Saban's Power Rangers Review

(Minor Spoilers – I will get into some minor details regarding the setup but nothing about the specific character moments and development that were present in the film.  I will discuss only my thoughts on each character as a whole as well as the execution of the script on screen)

As a child of the 90’s, it was a good time to be watching TV shows both in live action and animated with the American/Japanese Super Sentai show Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers being popular at the time.  There are fond memories to be had with the show from a Spartan Pig terrorizing the city to a rapping Pumpkin King stopping a trivia show game with our heroic teens in it, this show really was goofy as hell but had a charming innocence to it that grab our attention but like any show, we grow out of it or it grows up and surpasses our expectation to a point.  That was the extent of my memory for the show as it ended for me after Power Rangers In Space, that had some really intriguing story elements and compelling character moments as well as bringing an end to the Zordon era of the show.  This is brought up to give context to the overall thoughts on this cinematic revival of the iconic, kids action show simply called Saban’s Power Rangers as both a filmmaker viewing the film on its own merits and as a former fan of the series that has some precursor knowledge of the show that is referenced or setup for future sequels.  Let’s get into and see if these teenagers with attitudes are the Power Rangers for our modern times.

About 65 million years ago, the Power Rangers of that period, led by Zordon (Bryan Cranston) are betrayed and killed by Rita Repulsa as a Green Ranger (Elizabeth Banks) to possess the Zeo Crystal but Zordon buries the power coins and embeds a directive into the morphing grid to grant the power of the Rangers to those that are proven worthy before being buried and frozen in ice along with Rita.  Cut to present times, we are introduced to our teenagers with attitudes and problems with Jason Scott (Dacre Montgomery), a former Football star that is trying to find where he fits in this world, Kimberly Hart (Naomi Scott), a disgraced cheerleader looking to atone for her mistakes, Billy Cranston (RJ Cyler), an autistic genius that has trouble clicking with people, Trini (Becky G), a conflicted outcast that is trying to find acceptance in who she is, with others, and Zack (Ludi Lin), a caretaker for his sick mother as well as an outcast to society in a mining camp.  Each of them eventually meet up with each other to investigate a mysterious dig site the holds the buried Dino Coins and a passage to a ship based command center that holds the life force of Zordon and the faithful, sarcastic robot assistant Alpha 5 (Bill Hadar).  However, Rita Repulsa awakens from her slumber and causes havoc in Angel Grove for possession of the Zeo Crystal with her dark magic and use of creatures called the Puttys.  The Team must band together and learn to trust in each other to master the ability to morph and fight evil as the Power Rangers.

This is pretty much an origin story beat for beat that develops the characters before we get to the action and story/visual characteristics, most people came for with the Power Rangers.  As a teenager drama, it is surprisingly engaging and appreciated to see the characters develop and interact with each other.  This is due in part to the passionate, focused acting of the actors picked for these characters apart from one character that was not quite as remarkable as the other team members.  It is at its best in giving us time to develop this team, the threat Rita imposes on the city, and the inner workings of the morphing grid as well as how being in sync as a team is the only way for morphing to work.  It allows for the viewer to really like these characters and really get behind their journey from being outcasts to becoming heroes to the world as Power Rangers.  Therefore, the film works in regards to character development, world building, and set up before it kind of falters when it comes to committing to its inherently goofy source material for the climax.

Where the split with critical consensus among fans and critics occur for this film is ironically the climax, when they get to the Power Rangers action that no doubt will please fans but will come across as a drastic change and underwhelming pay off for the dramatic film that it was for 2/3^rd’s of it.  The action becomes CGI heavy and it is weightless for most the Ranger fight with the Puttys which is not assuring to see, especially if the battles should get complex in the sequels.  While the Zords are discernable and look better than anticipated in the film as recognizable, they become a blurry mess near the end when they fight together to stop a generic big monster villain called Goldar, a big faceless gold Oscar Statue looking to be loved but really sticks out in the small town of Angel Grove.  This is pointed out because it stands in stark contrast with the grounded, gritty tone for most of the story, only for the film to switch gears fast but never quite pulling it off with only a modicum of success.  It is evident in the way Rita transforms from a vengeful, bitter Ranger to the cackling, hammy witch that the Rangers contend with in the series that conflicts harshly with the other actors giving their best in this film in regards to acting.  This was ultimately a mix bag as it was cool to see them go into the campiness of the series but never quite feeling honest about it due in part to the assured dramatic tone of the first half of this film. 

As for the actors, they are surprisingly good from everyone involved starting with the main cast themselves.  Dacre Montgomery handles the leadership role of Jason well, displaying some natural chemistry with Scott as Kim and Cyler as Billy.  Naomi Scott does pretty well as Kim especially with her character moments throughout the later parts of the film with Jason.  RJ Cyler as Billy is the standout of the cast and becomes the heart of the team especially since he is continuing to prove his acting prowess after his stellar supporting role in a previous Teenage drama film Me, Earl, And The Dying Girl.  Ludi Lin is pretty much the comic relief and has some suitable moments of humor and character development that makes him fit well with this cast.  The only weak link would have to be Becky G as Trini as she seems to be coasting through most of the film as well as her somewhat snarky, edgy attitude of the character never really clicking with the other characters or cast members.  The whole cast is relatively good outside of one member that was personally not as interesting as the other characters but they truly carry the entire film despite the issues regarding the script and direction when it’s morphin’ time. 

The rest of the cast are suitably apt for the role mainly with the supporting cast and villains.  There are at least one or two character actors that are decent in their respective roles for the little time they are on screen mainly Jason’s dad Sam Scott (David Denman).  Bryan Cranston as Zordon provides a capable, steely performance to what is a flawed version of the Rangers’ mentor.  Bill Hader as Alpha 5 was a bit annoying but not so much that he was grating to watch and pulled off the bumbling assistant well enough.  The one standout of the supporting cast is Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa who is having a blast just hamming it up, delivers cheesy as hell dialogue, and is ultimately an over the top cartoon villain that does fit into the Power Rangers formula but is a stark contrast to the mature, grounded tone for the first and second acts.  That should cover the acting on display here along with the story itself.

It's time to get into the technical aspects of the film mainly with action set pieces, editing/cinematography, costume designs, and finally the score itself to round out the overall opinions on this film.  The action set pieces are actually few and far in between for most of the film as it settles for more of character drama rather than the fast, kinetic action adventure tone of the show in general.  When the Rangers get suited up and fight the Puttys (big, oversized golems, not a very creative design), it is just a CGI, sloppy toss up exchange between visibly cool to weightless and generic.  As for the big battle at the end, it does tend to be convoluted at times with moving parts, building destruction, and eventually the blandest, transformer inspired design of the Megazord, which was a very lackluster reveal with only a brief time to fight and more time given to slapstick/crass humor.  The action was set up just fine for what you expect from this series but the delivery of it, left a lot to be desired for in another sequel.

As for the suits, they are perfectly fine and a timely update to the traditional outfits from the TV show all those years ago.  It is a blend between practical and CGI applications for their off visor look and the suits move surprisingly well in action.  Even Rita’s costume design looks great as well with a mix between her scantily cladded witch with the shiny, menacing sharp look of the Green Ranger armor on her.  However, the need to show their face in the battle was kind of annoying and really feels forced so we do not get scenes that would remind us of other, better superhero films.  It would not have been difficult to discern who the Rangers are with the visors on especially since they established who each of the Rangers are in colors.  These are well made suits that are cool to look at but are implemented questionably at times during the climax of the film.

The cinematography and editing of the film is a bit of a mix bag in generally especially in the way the camera is utilized and how the cuts flow together specifically in the action set pieces.   There are times when it feels like the director and Camera Operator or DP really wanted to have a cool shot in there for the sake of it and it shows at times since it kind of undercuts certain character moments at the worst time.  It also doesn’t help that the DP seems to favor too much of the shots in dark color palettes, drowning out whatever composition the shot was going to be on the screen.  Also, the action tends to be quite frantic at times and a bit too closed into the action that makes the Putty’s CGI too apparent and the fight choreography lack any form of style to it.  It seems a bit uninspired in the way it is shot and is driven mainly by the actors who really give it their all in their performances.

We finally get to the score itself as well as the callbacks to the original theme that was catchy and memorable to hear even for a new fan of the series.  The music score is very generic and bland which is a shame since this is a superhero styled series that was known for some awesome, fitting music.  It has its moments and is mainly fine in an incidental way but really lacks any distinctive characteristics to it especially when it uses popular music at the most inappropriate time in the climax.  The theme song does kick in during the Dino Bots rushing to Angel Grove’s rescue and it was amazing to hear it but it only last for a grand total of 15-20 seconds before a Kayne West song kicks in, which is a perfectly encapsulation of the film itself.  A ton of build up for a lackluster commitment to its own source material.  The score is nothing memorable and you only hear the theme song at one point in the film and mainly in the end credits.

So, does it succeed in bringing this long running, beloved kids action show that dominated the 90’s in TV back into the big screen or does it feel too much of the same old in its execution and its confused nature of the tone for this film really hurts its chance at a comeback?  The answers lies in the middle regarding the overall quality for Saban’s Power Rangers.  It succeeds in making us feel invested and care for the teenager team behind the mask, which makes for some surprisingly compelling, coming of age drama throughout most of its run-time.  However, it also has to be a Power Rangers film as well and it kind of falls flat with the modern day execution of its inherently goofy elements feels hollow and it is also a bit shameless at using product placement as a plot point at the worst possible time.  The cast is fantastic, outside of Becky G whom I felt was just phoning it in as Trini but the whiplash in style and tone of the film along with the questionable direction of the last 30 minutes, makes this a somewhat enjoyable yet uninspired superhero action film that does not do enough in updating its source material to stand out from the plethora of comic book styled/superhero films being released currently.

Score *** out of *****   

Saban’s Power Rangers is a timely yet cautiously made adaptation of an action kids show that was at the peak of its popularity way back in the 90’s.  It confidently gives the characters’ layers of drama and development in the interactions and traits to feel properly invested in them as they grow as a team and finally come together as the Power Rangers.  However, the only weak link in the cast is Becky G as Trini but the drastic change in tone from Rita Repulsa going from scary witch to cartoonish villain not only feels out of tune with the rest of the film but it feels rushed and noncommittal to its goofy shift in the climax.  The action scenes feel weightless and hollow to watch at times and the big battle at the end is a bit of a letdown in how short and anticlimactic it was as a conclusion.  Outside of the cool looking suits, it feels too darkly lit, lacks any inspired shot compositions to be cinematic, and it never feels comfortable to embrace the outlandish, cheesy source material in art design for the film.  This is a prime example of just mediocre but could be improved as the foundation for a sequel, since it is still tied to the show and it can be interesting to see where they go next with the sequels on the horizon. 

Get Out Review

(This is going to be tricky but rest assured that I will have no major plot/character spoilers in my review as this is one film worth seeing on your own but I will go into the basic details as well as the performances from the cast to really convey my thoughts on the whole film. Enjoy!)

With the success of the sketch comedy show Key & Peele, the sky was the limit for both Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele for whatever they pursued next for their projects.  This leads to Jordan Peele’s directorial debut film called Get Out, a psychological/mystery horror film that owes a lot to those classic genre films in the veins of Hitchcock but modernized for today’s culture.  The confident, steady direction, tense build-up to the revelations, strong performances from the entire cast, likeable character writing/tight scripting on display, a clever blend of satire and societal humor regarding race/social norms of the suburbs, and another technically refined film in sound design make for quite the combination for a debut film.  It is one of the few horror films that feels well rounded and balanced in when it establishes its world but also to turn up the creepiness in all the right places. Let’s get into it with the main gist of the story.

We follow a young, talented Black photographer named Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who is dating Rose (Allison Williams), his white girlfriend living together in an apartment in New York City happily for a few months now.  They go on a home visit trip to Rose’s family home out in upstate New York just as his buddy from TSA Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery), takes care of their home and dog while they are away.  As soon as they arrive, Rose’s parents Dean Armitage (Bradley Whitford) and Missy Armitage (Catherine Keener) are quite friendly yet off along with the Black house/garden keeper Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and Walter (Marcus Henderson) despite the idyllic setting of the place.  However, the more of the people Chris sees around the neighborhood, the more off-putting it gets as he discovers the mystery behind their family, their black servants, and a strange technique that could reveal a nightmare too horrible to imagine or remember.

That’s the general gist without going into details but suffice to say, this is a well-paced and cleverly structured horror story on display here with a love for the genre and implemented with a blend of satirical dark humor along with a genuine sense of dread and creepiness that is present throughout this whole film.  All the characters are writing wonderfully and feel like believable yet flawed human beings that make sensible choices to their characters especially when their own set of quirks or traits are flipped into the extremities as the horror component finally takes over gradually.  It really felt like a great genre blend of the social thriller with a family drama/comedy which Peele made it work for his story as well as the characters living up to but subverting those character troupes you would expect from this type of film.  The story is compelling, creepy in all the right ways, engaging, and satisfyingly enjoyable from start to finish.

It is also worth noting how this film approaches racism with its social commentary without diluting it or being arrogantly pretentious about it.  The humor is absolutely spot on when it clicks especially with that feeling of cringe like embarrassment when dealing with people that do not understand another person and his/her ethnicity.  It is also tied into the main mystery of the film and felt very organic in its reason to be a part of the motivation for this story.  Thankfully, it never felt like it must poke fun at racism for the sake of it but really when it matters to the story and the characters’ discomfort about it.  It had to be mention as that will be the main pre-conceived contention with this film when it is clearly unwarranted.  While it does have elements of racism, it is handled with subtlety and intention behind it as well as tying in well with the comedy and horror elements smoothly.    

Now, for the performances of the cast starting with the leads then the supporting cast themselves.
Daniel Kaluuya as Chris is an upcoming star in the making especially after turning heads with his passionate, powerful performance on the BBC/Netflix show Black Mirror.  He gives the right amount of charisma and vulnerability to make the audience root for him to survive without feeling the need to see him bite the dust.  Another surprise is Allison Williams as Rose, who really showcases her charming personality and magnetic chemistry with Kaluuya which makes the romance believable and impact the most when it takes its turn for the worse.  It is also worth noting Lil Rel Howery as Rod Williams as he provides legitimate, well written comedy relief in the most appropriate places in the story that allows for us to really be a part of this mystery without detracting from the main story itself.  The notable leads were fantastic in this film along with a strong, memorable supporting cast to really set this apart from most directed horror films.

Each of the family members with all their quirks and character traits that feel well defined and add to the atmosphere of the setting as we learn more about their home as well as their family history.  With Rose’s father Dean, Bradley Whitford really plays up the dutiful yet friendly father nicely to ease the characters into the setting before it gets flipped upside down.  Catherine Keener as Missy, the psychologist with a knack for hypnosis really provides a steady, surreal performance to go along with some of the most subdued, yet unnervingly psychological moments in the film. Even Rose’s Brother Jeremy Armitage (Caleb Landry Jones) really starts to get the uneasiness going early especially with his dialogue even though he is not as developed or quite memorable compared to the other cast members in the film.  It is also worth mentioning the housekeeper Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson) as they both do an exceptional job with the scenes given to them as well as providing for some of the creepier, surreal moments in the film.  Overall, the cast fit their roles perfectly with charisma and passion for the material at work here.

Let’s get into the technical aspects of the film starting with the cinematography and editing of this film.  This is a wonderfully shot film with a great use of the location and lighting as well to shape it to the intention of the scenes.  It is admirable to see how much it relies on those long takes with minimal cuts to it, effective in establishing and maintain the atmosphere with such confidence and patience that has not be seen in many horror films these days.  That ties into the evenly paced speed of the film’s story through the editing as it allows for us to really absorb the setting, family, history of the place, and the characters’ interaction to never truly feel slow or fast in the way the narrative moves in this film.  The script was already good to begin with but the technical aspects of the editing and cinematography really allow for it to flow so well that it is worth commending it for keeping the audience intrigued and focused on where the story will go next.

Lastly, there is the sound design of the film from the use of the sound effects as well as the minimalistic soundtrack at work here.  This is another horror film that utilizes sound effectively to create tension and moments of unease in the right places.  It never felt like it was used for a cheap scare at all and really adds to the film and its atmosphere instead of detracting from it.  As for the soundtrack, there is a clever use of low key blues music at times but more of that 70’s low-key orchestra that really plays well to the idyllic yet isolating nature of the setting.  The sound design is effective at its implementation and use to really create this ominous yet scary soundscape to the film.

While Split was a good start to this year of horror, Get Out is truly a surprisingly effective, creepy psychological horror film that really plays with the genre expectations and delivers on that feeling of dread that many films of this genre have difficulty achieving.  It is worth noting that it really comes across like a tale that you would expect out of a The Twilight Zone or even Tales From The Crypt episode in how it combines elements of genres to tell a story with purpose and intention behind it.  That is what this film accomplishes with great success from the sharp screenplay on display here as well as the amazingly good direction from Jordan Peele to really get the finest performances out of his talented, phenomenal cast here.  This is going to be one for the books with horror films and that alone is quite the debut for a filmmaker who was finally given a chance to really make the kind of genre driven film he wanted to make.

Score: ***** out of *****

Get Out is a fantastic, expertly crafted horror film debut for Jordan Peele as a director and writer, who continues to showcase his ability to craft a structured story of a genre with care and passion for it on a dramatic and comedic level.  This also features a stellar cast that fit each role perfectly and play up each of the well-defined characters quirks so well that it feels naturally scary and creepy when the horror elements kick in.  It also handles racism and the social commentaries with such surprisingly subtlety and care to make it fit with the comedic/horror moments of its story.  The technical aspects are no slouch either with some truly inspired cinematography with some tense yet patient editing of the story as well as another film with an effective sound design at work here.  This is one family home trip worth paying a visit to in theaters.      

La La Land Review

It seems like a long time ago when we were given musicals on a frequent basis but since the 2010’s, it has been quite lacking with any sort of memorable or competently done musical film of any kind.  This is where Damien Chazelle comes in with his latest film called La La Land, a throwback to the great musicals of the 50’s and 60’s as well as the romance classics of the golden age of cinema in the 1930’s and 40’s.  This is one hell of a love letter to musicals that is both conventional with its elaborate music/dance set pieces as well as the typical structure of a romance film but approached and executed with the sensibilities of the real world.  This is a combination that not only works in its favor, but provides a musical that is both magical and compelling heartbreaking to watch as it is celebrates the passion to pursue our dreams but reminds us of what we give to attain those dreams at the cost of being happy or complete as a human being.  So let's get into it and see great this film is for the musical film genre.

Let’s start with our story, set in the present of the wide, lively town of Los Angeles with two vagabond artists coming into town to pursue their dreams with Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) working as a pianist for contemporary music but really for Jazz and Mia (Emma Stone) working hard to become a famous star as an actress.  Their paths cross here and there throughout the city of Angels but it isn’t until one particular theme that would be their overture binds them together either through fate or a feeling but this would serve as a catalyst for their change in life and allow for them to pursue their dreams within tinsel town but at the cost of something more profoundly beautiful and human, love, to make them truly happy.

It is the classic rise to fame/love story but grounded firmly within reality and the harshness of it (which is the inspiration for Chazelle’s screenplay) where this film brings back the beauty and magic of the musical but allows for a real yet tragic romance be the heartbeat of its story as well with the music being shaped around this very idea.  That is the genius behind this story in particular where it honors the conventions of these classic films but finds a way to modernize it for today’s audience by making these characters be more real and human but also extremely flawed and prone to making mistakes in life and pursuing their careers or goals.  It is stunning to see this film really give both sides of its façade equal time to shine as both a magical, mesmerizing musical but also a relatable yet heartbreaking love story that subverts the genre with conviction and confidence in what it wants to convey to the viewers.  Which is why credit must go to the strong, capable script on display here as well as the passionate, creative direction at work here.

Seeing as this is a musical, we should discuss the lead actors first before we get to the elements where the film truly shines in its technical aspects.  The main actor that shines dramatically and in the musical set pieces is Emma Stone as Mia, providing a stellar performance as well as truly showcasing her experience on Broadway here front and center.  That is not to downplay the lively, subdued performance from Ryan Gosling especially with his music background as well along with the exuberantly affectionate chemistry with Emma Stone.  They provide these characters and the story the heartbeat needed to make this love story timely and captivating to see through to the end.  The leads do a great job together and handle their musical numbers exceptionally well in regards to the tightly formed direction and sharp writing for the characters as well as the music on display here.

Every one of the music set pieces is nothing short of brilliant and composed in such visually mesmerizing ways that they deserved to be discussed in regards to the film.  There are a ton of set pieces that are done in either one shot or in a series of tracking long shots that really maintain a level of energy that tends to be missing with modern day musicals.  This also homages a few musical numbers from the past by focusing on the main characters doing a song and dance number that crackles with such love and nostalgia for those classic moments without feeling disingenuous about its intentions.  Each one are not only visually inspired in its composition and framing but are reflective of the characters journey and narrative arcs that really allow for us to relate and eventually understand their actions in the story.  The music is an extension of the character’s conflicts and their growth throughout the story which allows for it to handle the balance between being a romantic drama and whimsical musical so well from the assured, confident direction from Chazelle.

A film can only do so much with its story and sound that the visuals here are just as vibrant and yet naturally composed as the music it showcases in this film.  This is not only a magnificently shot film but composed as well by utilizing so much of the space allotted in each location as well as well as displaying some really snazzy choreographed dance numbers to boot.  You can tell that the director and composer Justin Hurwitz really drew inspiration from the classic musically driven films of the 50’s and 60’s but not just from the states, but from the European scene as well with elements of New Wave cinema present in at least two of the music numbers in this film.  It feels like a blend of the Jazz scene from clubs to bars and the glitzy Hollywood Studio settings but in modern days which really gives character to the place for the purposes of its romance/rise to fame story.  Each music number flows into each other seamlessly without feeling jarring or distracting which is what many musical films tend to suffer from but in here, it is just as much of a character as the lead characters themselves to the story.

After gaining recognition from his love for music in films with Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench as well as Grand Piano and his shot at fame with the short/feature film of Whiplash, his latest film is a summation of what he must have wanted to achieve with being a filmmaker that truly can revitalize a genre singlehandedly with a tremendous amount of passion and effort given to this one in particular.  La La Land is a truly magical yet humanly truthful film of love, fame, ambitions, sacrifices, and regret that expresses all the universal themes that transcends our cultural mindset for a modern time by reminding us of those ideas even if we have forgotten them for some time.  The sparkling performances and chemistry from the leads as well as the wonderfully choreographed and sharply written musical number on display here are nothing short of astounding to watch. This is helped by the exquisite visuals on display here with a great blend of modern/classic costumes, vibrant colors to represent the emotions of the story along with the deliberate lighting methods used here, and the tone of the film feeling nostalgic yet truthful of the reality of their story in LA and the struggle to achieve a dream at the cost of something just as important as our passions in life, love.

SCORE: ***** out of *****

This is a true revival and masterfully made musical romance drama that is both magical and yet grounded in our world with its fantastic, charming performances from Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as well as the sharp, passionate writing/direction from Damien Chazelle as well as the phenomenal original music writing and composition from Justin Hurwitz.  It is also a truly visual film that expresses the magic and harshness of LA without being downtrodden or bleak with its extravagant and minimalist musical numbers.  This is another winner from the director as well as the stars on hand with the composer belting out another finely composed score/music for the film.  This is one film you should dance your way into theaters to check out.

Suicide Squad Review - (Spoilers - Plot/Characters Discussion)

(SPOILER ALERT – I am trying to inject more details into my critique that allows me to go into the positives and negatives of the film. This means that I can be honest about my thoughts on the film and showcase the different parts of the film that are in need of analysis. So, check the last few paragraphs of the film to get my overall thoughts and rating for this film if you wish to avoid spoilers and really get my two cents on it right away.)

Well, it seems like the summer has begun to wind down for big budget, Hollywood films and this year has been mostly a dud for them with the exception of the smaller, independent films breaking out and actually being enjoyable to watch more so than the expensive big films being released at the moment.  With the lukewarm response to Warner Bros. /DC's second film within their Cinematic Universe called Batman V. Superman, the weight of hype and anticipation to justify the creative choices and existence of these films rests with an offbeat, villain team up adventure film from writer/director David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury, Sabotage) based on the comic book series called Suicide Squad.   With a stellar cast portraying prominent and comic book exclusive characters from the series and DC books along with a director utilizing his experience with cast chemistry and group characters dynamics, it seems like a reliable combination to inject some world building and interest for more films set within this story universe.  Does the film succeed in being not only a fun, entertaining film that serves as a good way to inject some energy into a stagnant cinematic universe where Man of Steel and Batman V. Superman faltered in doing so, or is this yet again another compromised film that has some great moments of drama, character development, and action but nothing to really hold it together in its narrative structure in the script and/or the fast, loose direction that David Ayer is known for in his previous films? Let’s dive into it and see why these crazies and criminals were recruited in the first place.

It has been some time after the battle in Gotham City/Metropolis with Doomsday as well as the loss of Superman, allowing for the world to recognize him as the hero he inspired to be in life. This gives a certain, shrewd woman known as Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) a concern regarding humanity’s defense against the growing appearances of Meta-Humans and the dangers they bring to the world. She proposes to the higher ups of the CIA and Military that she wants to form a special operative group filled with criminals and villains with abilities and skills to fight the battles that humans are unable to called Taskforce X. She runs through the dossiers of a series of villains from different DC comic worlds such as Deadshot (Will Smith), a crack shot assassin who kills for the highest bidder to take care of his daughter as a father until his capture. Next up, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) crazed acrobat and squeeze for The Joker (Jared Leto), whose agility and quick reflexes allow her to be versatile and deadly in combat. Followed by Diablo (Jay Hernandez), a flamethrower Meta-Human that can produce massive heat with his ability to scorch people out of existence. You also have Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), an Australian thief that utilizes gadgets and techs via his boomerang to steal before he was captured. The rest of the team are Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a deformed reptilian man who craves human flesh, Slipknot (Adam Beach), with the tech and skills to grapple and climb around with ease. They are all kept under the thumbs of both Waller and Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), a war veteran who is in love with an archaeologist Dr. June Moone (Cara Delevingne) who houses within her a spirit of a witch entity called Enchantress as well as being protected from the squad with a Japanese Swordswoman Katana (Karen Fukuhara) wielding a spiritually fueled sword upon killing a person with it, absorbs their souls into the sword to suffer eternal torment in it.

The main players of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Diablo, Colonel Flag, and Enchantress get backstories via flashbacks and their stories are tied into the main conflict of the film regarding a dimensional rift that takes place at the heart of Midway City (DC’s version of Chicago, Detroit). This prompts the government to approve of Waller’s formation of Taskforce X and inject convicted members of the team with Nano-Bombs that can be detonated and explode their necks/heads (?) if they try to escape from the mission site. This is the main incentive for them to be kept in check before they discover the truth behind the incident and realize that their pettiness towards good and evil must be put aside for a threat that could end up destroying the entire world. They eventually have to put aside their differences and become the heroes they never were able to be, despite being the bad guys to save Midway City and the world.

There were a few story arcs and character moments that did pique some interest for the film. The first one is with Joker and Harley Quinn’s romance, which happens to be the most fascinating story line regarding those characters despite not receiving enough time to develop their relationship. While it does have a few clichés and the execution of the father/daughter dilemma especially near the end is quite goofy and cheesy as hell, Deadshot has the most empathetic story of the cast and is easy to follow as the supposed lead of the group other than Flag. The setup of the squad and their flashback stories was actually interesting to watch unfold and kept the pace even in developing them before the start of the mission. It is also worth mentioning that the bar scene is the one major time we get to see the characters truly work off of each other and you see the true potential that this film had to establish a really memorable team-up. While these story/character components make for the only legitimate good elements to be present here with the plot, there is a slew of issues with the overall narrative that feels disjointed and lacks any sense of cohesion to each of the scenes.

The story is very simplistic in its conflict but overloaded with new characters entering this expanded cinematic universe that Warner Bros./DC are trying to introducing in this film. The majority of it happens to be a series of flashbacks and exposition for at least 40-50 minutes to develop these characters before the mission. That’s right, a chunk of this film dedicated to character development without really moving the plot forward or providing a legitimate reason for the formation of Taskforce X. While the principal cast gets development and arcs to their characters from start to finish, the majority of the cast is left on the sideline and barely impact the story at all which includes The Joker ironically enough. This pertains to the supporting cast of Slipknot, Katana, Killer Croc, and Captain Boomerang as they have distinctive looks and skills but literally zero character development outside the few moments we focus on them for a so called joke/gag or moment with them. The Enchantress ends up being the villain along with Incubus (her brother statue) and they are almost like kinsmen to the lame, forgettable Marvel villains of previous films along with their performances coming across like a really goofy Power Rangers villain of the week. The whole mission is straight out of the plot for the last disaster of a Superhero film Fantastic Four or even the original Ghostbusters with the dimensional rip in need of closure before it tears the entire world apart, just like those climaxes. It was a moronic, uneventful mission to justify the use of villains with and without powers to stand up to the greater threats. While the story has a few moments of great, intriguing plot-lines to develop particularly with Joker/Harley Quinn as well as the full backstory for Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Diablo, there is barely enough character development, exciting action beats, and smooth pacing to really make this into nothing more than a mediocre entry in this cinematic universe for DC yet again.

It is also severely compromised as a film focused on villains being evil but also having to be the heroes of this adventure as well. The use of the deformed zombie army of the Enchantress was to the determent of the tone and energy of the film as it results in dull, darkly lit action set pieces with the occasional lit one in the office building. These baddies are so generic that they seem to have been created solely to not violate that precious PG-13 rating this film wants to maintain, effectively neutering the grit, violent, and dangerous edge the film wants to achieve but never earns it. This also means lots of awkward cuts within the action set pieces to keep us from seeing the brutality of their skills and abilities at times, leading to some really choppy, frantic edits that disrupt the flow of the scenes to either a halt or a confusing blur of action, making it not so easy to discern in its shot and lighting arrangement. Those components will be explored in details but they tied into why the studio was desperate to make this marketable for young teens when it likely compromised the original idea and vision for this film.

The action set pieces also deserve their own section as these ranged from being decent to just absolutely boring to watch. The only decent set pieces were the flashback moments when we saw it as well as some of the beginning street battles with the Zombie like horde as Deadshot displays the few memorable action beats of the films within the handful of set pieces here. Every other set piece was shot too close to frantically gutted which disrupts the impact and flow of the action along with the repetitive nature of it with the same old horde attack routine that happens too often in the second half of this film. There is also the climax of the film where a few principal and supporting characters get killed and the Enchantress utilizes her abilities magically and physically to fend off Taskforce X. There is also too much time in between set pieces for expositions and characters telling us for the millionth time that they are bad guys as well as discussing their issues with the mission, team members, or the situation. This creates a lack of rhythm and consistent flow to the scenes, making it hard to really feel any kind of tension and urgency to the story. It is a below average action film with a paper thin plot to give some excuse for this mission to happen even if they are responsible for this mess to begin with and lack any sort of legitimate reason for this conflict.

However, the performances with the majority of the cast were the one bright spot with this film in spite of the convoluted, weighty story on display here. Will Smith as Deadshot is finally the wise-cracking, charismatic leading man that we all enjoyed back when his films were entertaining to watch as he displays his skills to be empathetic and enjoyable to watch. Margot Robbie had the difficult task of bringing an iconic character to life on the screen and she succeeds for the most part by really encapsulating the crazed yet manic charm of the character despite being a bit annoying at times with her quips as well as the forced sexualization of her character throughout the film. The real show stopper and amazing performance of the film was Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, the tough yet ruthless operations agent who embodies the brutal nature of the character from the books perfectly even if the writing does make her character do nonsensical actions that really feels like padding or serve to contradict the other characters themselves, namely with Flag. It is also worth commending Jay Hernandez for his performance of Diablo and really attempting to showcase decent dramatic moments with his performance near the end of the film despite his overall uselessness for the majority of the film until the last act. That covers the highlights of the cast...so let’s get to the slew of characters and performances that were literally just there to really campy in its awkwardness.

That is correct, we have a slew of really strange and forgettable performances due to the hackney nature of the editing and the extremely thin script used for this film starting with an iconic villain of the DC universe. Jared Leto as the Joker will be the point of contention in questionable quality in performances as he suffers the most from the extreme edits made that might have made the character have a place in this story. The only major contribution of The Joker was his connection to Harley Quinn and her origins. As for his performance overall, he does not come across as comfortable in the role and feels more like a wannabe perverted gangster, not the unpredictable yet calculatingly evil clown prince of crime from the other interpretations in live action and animated form. However, he is given very little to do in this film (the trailers advertised that he would be a supporting part of this film, not a glorified cameo/trailer for a better film with possibly Batman) and could have been cut from the film entirely with no consequence to the overall plot. While he does tie into the origins exposition of Harley Quinn and their toxic relationship, it is not explored enough to really be impactful to the plot in this film and feels more like a teaser for a better film featuring these characters. With the iconic villain mentioned, we can move forward to the remaining cast that were either were underdeveloped or awkwardly performed.

With Colonel Flag played by Kinnaman, he was commendably gruff but ultimately bland and a mismatch against the charisma of Will Smith and Viola Davis. Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc (Courtney and Akinnuoye-Agbaje) are given very little to work with as they are only there for quips and really lame attempts at humor that barely got a few chuckles in the theater. Katana felt like a token character throughout and was poorly underutilized in this film with the hopes now on a possible sequel to flesh her story out as this film just has members in this team for the sake of it and to have cheap emotional ties that can be used to make a conflict seem important but come across as disingenuous to the observant viewer. Slipknot was literally introduced 50 minutes into the film only for his head to be blown off while escaping just so we can visually see how much Flag and Waller have the squad under their thumbs with the Nano-Bombs. There is also the matter of the villain Enchantress played by Cara Delevingne, who is a generic victim that turns evil in a dime and her chemistry with Kinnaman is non-existent, making the romance between the two characters very awkward and cringe-inducing to watch. She is also given questionable direction to her character and really lacks any sort of threatening presence, as well as being strangely comedic to watch when she transforms into her final form and is moving around like an Egyptian in an extremely funny way. The only memorable and truly good performances are the main players unsurprisingly with the majority of the supporting/ensemble members either being cut/truncated immensely in the editing process and just suffering from misguided direction with their characters.

This leads to one more element to explore with the narrative and performances before getting to the technical/artistic aspects of the film with the cameos featured in the film and their use to set up future films within this universe. They were actually used to good effect without being obnoxious or cringe-inducing to slow the film down like the last DC film that did this clumsily. Batman is featured in the backstories of the characters including Deadshot and his capture as well as his conversation with Waller near the end. While the Flash shows up for a brief moment, catching Boomerang during a diamond heist near his home base Central City, which was cool to see them deliver on their commitment to create a film series around these comic book characters. It does create a conundrum though with their presences established in this film and yet they were not asked for help in this mission especially one capable of destroying the world. It was great to see these characters in another film (especially Batman), but their absence is a bit jarring and creates the exact problem Marvel films have in continuity among the characters and their respective series. 

We move on now to the technical/artistic aspects of the film from cinematography/editing to art/set/costume designs of the characters and locales with editing and the soundtrack/score book-ending this review on Suicide Squad. The cinematography for the film does have more variety in its colors and distinctive environments related to the characters in contrast to previous DC films so far. When the lighting was on point and we see the shots themselves, it looks great and sparkles with juvenile energy and a very youthful style to the film as it looks like Hot Topic got mixed in with a grungy punk rock look with a dash of urban warfare thrown in to the mix. That being said, you have two different visual styles clashing with each other with the campy heist aesthetics clashing with the brutal, dark war aesthetics which makes it jarring to watch the film going from one style to the other. However, it is quite interesting to note that you have one half of this film shot in the daytime and the last half in the dark, making a decent chunk of the action set pieces hard to watch in its continuous use of medium shots and medium close ups that get too close to the action and being lit in the wrong way. It is pleasing to the eyes at time with its two visual styles utilized throughout this film despite making the second half, hard to follow when it focuses primarily on the action for the rest of the film.

With the art direction of this film, it continues the realistic grounded approach to the world by making it have purpose and reason for it to exist. The sets for the Joker’s club, prison cells for the prominent squad members in the cast, and the bar seem to be the ones that stuck out and looked great for the scenes that utilized that environments effectively. The one scene with Axis Chemicals looked fantastic and made this viewer wish for more memorable locales for the story to take place in the present and not in a flashback. The most lavish environments are only featured for a few scenes before it blends into mostly ruined city streets and office/industrial complexes that do not provide much visual flair for the story. That was when the film lacked any unique set designs to really standout, only to really maintain the dark, gritty look of the war torn style for the sets. At times, it looks great and distinctive to the real/fictional world but its reliance to the war-ridden designs of the sets reduce it to being as bland and uninteresting as the story itself.

As for the costumes for each of the characters, it can be a hit and miss with principal characters as well as the supporting characters as well. Deadshot and Harley Quinn look closest to their comic book counterparts with an appropriate amount of modernization to their look. Amanda Waller looks picture perfect like the comic book counterpart minus the distinctive look of the character both in the past and present comic books. The other supporting characters from Boomerang to Killer Croc look well enough to embody those characters from the books especially from the really cool makeup job for Killer Croc despite hindering the performance at times. Katana looked stylized in her design as well as being a combo of having a cool look with a sexual element to it which makes her easy to notice despite having very little to do with the overall film. These characters stood out for this viewer as being well designed in their costumes and make-up to be distinctive to their characters as well as being cool to look at.

Now for the really questionable, ill-conceived looks of the characters that looked ridiculous and just did not mesh with the style and tone of the film. The Enchantress was a combination of being a very grungy dark witch mixed in with a pinch of Japanese horror icons and a ridiculous looking Egyptian goddess look that looked campy as hell on screen. The Joker’s tattoos and costume choices was just odd and contradicting at times with the tattoos just looking unintentionally funny in its try hard approach to look crazy as well as the modern approach to the gangster style of the character today just looks like a person pretending to be an insane criminal psycho rather than being one naturally in regards to the other interpretations. The soldiers including Colonel Flag just looked like typical soldier types with little to no personality or characters to really stand out from the other distinctive, outlandish looking characters. It is a mix bag with the costumes/make up designs that looks on point with the principal characters except two of them while the others range from decent to just coming across like cosplay that looks goofy and unconvincing for it to exist in this world.

We can now get to the real problem of this film and it is the editing, along with the turmoil and possible mishandling on hand here from the studio/producers. There is a distinctive, mismatch of energy present in one half and the other as it starts out rapid fire with music video quality of edits along with the overuse of popular music that undermines the dramatic elements of the story constantly. There was an overuse of scenes, passed off as flashbacks to get the viewers up to speed with each character which means it is a mix of exposition and setup for about 40-45 minutes of this film before we get to the main conflict of the film. It is also worth noting that the issues with scenes getting cut to start and end improperly is present throughout this film as it disrupt the flow of the character arcs and the main plot line developed here. This creates a sense of mismatch with scenes in tone due to the massive cuts made to this film with scenes clearly cut out to keep the film from being too dark in tone as well as making it supposedly fun for the viewers. However, that is just the beginning of the problems with the editing especially in the darkly shot and messy second half of the film.

The second half of the film in regards to the editing is where the film becomes completely different, going from dark comedy heist film to a gritty, brutal war film and flip flops between the two. This also means a ton of action scenes are severely edited to include too many fast cuts with the medium to medium close ups, disrupting the energy of it with the effect being mind-numbingly dull for most of it. There is only one moment of levity throughout this section with the bar scene as it is a crescendo of action after action with the faceless zombie like possessed demon horde for the majority of the film. It also seems like scenes have been rearranged to the point of being out of place and lack a real purpose to develop the world or characters, no thanks to the possibility of this cut of the film being a mish mash between two cuts with one by the editor hired for the film as well as a trailer company named Trailer Parks to shape the film closer to the trailer’s lighter, campy tone. This means that it feels like two films are fighting to come out of what might have been a decent film hidden within these cuts and the hope for a director’s cut may or may not be released to make the film feel coherent and committed to one tone.

This leads to the last point of the technical aspects involving the use of the soundtrack and score (what little there was) within the film which could provide some answers as to why the tone of this film feels disjointed and unsure of itself. The film utilizes a ton of songs in its soundtrack from the 1960’s and 70’s that it feels like it is on par with a Martin Scorsese film in the use of popular/classic music with some modern songs of today in Pop and Hip-Hop/Rap thrown in the mix. There are some good combinations in certain scenes but it is mostly a mismatch with the tone and action of the scene as it undermines the intention of a scene often. It is actually a prime example on how not to use a soundtrack in the film as it can feel out of place too often and it undercuts the drama of the story and action set pieces when it uses a song instead of a traditional score. When it does use a score from Steven Price, it fits the scenes well enough despite being featured prominently in the second half of the film but the use of the soundtrack is misguided and not used effectively other than trying too hard to make the film seem cool and edgy without really owning it. The songs are great on their own but the use of them leads to a lot of mismatches with the direction and intention of the scene that it compromises the film’s purposes within this cinematic universe.

So, after all of the analysis on the major components to the film, it is evidently clear that Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment panicked after the lukewarm, tepid response to their previous superhero film Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice by veering away from a darker, violent tone to the film towards a campy, fun-like romp that can please fans, critics, and movie goers alike. It ultimately fails to be anything but a messy film as a result, thanks to the compromises made by said studios and coming across like two completely different films, fighting to come out of what could have been a potentially cool film based around super-villains forced to be good guys to complete a mission. The cast is clearly game for this as they all work wonderfully together and clearly have some naturally timed chemistry among the cast that comes across as fun and satisfying to watch. The problem is the thin, shallow film surrounding them to begin with, as the script is paper thin on plot and motivations for the conflict at hand other than the typical cliché amalgamations of ideas from other, better films (Ghostbusters, Escape From New York, Etc.) as well as having a confusing, mind-numbing expository first half mixed with a dull, repetitive action driven second half that ultimately has a lame, anti-climactic finale that mirrors the dull, unimaginative climax of another superhero film called Fan4tastic. The choppy, epileptic inducing editing from the Trailer Park cut with the slow, pondering yet gloomy edit of Ayer’s cut are mashed into one and neither one works since they seem to be missing the connective tissues of scenes and a consistent tone to maintain the flow of the narrative and development of the characters with the dynamics between them. The music choices are great but the use of them is highly questionable and it distracts the viewer from the intentions of a scene, making certain plot points and character moments lack any sort of dramatic impact because of these sound edits. This is yet again another divisive film for the DC universe of comic books and their vaporware plans for more films are yet again questioned especially with the other announced films other than the ones already in post (Wonder Woman) or in principal photography (Justice League) having no script written out for them. Overall, Suicide Squad may not be as frustrating or misguided as Batman V. Superman but it is a flawed, compromised film that ends up displeasing everyone looking for a good film and for fans of this comic book universe.

Score: ** out of *****

Suicide Squad is the third film from Warner Bros. and DC films to make their cinematic universe of their characters and series to work on the big screen. It is unfortunately another dud as it tries too hard to be edgy and cool with its grungy, Hot Topic aesthetics of the art/costume designs as well as the visual style and tone of the film. It switches too often between being a campy, heist mission film to a brooding, grimy war film that it never settles or commits to either one, leading credibility that the film was severely altered and arranged to make a film that is empty in substance with a ton of style to hide it. The cast is fantastic to pretty decent despite the very hollow script to develop their characters and make them standout or have a purpose to this really simple yet dull mission to introduce this team of characters from unknowns to icons/fan favorites in popular culture. The action is also rather repetitive in their choreography and uninteresting to watch especially when the characters are either fighting awkwardly with the editing or just set dressing for the scene. This is another frustrating film that had potential to be subversive and memorable to the genre but it ends up being nothing more than a clearly commercialized, unremarkable action film that underwhelms and only provides a few sparks of greatness in the cast and modernization of a great concept hidden with the sloppy mess of this entire film.