Suicide Squad - What Exactly Are We Looking For?

As the release of David Ayer’s motion picture based on the DC comics is drawing closer, it’s about time we all stopped being negative and started focusing on the huge opportunity this film has. 

As many will be aware, it is nearly time for San Diego to fall into its annual ritual of becoming a tourist hot spot, as Comic Con is nearly upon us. For those lucky enough to have tickets this is no doubt an exciting time, however for a university student such as myself who has a summer’s worth of rent to pay, ruthless observation of online coverage will have to suffice. Already some of the biggest names on the bill have begun announcing their schedules, with many of us hoping to see some worthwhile footage from upcoming releases. One of the biggest studios present is Warner Brothers, who recently released their full lineup. Among the various names, one of the most important is Suicide Squad, the DC adaptation written and directed by David Ayer, set for UK release on August 5^th.

Now this film is of particular interest, not only because it’s a film that many of us geeks have wanted to see for some time, but because there has been a certain level of controversy surrounding it. I remember looking through Twitter on the day that Jared Leto was first announced as Joker, which really split the internet into schisms. Then as the first trailer was leaked there were numerous people (including myself) complaining that it looked too serious and did not look like a fun film. This was not helped by the second trailer which was tonally the polar opposite, with Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody being used as the soundtrack for a seemingly light-hearted film with copious amounts of humour. It left quite a lot of us confused because the two trailers felt as though they were for completely different films, and it wasn’t exactly clear if this film was going to be action packed fun, or serious and brooding drivel that would fit perfectly into the washed out grey scale DCEU that Zack Snyder is intend on constructing. Thankfully, when the third trailer was released it filled a lot of us with much more confidence, as it seemed they had settled on creating a genuinely fun film that didn’t take itself too seriously.

While many people are already anticipating this film to be a severe let down, personally I am feeling strangely optimistic about it. We’ve seen a lot of footage already but they haven’t alluded to much in terms of plot, which I actually quite like. I would much prefer to go into a film with something of a blindfold on so it can take me by surprise. There are some details they haven’t provided that we can make intelligent guesses at, for instance it’s clear that the Joker is not necessarily the main villain of the film, and we may see a main villain in the form of someone else. Either way, whether we know what’s coming or not, it’s best to keep an open mind. As a rule I always approach a new film with a completely open mind, regardless of any initial thoughts or predispositions, which isn’t exactly easy when the person at the helm is not necessarily a filmmaker I have been particularly nice to in the past. It’s not that I dislike David Ayer, it’s just his work hasn’t had a huge impact on me. I quite liked his writing for Training Day and I am willing to overlook his contribution in the formation of the Fast & Furious franchise, but either way I’m not letting any previously established views of him influence my experience of Suicide Squad.

Through the frustration of people openly attacking the film, which is illogical considering they haven’t actually seen it yet, I think it makes far more sense to remain optimistic. Instead of taking the time to complain about what COULD be rubbish about this film, or reasons why it COULD be bad, what I’ve done is focused on giving this film a fair chance. At the end of the day, this film has a lot of potential and has a tremendous opportunity to be fantastic. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of elements I want to see in Suicide Squad, based on what I think would make a good film, and also what I think is achievable given the particulars. They’re not in a specific order, other than those I have prioritised, which are marked (*) before.

Well directed action

This film is being released in the same year as Deadpool, which had some incredibly slick action sequences that were expertly choreographed, but also Captain America: Civil War. The potential problem with this is that Civil War was directed by the Russo Brothers, who with two films have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with. I can’t adequately articulate how talented the Russos are when it comes to directing action, and with Civil War they delivered some of the best comic book related film I have ever seen. Now I’m not trying to suggest this film has to compete with Civil War, but it would be nice to see another film that provides us with high quality action that isn’t just loud, head ache inducing set pieces. From the trailer my initial thought is that they have done a good job with the action, I’m just hoping this is consistent throughout the film and is tonally suited to the fun experience we all want.

A good sense of humour

I know I’ve already touched upon this briefly, but the third trailer filled me with a lot more hope because there were moments that are genuinely quite funny, and that’s how this film should be! Think about it, it’s a film about some of DCs creepiest and weirdest villains being assembled to fight crime that even superheroes won’t go near, and if they misbehave or step out of line then the government has jurisdiction to blow up their heads on the spot. To me, that just screams fun, it doesn’t sound like something that can be taken seriously. I know we’re all expecting to see a lot of action in this film, but at the same time I want to see some genuinely funny exchanges between characters. What we need to remember is they're not necessarily friends, they’re just weirdos who have been bundled together by the government, so they’re going to grate against each other and piss each other off enormously, and I think it’s those scenes that could really place this film above others.

A great ensemble cast

What really makes comic book films with a lot of characters stand out, is the ensemble cast. The two Avengers films have been pretty darn good, and part of that is because the cast consists of actors who are perfect for their roles. On the flip side, when I saw Batman v Superman earlier this year I felt that there were some actors who were absolutely suited to their roles (Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot) but there were too many who were not (Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams etc.) which had a negative impact on the film and made it less engaging. In the case of Suicide Squad I don’t necessarily have a problem with the cast list, I wouldn’t claim to be a fan of some of the actors, but that doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be bad in the film. I know some people are worried about Will Smith as Deadshot, but personally I think the real weak links could be Jared Leto as The Joker, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, and Cara Delevigne as Enchantress because I’ve never really liked anything I have seen of them, but I am hoping that they really pull through with this film.

A solid villain

It’s not necessarily an important factor, but it would be nice to see a powerful villain that actually has a plan of some consequence. DC are usually quite good with picking from their rogues gallery, unlike Marvel who in recent years have not been as successful. At the very least I want this film to have a villain that is memorable. At the moment it looks as though The Joker could be a potential villain, but he mainly looks as though he’s going to be there to derail the Suicide Squad from their mission and just cause a little chaos. The real villain as far as I’m aware is a more mystical figure, so I’m placing my money on it being the Tattoo Man, someone who can use the tattoos on their body to create physical objects. I think he would be quite a good villain for the team to take down together and is something different to what we’ve seen before.

*Balance between character and content.

One of the main problems that can often arise with comic book films is that the run time is not enough to cover all of the content needed. In particular Watchmen was nearly three hours long and was still not enough to cover everything in detail, the same as Batman v Superman which had many structural problems because if felt like five different films badly placed together. However, when it’s done properly it can make a film awesome. Casing point, Civil War had one major threat, which was that it had a lot of characters in it, so many of us were worried that not all of the characters were going to get the screen time and development they deserved. Thankfully, they managed to absolutely nail it and make a fantastic film that was perfectly balanced. That’s what I’m hoping for with Suicide Squad because from what I can gather the film is going to have a lot to cover. Not only will this film have its own basic plot, but it seems as though it’s also going to cover the formation of the squad itself, as well as the origin of Enchantress and Harley Quinn, with The Joker and Batman thrown in for good measure. Obviously that’s a lot of characters and a lot of content to cover in one film, so I’m hoping that structurally this film is not too bloated, and manages to give each character the right screen time, so that there is genuine development in both the plot and characters.

*A perfect Harley Quinn

For me this is one of the most important elements of this film, because I absolutely love the character and it’s her first time outing on the big screen so there is so much pressure to get it right. I already love their choice of actor, I think Margot Robbie is fantastic and is absolutely well suited to the role, so I’m just hoping they’ve written her to be the character that we all want to see. She is going to be one of the more fun characters in the film, and it’s the chaotic and poorly disciplined nature behind her character that we’re all used to that makes us love her. She’s not just a sidekick to The Joker, she is an interesting and exciting character in her own right so I think it will be really interesting to see her as a strong female character without as many ties to The Joker. Also, we’ve already got a shred of hope because the studio has practically been given the green light to make a solo Harley Quinn film, which to me shows that they’ve got confidence in the character and in Robbie’s performance, so I am really excited to see just what they’ve done with the character.  

*A completely different Joker

I can't stress how important this is for me, because it is a character I care about so much. In all of fiction I would say without a doubt The Joker is one of my favourite characters, and I love seeing different incarnations of him, so the prospect of seeing a new take on the character is somewhat exciting. I was worried when they first announced Jared Leto as the actor playing The Joker because I admit I do not like him as an actor, but after seeing the trailers I am filled with a lot more confidence because it looks as though Leto has genuinely done something interesting with the character and is taking it to a place it hasn’t been before. And that’s exactly what we need, because the character of The Joker is so complex we don't just want to see a Heath Ledger impression or a Mark Hamill impression, we want to see something original. Because the character is so popular with audiences, there is a lot of responsibility when putting him to film. He wasn’t an original member of the Suicide Squad, so the fact they’ve decided to make him a part of this film is a risky move, because he’s not a character to be taken lightly, he can’t just be thrown in effortlessly. If you're going to put The Joker in a film then it should be because you actually have something contribute, there are no half measures with this character. While I was initially sceptical, I now have a lot more confidence in Leto’s performance and would even go as far as to say I am excited to see his Joker because it looks like a completely new spin on the character.

*Harley Quinn AND The Joker

While it is important to get these characters right individually, it is also incredibly important that this film gets their relationship right. If you’ve seen the characters in the animated series then you’ll be used to a fairly stable relationship that shows at least the basics of a caring partner, but if like me you read the comics, then you’ll undoubtedly be aware that it’s not all roses between this couple. The relationship a lot of us are expecting to see is one of a dysfunctional nature, with Harley being hopelessly in love with The Joker despite how badly he treats her. It won’t be particularly pleasant, but the Stockholm Syndrome element of their relationship is some of the most important characterisation we can see for these two, and if they do it properly in the film then it will really add to the overall experience.

*Wider connections to the DCEU

This might be a little far-fetched, but what DC have been appalling at in recent years is world building. While Marvel have been building a complex cinematic universe that is interconnected with their TV shows, DC have been a little disjointed and have been chasing their own tail so they’re having to play catch up. Now I’m not expecting this film to open up a whole new cinematic universe that is connected to every character, but the inclusion of Ben Affleck does give me a shred of hope that this will somehow link into Batman v Superman and we’ll learn a little bit more about Batman’s past. We already know there’s a defaced Robin outfit in the Batcave, so a little Death in the Family styled story telling wouldn’t go amiss here, and in the comics there’s a lot of tension between Batman and Amanda Waller, so I’m hoping there's a smooth and clear connection between the films so we at least have some universe building.

I’m not exactly going to be taking this list with me into the screening and ticking things off as I go, but it is a loose outline of my expectations of the film and what I would really like to see. I won’t be following it strictly, and equally I will not be disappointed if the film turns out to be completely different, just as long as the finished product is a good film. It’s a shame that so many people are being so negative about the film before seeing it, but that only makes me want it to be even better, so that it’s an enjoyable experience for a geek like me, and it proves the cynics wrong at the same time. 

For now at least, I have faith in this film.