Is Task Force X dead in the water? One day out and it looks like the Suicide Squad are in deep doo-doo! The latest film released from Warner Bros. Pictures and part of the slate of movies that will be building the DC Comics cinematic universe has already found itself in the crosshairs of critics. The movie which repairs its stars Will Smith and Margot Robbie was met with only a mere 26% rating (an average of 4.7) by Rotten Tomatoes, although 74% of the audiences polled said they "Liked It!".
The headline in Vanity Fair read: "Suicide Squad Isn't Even the Good Kind of Bad." citing writer/director David Ayer's film is "dull, uninspired and forgettable". This does not bode well for the studio which is looking to compete with the trackable success of the Marvel Films and especially the Avengers franchise which has successfully assembled its cast of heavyweights under one banner and perpetuated the expanded Marvel film universe.
After the underwhelming performance of this blockbuster season's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice which teased the upcoming team-up of the Justice League already in production with returning headliners Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman the studio was hoping the the super-villains gathered together for Suicide Squad would turn the tide. Instead it looks like the squad had missed their mark.
The film had bolstered one of the most enticing marketing campaigns of any highly anticipated summer blockbuster, and with an ensemble cast that also includes Viola David and Jared Leto inheriting the role of The Joker the expectation was that Suicide Squad would be a stylishly appealing action-romp, especially in an age where the antihero always wins. Based on the DC Comic of the same name about a clandestine group of rogue agents - expendable at that - tasked with taking on the most dangerous assignments.
Suicide Squad brought to the big screen Harley Quinn (Robbie) and Deadshot (Smith) two of the book's most violate and popular characters. Harley Quinn because of her connection to the Clown Prince of Crime and Deadshot for his mercenary methods that toe the line of a villain on a path toward redemption. The movie would also assemble other comic book favorites including Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, The Enchantress, and Slip Knot.
With a colorful crew and a spectacularly explosive mix of personalities, it may not have been enough to rescue the Suicide Squad and inspire some excitement for what Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have in mind for the overall fate of their cinematic heroes. Next on the slate will be Gadot's solo turn as the Amazing Amazon in next summer's Wonder Woman and after that the Justice League unite, and if either one of those films don't fly, DC may have to resort to a reboot -- something we all know they excel at!
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