David Ayer

By all accounts, a lot of stuff got cut out of Suicide Squad. If you believe the recent press reports, there were two totally different versions of the film competing for release: A darker take from director David Ayer, and a jokier movie edited in consultation with the company that made the film’s popular, upbeat trailers.

The box-office records it demolished over the weekend aren’t the only broken parts of Suicide Squad. For all its admittedly impressive financial success, the movie’s story is shockingly incoherent, and that’s when the film has a story at all. Sure, Will Smith was great and Margot Robbie made an impressively committed Harley Quinn. But in much the same way the Suicide Squad is held hostage in Midway City by sinister bureaucrats, Smith, Robbie, and company are trapped in a movie that gives them very little play and makes even less sense.

Jared Leto is the second name on the poster for Suicide Squad. The only actor billed above him is Will Smith; Leto is listed ahead of actors like Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis, who, unlike the Joker, are all actual members of the Suicide Squad. Despite Leto’s billing, though, and despite the large amount of publicity surrounding his unusual version of the character (not to mention his unusual preparations to play the role, which included sending disgusting “gifts” to his colleagues), Leto has very little screen time in the final film.

How was the Joker? Is Ben Affleck’s Batman a welcome addition? What about the other surprise DC cameo? Does Amanda Waller’s plan make any sense at all? Who the heck is Slipknot? How does Harley Quinn fit into the rest of the Suicide Squad? Why did they introduce Katana so late in the movie? What the hell was going on with the Enchantress? Did they really just rip off Ghostbusters with that ending? All of those topics and more are on the table for our FULL SPOILERS discussion and review of Suicide Squad.

Today in “news that is hardly surprising,” Zack Snyder directed a scene in Suicide Squad, and no, it wasn’t any of the stuff involving Ben Affleck’s Batman. It was, however, one of the later additions to David Ayer’s super-villain team-up, and it has something to do with that other big DC superhero cameo. Spoilers ahead, obviously — unless you don’t mind that sort of thing.

When a movie gets bad reviews, it must mean something is wrong with the critics, right? Those darn critics, they don’t like anything!

What the heck went wrong with Suicide Squad? It’s a question that will be plaguing critics for a while.

If you liked the scene in Batman v Superman where Bruce Wayne watched YouTube videos about the future members of the Justice League, you'll love Suicide Squad. Instead of just one scene of plot-stopping fan service, Suicide Squad delivers an entire first act of soul-deadening exposition. The movie spends nearly 30 story-free minutes with a Machiavellian bureaucrat while she sits in a restaurant discussing a top secret personnel file. Here is Deadshot, the world’s greatest assassin; this is Harley Quinn, the Joker’s psychotic girlfriend. Oh, and have you heard about Captain Boomerang? And on and on and on.

The Golden Age of Marvel Comics kicked off in 1961 with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four #1. The company’s rivalry with DC Comics began almost immediately, as Marvel’s stable of new and refreshing characters like Spider-Man and the Hulk challenged DC’s long-held industry dominance and their roster of Superman, Batman, and the Justice League. Both companies now dominate not only comics publishing but Hollywood moviemaking as well. Although Marvel has an undeniable edge in their massive cinematic universe, DC, through parent company Warner Bros., has made a major push into movies with an extended universe all their own.

As this mediocre summer movie season nears an end, there’s a little bit of pressure on Suicide Squad to deliver the goods. The trailers are great, the cast looks fantastic, and we’re even excited about Jared Leto’s Joker — despite that jarring Hot Topic street thug aesthetic. David Ayer’s DC super-villain flick hits theaters next week, and just in case you need a couple of extra reasons to get out and see it, WB has released a new featurette that puts the focus on the film’s practical stunts.