Day 218: Suicide Squad (2016)

spoiler alertSpoiler Alert: There may be information contained in this Article that could potentially spoil the plot of the film so continue with caution or do not read any further if you do not want to know. You have been warned!!!

suicide_squad_background2_0You have no idea how bad I have been waiting for today’s film to be released. I have and still am a huge fan of Harley Quinn, The Joker, and the Suicide Squad that I have been salivating at the mouth for this. So, for today’s film, I am reviewing the latest DC Comics movie the Suicide Squad. After the death of Superman, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has been trying to sell the government on the idea of project X. The idea of project x is to take the worst of the worst, give them an incentive, and have them do the missions no one else will do to protect the world. After Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) betrays Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) the government, the team now known as the Suicide Squad is commissioned and sent on a mission to save the world from the terror she brings.  The Suicide Squad is made up of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Diablo (Jay Hernandez), and Katana (Karen Fukuhara). The film also stars Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) as The Joker, Adam Beach (Flags Of Our Fathers) as Slipknot, Ben Affleck (The Town) as Batman, Scott Eastwood (Fury) as Lieutenant GQ Edwards, Alain Chanoine (Immortals) as Incubus, Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors) as Griggs, David Harbour (Black Mass) as Dexter Tolliver, and the film was directed by David Ayer (Fury).

jokerI know what you’re thinking and you want to know how good the film was don’t you? As far as all the films in the current universe are concerned (which includes Man Of Steel and BVS) this is the best one of them all. This by far was the home run for DC Comics or at least the film that gets them back into the game and into the running with Marvel. Of course, there are a couple of spots that could have been better, but overall this film was very fun to watch and very enjoyable. Like all DC films so far, the casting is never the problem and this film’s cast was definitely solid. The way the film was being executed in the beginning with the flashback scenes with Deadshot and Harley Quinn looked a little questionable to me because of my fear of how it was going to turn out, but never fear. The film definitely gets back on track from that point and you never look back. Will Smith is amazing and witty, Margot Robbie is amazing and sexy, and Jared Leto is the new Joker. Jared Leto definitely took The Joker, made it his own, and needed more screen time then what was given to him because his performance blew me away. Every character in my opinion does an amazing job in the film and keeps you entertained for the most part.

enchantress-secret-plan-revealed-by-suicide-squad-trailer-easter-eggs-enchantress-has-in-854077I definitely didn’t leave the theater baffled at what I had just seen. I got it and understood what had just happened right from the get go. The thing that was great about this film is that it felt just like a Marvel movie with the character development and the comedy that is thrown in there with the drama. There are so many scenes I love in the film especially with Harley Quinn who just keeps you laughing the whole time, but there is a flashback with her and The Joker. She is still Harleen Quinzel in reality, but she basically turns into Harley in this particular sequence by diving into the vat of whatever it is that The Joker did as well.  That was one of my favorites and the battle sequence was amazing as well because you just these very different individuals mold into a team right before your eyes. Another definitely has to be the scene between Will Smith’s Deadshot and Diablo where Will is trying to psych him up. When you see the full scene, it’s a lot better than what is in the trailer. Like I said before, I was definitely not disappointed in the film as it’s a serious contender for the Monster Entertainment Awards at the end of the year. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade. DC needs to take notes from this film heading into the future.

Day 148: Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)

batman underFor today’s film, I was specifically in the mood to see an animated film, but I was more in the mood for a Batman animated film especially considering we are getting The Killing Joke soon. There are so many I need to catch up on so I decided to check out Batman: Under The Red Hood for today. Things in Gotham City are pretty much the same since the death of Jason Todd (Robin) by the hands of The Joker (John DiMaggio) five years before and Batman (Bruce Greenwood) is still living with the guilt. That is until one day when a mysterious figure know simply as the Red Hood (Jensen Ackles) shows up and starts taking over the crime syndicate in Gotham. Even though Batman and Nightwing (Neil Patrick Harris) are hit on his tail, they can’t seem to catch him, but Batman feels that there is something familiar about him. So, while he is on a mission to stop him, Batman is also out looking for the truth before he gets to the Black Mask (Wade Williams). The film also stars Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire) as Ra’s al Ghul, Carlos Alazraqui (Toy Story 3) as Chi Chi, Gary Cole (Office Space) as Commissioner Gordon, Kelly Hu (X-Men 2) as Ms. Li, and the film was directed by Brandon Vietti (Superman/Doomsday).

hqdefaultOne thing that I will say before we dive in too deep into the film is that I am huge fan of the Batman animated films. They are some of the best written and done films, but that’s because you can do a lot more with animation. That is definitely the case with this film which was well written and well done. If you are not familiar with the Red Hood story then definitely check this one out because it’s a very cool story. I am going to try and not give too much away because I hate spoiling movies. One of the things I loved about this film is the fact that the Red Hood believes he’s doing the same as Batman, but by killing off the villains that is the way you control crime. It gets really deep from there and it gets very personal for Batman who know has to make the ultimate choice after he finds out Red Hood’s true identity. I love that you get Black Mask, The Riddler, and The Joker all in one film because it packs more  of a punch and it helps explain the story. The only thing I didn’t like honestly was The Joker’s voice and that’s only because I am used to Mark Hamill as The Joker. Nevertheless, its a great story and well written overall like I have already said. Check this one out for sure if you are a fan of Batman and/or the Batman animated films/series. I am going to give this one an A- for a final grade.