Like a lot of people here, I'm a HUGE geek. I read comics when I was a kid and now that I'm grown up, I still read them. And I loved cartoons based on comics. Growing up I remember two shows the most: The X-men animated series and Batman: the animated series.
Batman: The animated series defined both Joker and Batman for me.
Every other performance, every other movie, staring those characters had to live up to that animated image. Mark Hamill as the Joker in particular resonated. That insane, gibbering laugh that he did is the auditory icon that makes the Joker truly feel like the Joker. And while I really liked Batman: The Dark Night returns, I felt that the Joker there missed, well, the joke. Why so serious Mista J? So one of my questions going into this was: could they nail the Joker? I really hoped so, because this is the start of the DC universe and whatever Joker they chose would be here to stay.
Let's talk characters
The characters here are well known if you follow the comics at all: Joker, Harley, Deadshot, Killer Croc, Boomerang, Amanda Waller, Katana, El Diablo, Slipknot, Rick Flag.
Because this is an ensemble film the characters REALLY matter. We know how superhero movies go: Evil villain tries to destroy the world, heroes (or heroic villains) stop it so they can take their turn later. What makes these movies fun is the interplay between the characters between the scenes where they hit/shoot/burn things.
Joker
The joker isn't part of the squad but he is present throughout the film and a big piece of moving parts of the plot forward. The main thing is that Jared Leto NAILS IT. I didn't expect to like his Joker. I was open, but it was a different look and vibe than we'd seen before.
But it's perfect. It's right between the giggly cartoonishness of Hamill and the So-serious-I-need-more-eyeshadow of Heath Ledger. And that blend is funny, insane, horrifying, and engaging. The main thing is that it's the most REAL feeling Joker ever. The Joker, despite the lack of screen time is 100% buyable as this insane crime kingpin. In other shows I would wonder "Why does this loon have all these henchmen". We buy it, because it's a comic and somehow villains always have henchmen (and money). But this Joker feels 3d. He feels like the type of sociopath who would run a criminal empire and that's how he is depicted both in his mannerisms and how people react to him.
I realize not everyone will agree here - it IS different. But in this case, I feel that the tweaks took the character all the way into the modern world.
Grade: A+ on Joker guys. Well done.
Harley Quinn
Harley gets a lot more screen time than "Mista J" and like Jared Leto's Joker, Morgot Robbie really does an excellent job. In particular the scenes staring both just shine throughout the movie. Their love seems genuine, if completely fucked up, and the energy of it really works. After watching suicide squad I really just want a Joker/Harley movie. It would be like Thelma and Louise but with rocket launchers and giggling. Take my money.
Harley as intelligent, violent, bubble-gum popping death-bimbo is spot on. It's also the source of most of the comedic moments in the film and her creepy cheer helps keep the movie from being too dark.
Grade: A+ again on Harley. Kudos.
Amanda Waller
Another excellent performance. Viola Davis as Amanda Waller is one cold, manipulative, dangerous woman. There is never a moment where she isn't composed, powerful, and willing to stare down the barrel of a gun fearlessly. She is a force to be reckoned with purely out of force of will. To quote Deadshot in the film, "That's some gangsta shit". And that's coming from Deadshot after he watches her casually execute a few of her own people because they "lacked clearance".
One of the underlying messages of the film is that good isn't always so good and evil isn't always so evil. People are often playing the parts they are given in life (except the Joker. He loves it). Amanda is probably one of the least moral of the characters. She doesn't care who she hurts, who dies, or why as long as she achieves her goals. And oddly enough, her goals seem to be genuine about protecting the USA (and the world) from meta human threats.
Grade: A+ on Amanda Waller
Boomerang
Boomerang is kinda boring. He gets the occasional laugh but compared to everyone else I'm mostly like "why is he here". His actual value to the squad is dubious as he's not anywhere the fighter anyone else is other than maybe Harley, and isn't nearly as interesting. This isn't the actor's fault, it's just not a great fit for the team. I think the screenwriters knew this because they spend very little time giving him a real background or trying to make him more likeable and human. Meh.
But he doesn't actively piss me off during the film like some bad characters do. So he doesn't really help but he doesn't hurt either.
Grade: C
Killer Croc
If this isn't CG give the makeup artist an award. Croc looks seriously wicked. He has almost no lines though and mostly exists to scowl, look mean, and hit things really hard. Also, he can swim good (it comes up). Just visually, he's more interesting than Boomerang and he also has (a little) more influence on the plot. I give the actor props though: through voice and body language Killer Croc projects a lot more presence than would be expected by his dialog and plot relevance. The few moments that exist to help "humanize" croc aren't wasted, and I have high hopes for what they can do with this character going forward.
Grade: B
Deadshot
Will Smith plays Deadshot, AKA Will Smith plays himself but who kills people for cash. I really like Will Smith, because he works for almost anything and I liked him as Deadshot. At the same time, Will Smith is always partly playing himself and that mean that Deadshot never felt as fully realized as he could have been. The mannerisms of Deadshot are the same mannerisms Will has in almost all his films, the humor the same, etc. Again - they work, but the character doesn't feel unique. I'd like to see Will stretch himself and pull something new out of the hat.
At the same time, Deadshot's character is "A serial killer who takes credit cards" to quote Rick Flag. I think they chose Will because he can make that sort of character likable and human just by being Will Smith. The film spends a lot of screen time doing everything it can to make us sympathize with Deadshot so I'm guessing that was a real concern.
Overall, Deadshot works, but not as well as say... the Punisher in the last Daredevil series on Netflix. I can't say anything bad about this performance, but it didn't make me go "holy fuck" either.
Grade: B
Rick Flag, Enchantress
I group these two because they are a couple in the film and all their character development is linked. That same development is critical to the plot but is mostly provided as one of those things the audience has to trust. The film is essentially saying: "They love each other, mkay? Go with it, we'll bring cookies and bombs".
Unlike the Harley/Joker romance, I never feel genuine sparks from these characters unless things are literally on fire at the time. And then it's the wrong type of spark. Again, these characters aren't annoying just... flat.
Enchantress, as villain, is particularly flat. And weird. Especially at the end her behavior and dialog feels... comic-y. And not in a good way. It reminds me of The Increadibles: "You know what he did then?" "He started monologing?" "HE STARTED MONOLOGING. Telling me how feeble I am, how I'll never defeat him". Etc. Like someone flipped a switch and said "Time to start acting like a stereotypical villain" and then they just phoned in the dialog and behavior from there whether it made sense or not.
This is probably the biggest weakness of the whole film: Weak, underdeveloped, non-sensical villain". Batman vs Superman had the same basic problem (just way, way, way worse) and this is something DC really needs to work on. With a better villain this movie would have been absolutely amazing.
El Diablo
?
Jay Hernandez does a great job as this trying to reform cholo gangbanger with fire control powers. He gets a surprising amount of screen time for his background given that he doesn't really move the plot. Mostly, he gets it because he's probably the most sympathetic of the villains as well as the only one who shows any remorse for his past. His screen time is really there to help undercut the good/evil dichotomy that exists in comics and drive home the shades of grey space that the film wants to live in. His attempt at non-violence is also interesting: can you live in comic-land and not kill people? At least in suicide squad, the answer is no. You either kill people as a villain, or you fail to act and let people die by not being a hero. El Diablo wants out, but there is no way out. And that's interesting.
I liked El Diablo and I want him in more films which are a better fit to the character.
Grade: B+
Katana
There's a lady. She has a sword. She talks to it sometimes, cause it has the soul of her husband in it. Apparently their marriage was really good cause she can't move on and has to murder everyone. Why does her sword eat souls? No idea. But it does, I guess.
And... that's it. I would have preferred they remove her (and maybe boomerang) and gotten more time for developing the other characters, the villain, something. She wasn't bad, just unnecessary.
Grade: C-
The Plot
I'm avoiding spoilers here so I'll just go over the basics which you should already know: Amanda Waller has a bunch of captured "super" villains and wants to use them to fight other villains/threats that normal force won't do. Naturally, right after this all gets approved the world is in peril and the team gets called in to deal with it. See also: Just about every other superhero movie ever. You aren't here for a new plot, you're here for the same plot with a new spin.
Verdict
I liked it. It's a huge improvement from the mountain of fail that was Batman vs Superman (I'd like my money and time back). It's fun, the characters are all likeable or at least not annoying. The fights are good. Joker and Harley have a few moments that really help the film shine.
If you go expecting to just have fun watching people in suits punch things, shoot things, and have cities get ripped apart, you'll have a good time. This isn't likely to win any oscars, but it can win you a fun way to spend your evening.