Did I like Man of Steel? Yes, I did. Did I like Batman V. Superman? No, I did not. So I had high hopes yet middling actual expectations for this new addition to the other comic book cinematic universe.
Mostly, this was an enjoyable ride. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has this crazy idea. In a world where Superman is “dead”, the government wants someone on their side who is more than just a normal soldier. They want people with special abilities. But, since Aquaman and Wonder Woman aren’t in this movie, they just grab up the folks they have in prison that fit the requirement, stick remote-controlled bombs in their heads, and make them into a team. I guess this idea made some kind of sense in the comics, but on screen, you just have to go with the flow, or else you’ll second-guess every second of the film.
So, who’ve we got? A guy who never misses a shot (Will Smith), a psychotic former psychologist (Margot Robbie), a gang-banger-turned-fire-demon (Jay Hernandez), a walking crocodile (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), an archaeologist possessed by the spirit of an ancient sorceress (Cara Delevigne), a dude who uses boomerangs (Jai Courtney) and another dude who is really good at tying knots…I think (Adam Beach).
Who else do we have? Their military dude minder (Joel Kinnaman) and his sidekick, a girl with a magic sword (Karen Fukuhara). Oh, and Harley’s old boyfriend, a guy called The Joker (Jared Leto).
Dang. Doesn’t it feel like introducing all the characters would take the whole film? It kind of does. The actual plot is somewhat thin. One of the team decides to try to end the world, and the rest of the team has to stop them. There’s friction and bonding and double-crosses.
It’s kind of funny (Robbie steals the show) and it’s kind of exciting. But it never really gels as an Avengers-style team up, nor really devolves into a Pulp Fiction-style crime adventure. I would have preferred one or the other.
On the whole, it’s kind of forgettable, but harmless entertainment.
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