When the Suicide Squad team forms together there are moments that do stand out, such as Diablo's fine monologue about how his lust for power killed his family. The friendship between Harley and Deadshot seems much more developed genuine than his desire to reunited with his beloved daughter. Killer Croc does have microseconds of brilliance and you feel this could have been a stand out if handle differently. The big showdown at the film's climax is a let down on both an action and CG front because due a big and smoky room, it is near impossible to figure out precisely what is going on? David Ayer is a fine writer and his directorial work like End of The Watch and Fury made him out to be a smart choice. Through a series of missteps and some serious underdevelopment, he has turned what could have been DC's saving grace into yet another misfire. So far the box office bell is ringing loudly so these bad guys will likely be back for round 2. Lots of work to do guys!

Margot Robbie is the standout member of this cast with her sociopathic turn as Harley Quinn. So alluring yet so terrifying, Robbie shows just why she is the new hot property on the block. Effortlessly carrying forward her inner demons along with a fun-loving edge, Robbie is what will remember coming out. Will Smith is also able to take a poorly written Deadshot and make him into something far better. Relishing his antihero status, Smith succeeds well as the at first elite hitman turned doting father. Desperate to reunited with his daughter, he also feels a bond with this group he has become entangled with. Jai Courtney once again comes off short changed in a big blockbuster as his Captain Boomerang offers little else other than filling the Aussie bogan stereotype. Jared Leto looks and sounds the part of the Joker, but we need far more from this guy next time out because Batman could have another great nemesis.

Suicide Squad is a movie that you keep holding out for something great to happen, but like Batman v Superman before it, it simply underwhelms.

Gears of War: Review of Fury

Fury

Director: David Ayer

By Alex Watson

As Plato once wrote "Only the dead have seen the end of war" and this will most likely continue to be the case in the world we live in. War films have forever been a staple of good storytelling in Hollywood and Saving Private Ryan has so far set the bar in terms of WW2 films. This week writer/director David Ayer brings us an account of a tank crew facing insurmountable odds in his film, Fury. But how can this movie compete against an already established field?

Sergeant Don 'Wardaddy' Collier (Brad Pitt) is the tortured yet adored soul of a fiercely loyal tank crew consisting of Boyd (Shia LaBeouf), Grady (Jon Bernthal) and Gordo (Michael Pena). The squad is tired of war but continues to kill Germans nonetheless. Things are complicated by the arrival of rookie gunner Norman (Logan Lerman) who has to learn quickly the lessons of war and its scars, particularly when the crew finds itself stuck in the open with 300 armed Germans strolling into view!

David Ayer's Fury is a credible attempt by this man to get away from the police genre he has been stuck with in the past. His movie makes for a compelling view of the strained final days of WW2 and for the most part, it works very well. We open with a potent shot of a German officer on a white horse emerging from the smog and trekking across a field filled with destroyed US tanks. The ghosts of war are already present and the loss of innocence and sense of impending death that follows gives a haunting spirit hanging over Ayer's film.

When we meet our heroes, they are not portrayed as heroes by any means. This group of beleaguered GI's have the horrors of war painted on their expressions, but still they struggle on. Wardaddy is not made out to not be any kind of likable persona. His cold blooded killing of SS officers and often ruthless approach to war such as "History is Violent!" at points makes him no better than the Nazi's he sets out to kill. But as a leader, he has the firm head while the bullets fly and is determined to fulfill a promise to see his boys get home. From this you can see why his group would follow him through fire.

Aside from some neat and tense moments, such as a stunning shot of a sky swimming with bomber planes- Ayer fails to really break any new ground in this film and the stuff on display we have seen too many times before. This squad are the same type of grizzled veterans that Spielberg introduced previously and sadly they fail to add any real depth to proceedings. The side story of the dehumanizing of new recruit Norman is one that feels a little cliched as he goes from wimpy young cub to gun roaring lion by the films climax.

But what it make lack in originality, Fury makes up for it pure thrills and we are given a finale battle that leaves us hanging in excitement. Stuck at a crossroad with 300 germans rolling into view and nowhere to run, the crew decides to make one brave (albeit suicidal) last stand! Watching the bullet swarm around like fireflies and the night sky lit up with shell blastings, this is one sequence that stands out and surprisingly gives us a poignant yet taut ending that it so badly requires.

As normal Brad Pitt does well as the disturbed combat master Wardaddy, but it doesn't feel like a role that particularly stretches his ability. Cleverly Pitt gives his nature a very rough edge and makes him out to be borderline hero and enemy. Throughout though we are drawn to Pitt and he proves to be troubled face of war.

In the supporting ranks, Shia LaBeouf delivers a performance that is surprisingly excellent as war torn technician Boyd. Demonstrating a range of emotion that many wouldn't have thought likely, LaBeouf demonstrates his potential and hopefully this will prove to be some kind of a turning point for this man! Logan Lerman again impresses post Percy Jackson, but although he tries his best, Norman is not the endearing character that we yearn for him to be.

Fury might not be in the same league as more recent efforts such as The Hurt Locker in terms of thrills or good story lines. But it does provide a very realistic and gut stirring view of the last days of war. Aided by some good performances, this is still an effort that deserves your attention.

Three October Movies To Get Excited About

As we move closer to award season, the films that will be in contention are slowly rearing their heads. TIFF brought us a taste for what is to come, but now we are back to regularly scheduled multiplex showings. Here are my three picks for October!

Nightcrawler 

Dan Gilroy's suspenseful and pulsating Los Angeles set crime thriller has been a smash hit with critics so far. Telling the story of ambitious freelance crime journalist Lou (Jake Gyllenhaal) who becomes gradually more obsessed with the dark underbelly of his occupation which leads to him crosses a dangerous line! Gyllenhaal has been proven to do intense acting well and it appears that this could be one of his career best!

Fury 

War movies have always been a staple of award season nominations and it appears that director David Ayer could have a contender on his hands with Fury. Set against the backdrop of WW2, Sergeant Dan 'War Daddy' Collier (Brad Pitt) commands a fatigued Sherman tank crew who soon find themselves involved in one hell of a battle where the odds are firmly stacked against them! From the clips on display this could prove to be an exciting underdog stories with a firm heart to support it! With a solid cast including Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, Logan Lerman and well... Shia LaBeouf this is one to watch.

Birdman 

Mexican maverick, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu returns next month with his comedy-drama Birdman. The revolves around fading star Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) who is synonymous for playing superhero 'Birdman' and his attempting to get his career back on track by staging a bizzare broadway show- only for his mind to slowly unravel! From the looks of things this could well be a memorable and dark comedy drama from Inarritu and most likely, a revaletory turn from Keaton that cleverly mocks his former turn as 'The Dark Knight' aka Batman!