Suicide Squad (2016)

Well, here we are again. Fresh off of The Legend of Tarzan, we continue our Margot Robbie filmography watch through with Suicide Squad (2016).

Title: Suicide Squad

Director: David Ayer

Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes

Watched via: HBOMAX

IMDb synopsis: A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.

If you came here and expected me to bring a fresh take with this one, I apologize in advance. Everything that one could possibly say about this movie has already been said, both the good and the bad.

I will say though, even after a rewatch, I don’t think this is anywhere near as bad as some claim it to be. Is it a mess? Absolutely. But, it is a fun mess. Could we have done without Boomerang (Jai Courtney) and benefited from a larger focus on Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)? One thousand percent, yes. There is plenty to enjoy about this movie though.

Jared Leto is an incredibly polarizing actor. There seems to be no one who says, “Yeah, he isn’t bad.”. I tend to fall into the camp who enjoys his work but can also call a dud a dud (looking at you, Paolo Gucci). While the portrayal of Joker he gives us is over the top in a bizarre way, isn’t that what the Joker is supposed to be? I’m not saying he should have won awards, but credit for trying something different with it.

Will Smith as Deadshot did a fair amount of heavy lifting throughout this movie. Say what you will about him after “the slap”, but the guy can act. The wit that he brings to the character helps save a fair number of the scenes he’s in. And when he needs to come across as the caring father, he flips a switch and goes full The Pursuit of Happyness.

But who are we kidding? The real MVP of Suicide Squad (2016) is the one and only Margot Robbie. As we have been working our way through her filmography, she has had a few somewhat prominent roles. However, none of them come close to her performance here. Talk about a coming out party. She is easily one of the best comic book to silver screen adaptations. You could sit and fantasy recast a lot of characters in the DC universe but you would be hard pressed to come up with someone better to play the role of Harley Quinn. Whether she loves it or hates it, Margot Robbie will always be known for this role.

Yes, there is a supposed Ayer cut of the film that exists. Would I watch it if it were ever released? I absolutely would. But you won’t catch me being all toxic cultish fanbase about it. If it comes out, great. If it doesn’t, hey at least we found positives in this one.

Where do you stand on Suicide Squad (2016)? Do you love it? Can’t stand it? Let me know what you think in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

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So what is up next? Well, next up in the Margot Robbie filmography watch through will be 2017’s I, Tonya. Currently, I, Tonya is available to stream on Hulu.

But that’s not all. Since we are now in October, that means it is prime time for all things scary. I am going to try my best to bring a weekly review of a recent horror movie I have watched starting this week. This will most likely begin with the new Hellraiser. I will also be keeping you updated on my progress in the #150DaysOfHorror challenge as we approach the finish line.

Do you have any favorites that you plan to rewatch for Halloween this month? Is there anything new coming out that you are excited to see?