Suicide Squad (2016)

"We're bad guys, it's what we do."

 

*Spoilers...do not proceed if you have not seen the movie yet.

 

I would be lying if I said that I went into the theater to watch Suicide Squad without any preconceived feelings. I already had a horrible taste in my mouth with this new DC universe after watching Batman vs. Superman. Low to no expectations was what I went in with, but I was sincerely hoping that I would be pleasantly surprised. I wanted to walked out after the credits and say, "WOW! That was so much better than I thought it was going to be. They proved me wrong." Instead I walked out saying, "I liked it better than Batman vs. Superman, but it was as bad as I thought it was going to be."

 

The more that I thought about the movie, the more I realized that my dislike for it really steams from the lack of these DC movies to really tell their characters story in a catching way. There was not enough character development for me to feel invested in these villains and actually care about what happened to them. Their backstories where short cutaways as Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) pitches her idea about this Suicide Squad at a dinner in a restaurant. It was maybe 15 minutes long. This was only enough time for me to feel any sort of real connection with Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie).

 



Warner Bros. has really dropped the ball with this entire DC universe. They are trying so hard to do Marvel has done with Avengers, but they don't seem to recognize that Marvel started this whole universe development back in 2008. It has been almost 10 years of movies to get to where they are with the Avengers. Warner Bros. throws together Batman vs. Superman and we are all supposed to understand this world and really feel like we are invested in an understand the characters. I have to be honest, when Waller was talking about metahumans, my brain went more toward Marvel first before I remembered that those are not the same characters.

 

They are accelerating the storylines with "files". So many freaking files. Apparently that is how everyone gets information in the DC world. Batman learns about the further members of the Justice League because of a computer file and then gets more information on them through files bestowed to him by Waller. We also learn about each of the member of the Suicide Squad as the members of the military flip through their files. Files, files, files, files, and more files.

 

The best way to really do these beloved comic book characters justice would have been to take their time through a few different movies. They could have easily given these high profile villains their own movies. People would have went to see them. An entire movie highlighting Harley Quinn and the Joker would have made a killing at the box office. I would have definitely enjoyed a movie around Deadshot. It was clear that he was a lot deeper of a character than just a man who kills people for money. The way that Marvel developed the Avengers, Warner Bros. could have easily develop the Suicide Squad. That would have been a really refreshing take on the whole super hero world. We always focus in on the heroes, I would have really enjoyed seeing the other side of things.

 

They also didn't sell me on the fact that we really needed to go to this extreme with the suicide squad yet. There was all this talk about the metahumans, but we only really had 2 movies with Superman. I didn't think that was enough to convince me as a movie goer that we needed to grad for these deplorable villains and throw them back out into society.

 

There where so many times throughout the movie that I turned to my boyfriend with a questioning look and said to him, "I am a bit confused as to what is going on..." The conflict was just so bizarre. The machine thing that the Enchantress is creating and then these sudden boil faced creature things... I had no idea where they came from. It wasn't even clear to me right away that the Enchantress was attacking the entire army. You don't really GET that. They also defeated the this godlike creature and her magic machine pretty simply...a bomb destroyed it. That is it. Blah. Too easy.

 

The one positive thing was most of the acting and casting was on point. I thought that Will Smith was a wonderful choice to Deadshot. His relationship with Harley Quinn was heartwarming. It helped to show Deadshot as a strong father figure, and Harley as the broken girl in need of love. Margot Robbie did a good job as Harley Quinn. Her character intrigues me. Viola Davis annoyed me as Amanda Waller. She seemed to be the playing the same type of character that she plays in How to Get Away With Murder. There was only one person that did not sell their character to me. That would be Jared Leto and his Joker.

 

I am sure that I am going to be attacked for that comment, but he really did not to anything spectacular in this movie or with that character for anyone to convince me he did this character justice. The Joker didn't have much of a place in the story line except for his role in turning Harley into Harley. The marketing team made it seem like he was part of the Squad, but that wasn't the case at all. That let me down a bit. His Joker seemed to try and channel Heath Ledger's Joker at times. It just didn't work. He tried to do a more psychotic Joker. It didn't work at all. A good friend of mine, Steve, (whose opinion and knowledge about comic books and these universes I greatly respect) said that the relationship they portrayed here in the movie between the two is not anything like their actual relationship. He said that the Joker is not anywhere near devoted to Harley as she is to him. The movie made it seem like he cannot live without her. They hinted at the fact that he owns her with her doggie collar with his name on it, but unless people where really thinking about it, they may not pick up on that.

 

Overall, I would probably wait to see this when it comes out on DVD. David Ayer really dropped the ball on this one. That was a surprise to me considering I loved End of Watch and Harsh Times. He also had in hand in Training Day and Fast and Furious. How he helped to shape those movies, but put this out I still have not been able to wrap my head around. A huge let down and two strikes against DC on my count. Even if they make new "back story" movies with these characters, they did it wrong and it is just a money thing in my eyes. They needed to focus on establishing a long lasting film franchise instead of just throwing things out there to jump on the bandwagon and make the instant money. Comic book fans are always going to be there. There is no reason to rush their stories. Take the time. Get it right, and you will had gold.   
 
 
 

Man of Steel

"You just have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be, Clark. Whoever that man is, he's going to change the world. "

 

It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's.......One of the most anticipated movies of the summer......Man of Steel. I can't lie. I was one of those people who was definitely excited to see this film. The trailers looked amazing and when I heard that Christopher Nolan had a hand in the making of the movie, I was sold. I mean...everything Nolan touches is gold. After sitting through the almost three hour reboot of the Superman franchise, I have to say that I was less then entertained. Don't get me wrong. The movie was OK, but the WOW factor that DC comics appeared to be looking for was just not there. Something, somewhere in the movie fell flat.
The film starts us out on Clark's home planet, we get a glimpse of the collapse of his people and what created the villain. There is this idea of hope that Clark's parents continue to speak out, and just like with every Nolan film there is that underlying human ideal that he likes to focus on. I felt that for this particular film it was that idea of hope. That idea and the representation of the idea didn't quite come across the way that I think it was initially intended too. I think it was supposed to have to do with hope in the human race, and that they would in the end choose the right thing, but there was not much a of a development of this idea. It was just thrown at you randomly through the movie and you just where expected to go along with it.

I also would have liked to have seen a bit more of Clark growing up and dealing with the changes that he was experiencing. It was these experiences and the teachings of his parents that shaped him into the man that he had become and I think that it would have been a much more interesting film if we would have been able to have been given a more in depth glimpse at his childhood and teen years. I went into the movie with the idea that I was going to be watching Superman become Superman, and he does in a way, but it was very much thrown together.
I thought that he found the hidden spaceship pretty quickly and easily. I thought that he just accepted what the alien ship had to tell him easily and without any real questions. I thought that he wasn't superman one minute and then all of a sudden he was. It was such a quick progression that I would have liked to see more a development with rather than the random flashbacks. I did appreciate that when he was fighting he really didn't know what he was doing yet, and didn't dominate every fight because he still was learning what to do, but I felt that it was just to rushed. For a film that was supposed to be about the origin of Superman, it skipped over that part pretty quickly.
The acting was ok at best as well. Henry Cavill did a decent job as Clark Kent. He maintained to poise that Superman always held very well, and I thought defiantly did a pretty good job with the calm and patient manner in which he addressed everyone. I did really enjoy Amy Adams as Lois Lane. I thought she brought the character to life a little when the rest of the movie seemed to be falling a bit. Michael Shannon did a great job as the villain Zod. I thought he had the most life in the entire movie. Laurence Fishburne will just never be anything of than Morphious to me. lol
You can tell that this is a Zack Snyder movie from a mile away. The fight scenes are epic. Nothing is spared. There is much you can do and create in a fight scene when the two people fighting are almost invincible. He seemed to be pretty excited about the idea of the movie being in 3D. You could tell that many of the fight scenes seemed to be geared toward the 3D gimmick. Which we all know I cannot stand.
All in all I would say that the movie was ok. Nothing that I would be telling you to run to theaters tomorrow about. If you happen to miss this one, there is no great loss in watching it on DVD. If you must see it in theatres, I don't think I would spend the extra money on the 3D. If anything, at least he was nice to look at for 3 hours.

The World of Christopher Nolan Part 4-Batman Begins

"Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up."

Batman Begins....I don't even quite know where to start when I want to talk about this movie. It is just amazing in so many aspects. Although, many people would say that I have a bias because Christian Bale has been my favorite actor since I was a little kid. I remember hearing that Bale would be playing the iconic Batman, and becoming super excited. For me this was going to show everyone what an amazing actor Bale is and finally make him the household name he always deserved to be. (Even if he never really liked the attention. It doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve it.)

When Warner Brothers began to look into restarting the Batman franchise, there really could not have been anyone better than Nolan to take this task on. Batman has always been one of the more fascinating super heroes. He has always been so much darker than all of the others, and when one really stops to think  about it, he doesn't have any "super powers." (My super hero knowledge is not that extensive, but I would like to say that I believe he is one of the only ones...please correct me if I a wrong!) The driving force behind Batman has always been his own metal state. (I don't mean crazy, I mean his thoughts and feelings) Being that Nolan seems to really be interested in the metal state of people, and how it effects them and the events that occur around them, what better person then to explore this character. I really loved that Nolan decided to focus on the idea of fear.

Fear is what made Batman who he is in every way. Bruce Wayne blames himself for the death of his parents, and he attributes that to his own developed fear of bats from when he fell down into a hole. Fear is what Bruce uses to train, and it is what he ultimately uses to create this symbol of Batman. To strike fear into the heart of his enemies. It is also what the villain uses to try to destroy Gotham City, a toxin to create fear and panic. Again he uses such a simple human emotion, a simple human reaction, and was able to rebuild an entire franchise around it.

As with everything though, a great script (and one of this magnitude) is nothing without a strong cast to support it. I really thought that Bale did a wonderful job as Bruce Wayne. He has always had this uncanny ability to really portray those darker and deeper characters. His Batman is where many people are divided. I did not think that his Batman was bad at all. I actually loved his Batman, especially in this movie. One really has to remember that this was the creation of Batman. He was still finding himself. Not only as an actor finding a character, but Bruce Wayne was still trying to discover WHO and WHAT Batman was himself. Just as this was a new character for Bale, this was a new character for Bruce. And if the only thing that you have to complain to be about is the voice. I am going to say right now....get over it. You are really just looking for something if that is all you have to say about the performance. Because re-watching the movie today, it really wasn't as bad as everyone really makes it out to be.

Now I know that Bale was not the only star in this movie, there are just so many to talk about. I really loved the choice of Gary Oldman for Gordon. I thought he was perfect for the role, and it was nice to see him in a role that is not quite what I am used to him playing. Cillian Murphy did a wonderful job as the creepy scarecrow, but he always does those roles justice. I also love seeing Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman and they were a nice balance to the sometimes impulsive Bruce Wayne. And of course it would be terrible to not mention the amazing Liam Nielson when discussing this movie, because everything is just ever better when he is around. Katie Holmes would be the only one that I really have any complaints about. I felt like everything seemed a bit forced with her, not very natural and honest, but that is just me. If that is my only complaint great movie! Nothing more to say.

Watch it right now....and get ready...because in less then 12 hours...the Dark Knight is going to rise for the last time with Nolan and Bale behind the wheel.

"Its' not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you."