Suicide Squad 

Suicide Squad is exactly what the trailers suggest it is: a bunch of villains (Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, etc.) are captured and (under threat of execution) forced to cooperate against a common threat. Many of the characters are entirely forgettable, the two exceptions being Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Deadshot (Will Smith). Jared Leto pops in from time to time to play the Joker in a very polarizing performance (I personally didn’t find him interesting at all).

The plot is minimal and centers around Enchantress who fits the “awakened ancient alien/super-human who wants to destroy/rule the world” stereotype.

What do you do when you have a bunch of morally irredeemable characters? You make the rest of the world morally irredeemable as well. The prison guards are Abu Ghraib style sadists and perverts. The government official who convenes “Task force X” is herself a villain who doesn’t hesitate to kill anyone who gets in her way.

We’re supposed to root for the most morally ambiguous characters – the very confused and anarchistic Harley Quinn, and the “I don’t kill women and children” hitman with a heart Deadshot. But except for a bit of Joker/Quinn backstory, we don’t spend enough time with any one character to really get interested in them. Quinn is the most entertaining of the bunch, pulling off exactly the right mix of seductive, deceptive, and just plain fucked up to make it work.

So what are we left with? A memorable and enjoyable performance by Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, some solid work by Will Smith, a lot of special effects, and a lot of senseless violence. Skip it or save it for when there’s truly nothing better to watch.