Movie review: Suicide Squad assembles worst heroes ever

Warning: This review may contain mild spoilers.

Suicide Squad is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics antihero team of the same name making it the third installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU)

This movie is set in New York, after the death of Superman, and it opens with Amanda Waller, played by Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder, The Help), who is the leader of a secret agency, trying to convince the government to recruit the most dangerous, incarcerated supervillains on the planet to execute dangerous black ops missions and save the world from a potentially supernatural, apocalyptic threat.

The assembled team includes professional hitman Deadshot, played by Will Smith (Concussion, Focus), the Joker’s girlfriend and former psychiatrist Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie (The Legend of Tarzan, The Wolf of Wall Street), the pyrokinetic Diablo, played by Jay Hernandez (Bad Moms), a bank thief named Captain Boomerang, played by Jai Courtney (Terminator Genisys), the mutant Killer Croc, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Concussion, Pompeii), the criminal Slipknot, played by Adam Beach (Cowboys & Aliens), and the witch Enchantress that possessed former archeologist June Moone, played by Cara Delevigne (Pan, Paper Towns). Waller also assigns Colonial Rick Flag, played by Joel Kinnaman (House of Cards), who then assigns the ninja-like warrior Katana, played by Karen Fukuhara, to the team.

Meanwhile, The Joker, played by Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), is plotting a plan to rescue and reunite with his beloved Harley Quinn. For insurance purposes, so that the government won’t be liable for any of their actions, but can place the blame on the villains, they implant a small bomb into each member’s neck and will detonate it if any of the members tries to rebel or escape.

Throughout the whole film, we are able to see some backstories of the main characters as they try to figure out and decide whether or not they risk leaving or save the world and lessen their sentence as part of their bargain to be part of the team. It makes one think that: is it better to die trying or is it every man for himself? Our “heroes” fight with each other and also with themselves, but later learn to put their differences aside, from those who put them away and treat them as less than human beings, and come together to save the world.

In flashbacks of the film, the audience gets a special treat with the appearance of both Batman and The Flash as they tie into a few of the character’s past and potentially leads us up to the next DC movie towards the post-credit scenes.

Overall, the visual effects are stunning, especially with their use of the slow motion during the fight scenes. The cast was well picked for their roles, especially Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. No one can outdo what Robbie did as Harley. You get to see a more ruthless, somewhat heartless side of Amanda Waller. Even though The Joker did not play as big of a part to the film as we thought he was going to, Jared Leto’s performance was still spot on for playing a memorable villain.

It was an anticipating and thrilling film to watch, but I will admit that there were times where it felt long, if not dragged out because of who became the villain as well as how their plan played out throughout the film.

I recommend the movie to those who follow the Marvel and DC Universe as these movies tie into other movies or future plots for the next movies.

Suicide Squad is playing in Ostrander Auditorium from Nov. 9-12. Wednesday at 9:30 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 7 p.m.