Suicide Squad (12/13/2016)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout, disturbing behavior, suggestive content and language.

Starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne and Joel Kinnaman

Directed by David Ayer (Fury, Sabotage, End of Watch)

Some of you probably already heard Jonathan’s thoughts this movie… here are mine!”

Suicide Squad is darker than it needed to be but better than I expected.

“It feels good to be bad…” Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?

Suicide Squad is one of those films that is hated (maybe that is too strong) by the critics and loved (again maybe too strong of a word) by the fans. But when Rotten Tomatoes shows a 28% score from critics and a 68% score from movie-goers, one is left scratching their heads. And if you ask me, the difference in the score comes down to two things: expectations and knowledge of the characters.

Like most of us, I heard the initial “bad reviews.” I heard what the critics were saying and I debated whether or not to go.

So what are the critics so upset about?

They say The Joker is barely in the film and that Jared Leto should be listed as a cameo appearance not a starring role. Well this is a film about the Suicide Squad and The Joker is not a member of the Suicide Squad. Secondly, he’s an iconic villain, so I get that they used him to promote the film. And finally, I actually liked how much he was in the film, because he wasn’t my favorite Joker.

Other critics said there wasn’t a strong enough plot or that is was too irrational. Ummm…this is a “superhero movie.” At some point you have to suspend reality if you want to enjoy a film like Suicide Squad. For those of us who can, do it and enjoy…it really is a fun ride.

I still have mixed feelings about the cast…and it is a huge cast. I’m not of huge fan of almost every star of the film. Actors like Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis and Jai Courtney have never really impressed me but I thought they were all pretty good in this one. In fact the actor I like the best, Adam Beach, doesn’t last more than 10 minutes…SPOILER ALERT.

I have to say that Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn was pretty annoying, then again Harley Quin is super annoying so I guess she did a decent job. There is one Joker/Harley Quinn scene that I’ve waited years to see and even though it was only a few seconds, it was worth the wait.

I also loved every second that Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne was on the screen. And the Flash cameo was perfect.

Finally, I am a big fan of David Ayer. I know he has directed several rough films filled with profanity and violence. So he brings an edge to the superhero genera that we haven’t seen before.

Suicide Squad was not my favorite superhero movie, but I still feel it is “Theater Worthy.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Although there is no sex or nudity, there is one scene that takes place in a strip club, where strippers are briefly seen in the background and Harley Quinn gives a lap dance to a man.

The film contains numerous scenes of action-violence mostly involving gun firing and hand-to-hand combat. We also see Harley Quinn being electrocuted and tortured by The Joker.

The film contains a brief utterance of the F-word and 50 S-words, as well as various other profanities.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. Each member of the squad is motivated by different things, what are some of those motivations?


2. What motivates you to do good?

Read Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.


3. How is this motivation different from the Squads’ motivation?


4. How can that verse help motivate you to do good things.