Movie Review - Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad

Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Jared Leto, Karen Fukuhara, Ben Affleck, and many more.

Directed by: David Ayer Written by: David Ayer Based on the comics by: John Ostrander Cinematography by: Roman Vasyanov Music by: Steven Price

Premise: After Superman's disappearance, there's been a growing concern. What if someone like him reappears. A super human who didn't care to play by the rules and decides to become a terrorist. Amanda Waller has a solution. Use a handful of dangerous, imprisoned felons to run covert operations. Expendable people who could be used to take out metahuman threats. And she's found a way to make them cooperate, whether they like it or not. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Viola Davis proves once again why she is such a consummate actress. Her portrayal of Amanda Wallen is chilling. Will Smith showed multiple facets for the talented Deadshot. But it is Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn who steals the show. Her scenes with Jared Leto, who plays the Joker, have all manner of lovely subtext. :) Theirs is a complicated relationship to the extreme. :) 

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects were outstanding. And it was the little things that really ramped them up. The smoke and burning embers around the Enchantress. The beautiful dancing fire figures created by El Diablo. The gooey remains left during the brother's attacks. The one scene where the changed man's head undulates. Lots of wonderful little details.

And Deadshot's assassination and later his gun play show - awesome!

On a larger scale: we get lots of explosions, crashing helicopters, and a super cool looking magical death machine. The obligatory column of light and ring of matter looked fabulous! And wait till you see what El Diablo can truly do when he lets loose. :)

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Many of the characters who belong to the Suicide Squad I was already familiar with and others not so much. While the film does try to get the audience acquainted with most of the members; they do so in a briefing type style. Yet because of the number of members, it slowed the pace of the film quite a bit.

The "object lesson" character didn't get introduced much at all. Might have had more impact if they had - but they did already have their hands full. This is one of the biggest problem with films where you have a lot of headliners. Someone will lose out - be it the characters or the plot. And sometimes it's both.

Several themes and objects of "food for thought" are brought to the table. Mankind's duality, family, how adversity brings all sorts of people together. The different facets of love, and how it can free you or enslave you. Even how evil can come from all sorts of sources and in all sorts of ways.

And sadly, the previews give away almost all of Harley Quinn's lines. :(  (Though they got her so right! Mr. J, Pudding, even the hammer. Lol.) 

I do have to say that since June Moone is now an archeologist - she sure didn't act like one. She would have been kicked out of academia for willfully destroying the priceless artifact that got her into so much other trouble. *sigh*

No real surprises in the plot. Once it gets going it speeds along pretty well. And make sure to stay through the first part of the credits for a couple of more important minutes!

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: There are a ton of stunts pretty much throughout the entire film. From fighting the inmates to fighting the bad things. Lots of close combat with guns, bats, fists, katana, and boomerangs. Almost too much stuff to follow all at once. :)

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Some great makeup work in the film. El Diablo's tattoos were everywhere and looked fab. Harley's white skin and her funky eye and hair makeup were great. The Joker was also a fun bit of work. The tattoo on his hand of the laughing mouth was too fun! And let's not forget Killer Croc! The face getup and teeth were amazing. The Enchantress (despite her being a different take than in the comics) looked awesome as well. Super creepy. :)

Conclusion: "Suicide Squad" is a bit top heavy at the start, but still quite fun. No real surprises. Most of the snappy one liners have already been revealed. Yet it was still entertaining overall. Stay through the first half of the credits! 

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Movie Review - Men In Black 3

(Well, this is super late due to computer issues. Eventually gave up and decided to post it while I was off at A-kon. Wheee!)

Men In Black 3

Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mike Colter, Nicole Scherzinger, Michael Chernus, Alice Eve, and many more.

Premise: An alien criminal that Agent K captured forty years before escapes from prison and is looking to change the past to a better outcome. When K won't tell J the details of the case, their partnership is put in jeopardy. But then K suddenly disappears and so does everyone else's memories of him except for J's. J must now take a leap into the past to rescue K and the Earth's future. (Rated PG-13)

Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld  Based On The Malibu Comics by: Lowell Cunningham Written by: Etan Cohen Original Music by: Danny Elfman Cinematography by: Bill Pope

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin all had great chemistry. Josh Brolin did an awesome job as Young Agent K. Not only did he bring a lot of the mannerism of the familiar older Agent K, but he also made the younger agent a different man on several levels, the better to contrast with the events which made Agent K the somber, seemingly withdrawn man he is today.

In a fun turn of events, I loved watching Agent J dealing with his altered future's younger partner, switching J and K's usual roles, and making J look at his own partnership in a slightly different light. Too cute! Tommy Lee Jones also imparted a lot of emotion and subliminal information once he realized his old nemesis Boris had escaped. Great job!

Not all of the old friends from the original MIB film are back, but those not present are definitely represented. Loved how they sneaked Frank into the film though his character was not involved. It was very creative and cute. But don't worry, the worms are there, throwing out their usual fun one liners.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects team did a wonderful job. Boris is in many ways as disgusting, if not more so, than Edgar was in the original Men In Black film. Boris may look human, but as the movie progresses we are shown more and more that it is but a veneer of a strangely symbiotic creature. Totally fascinating!

The weapons, vehicles, ships and more were outstanding. The same look and feel as the modern tech used by MIB, but in a more developmental phase.

The time traveling itself was not in your usual way and incredibly impressive. The fact they were even able to throw in some dark humor into the whole process made it even better. The unexpected visitors right before J goes back in time were all in the background yet spoke volumes in presentation. Nicely done!

The scene with the baseball park was marvelously done.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The story works with serious issues served up with lots of great one liners and comedic bits. A lot of foreshadowing, which is in itself a 'red herring', the outcome not the one you'd expect.

The story did have some fun with J being sent back to the 60's on several levels. But also didn't overdo it and even twisted one cliche around for a funny moment.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: With a ton of action comes a ton of stunts and they were all excellent. From attacking aliens, to prison escapes, to the street chases, they were all very visual and smoothly carried out.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Several gorgeous views of the New York landscape from multiple times. The Cape Canaveral shots integrated with original footage and recreations were great.

It was also fun seeing the differences between the MIB headquarters then and now.

6) Costuming/Make-up - Total Thumbs Up: Great work on this category as well. Lots of attention paid to 1969 to make it look and feel as it would have back then. Also between the make-up department and Josh Brolin's acting acumen , you never doubted the actor was a younger K.

Conclusion: MIB 3 is a fun, fast paced film which brings back all we loved from the original MIB film and more!

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See Again)