Cindy Prascik's Review of The Suicide Squad

My dear reader(s): The weekend just passed brought us the latest installment in DC Comics' extended cinematic universe, the Suicide Squad.

A collection of the criminal and the criminally insane embark on another secret mission.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or a general familiarity with the product.

Technically, I believe the Suicide Squad is considered a sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad. In reality, minus Jared Leto's Joker and with an almost completely new cast, it feels more like a do-over. The original was universally reviled (though I didn't hate it), so putting maximum artistic distance between the two probably was in the best interest of the new movie.

It comes as no surprise, then, that Suicide Squad and *the* Suicide Squad are two very different films. As mentioned, gone is Leto's deeply divisive Joker. While that's a significant character to remove from the mix, I don't think the movie misses him. Gone, also, is Will Smith as Deadshot. The team's new leader is Bloodsport, portrayed by Idris Elba. Will Smith is cool, but I can't say there are many actors I wouldn't happily swap for Elba, and Mr. Smith is no exception. (Sorry, Will. Love ya.) Margot Robbie makes her third big-screen appearance as Harley Quinn, and — given the character's psychoses — it feels inappropriate to say she's delightful, but delightful she is. She's come to own the character, and certainly she owns the screen whenever she's on it. Joel Kinnaman returns as Rick Flag, and Viola Davis as Amanda Walker, but most of the other faces are new to the property, if mostly familiar to movie-goers. Notable are the brilliant Peter Capaldi, John Cena, and David Dastmalchian, a favorite of mine since he named Rachel Dawes as next on the Joker's hit list in the Dark Knight. (Dastmalchian and co-star Michael Rooker have also done time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.) Sylvester Stallone is a scene-stealer as the voice of King Shark. Most of the performances can fairly be called terrific without a "for the genre" qualifier. The Suicide Squad uses a solid score by John Murphy and an interesting selection of tunes to underscore its dark mood, another important distinction from the original, which often felt more like a series of music videos than it did one cohesive film. The movie has its fair share of juvenile humor, but an equal helping of legitimately funny bits. CGI is decent throughout, and action scenes are exciting and don't wear out their welcome. Harley Quinn features in a fight sequence that is right up there with the Freebird/church scene in Kingsman: the Secret Service as a new classic and maybe an all-time great.

While the 2016 and 2021 Suicide Squads are very different, they're also quite similar. Both are very, very violent, though in a stylized way that doesn't seem as much about the gross-out as it does about interesting visuals. Both have a bright comic-book look to them, with colorful graphics and bold text. Both feature an abundance of bad language and disturbing content. (Why does James Gunn hate birds??) Both play Harley Quinn's insanity for laughs when, really, hers is a grotesque and unsettling story. If the houses ended up looking quite different, it's clear their foundations were the same.

The Suicide Squad is now playing in cinemas worldwide, and streaming on HBO Max through the first week of September. It runs 132 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use, and brief graphic nudity."

The Suicide Squad is good fun for those who aren't squeamish about extreme content, a definite improvement over the original. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Suicide Squad gets seven and a half.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE SUICIDE SQUAD

 

The government sends the most dangerous supervillains in the world -- Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn and others -- to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave.

Director: James Gunn

Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi

Release Date: Rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity

Runtime: 2 h 12 min

Review:

James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is a visually aggressive Dirty Dozen grindhouse film in the guise of a superhero film.  Gunn's Guardian of the Galaxy was one of first Marvel films that had a decidedly unique feel to it but those expecting something similar in DC universe will be surprised.  In this film Gunn has gone back to his gory roots by mirroring his first film's, Slither, story and using his refined directorial talents to great effect.  He delivers some truly beautiful sequences which will leave a lasting impact, Harley's escape is colorful collage of carnage.  His story is goofy, bloody but heartfelt at the same time even if all those elements don't hit the mark perfectly.  The character arches are filled with lingering mommy and daddy issues which doesn't give the ensemble much depth outside of being an outcast.  Robbie's Harley fares the best since her character has had three films to evolve into herself.  Idris Elba instantly feels like a more natural fit for this film than Will Smith did in the original film. Elba has a natural toughness that oozes through the screen which works perfectly for his character.  John Cena's Peacemaker should be the stand out of the piece but the script doesn't give him much to work with so he's not as impactful as the script wants him to be.  Daniela Melchior's Ratcatcher 2 ends up being the beating heart of film with her and Bloodsport's relationship providing the emotional string to the film.  Joel Kinnaman's Col. Rick Flag gets an expanded role here which makes him feel more like a complete character even amongst the insanity of Sylvester Stallone's, R rated Groot, King Shark or David Dastmalchian's Polka Dot Man.  Gunn's film embraces the insanity full bore by the final act by delivering the kind of big budget midnight movie madness which you have to appreciate for its sheer audacity.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: HONEST THIEF

 

Hoping to cut a deal, a professional bank robber agrees to return all the money he stole in exchange for a reduced sentence. But when two FBI agents set him up for murder, he must now go on the run to clear his name and bring them to justice.

Director: Mark Williams

Cast: Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Robert Patrick, Anthony Ramos, Jeffrey Donovan, Jai Courtney

Release Date: October 16, 2020

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Rated PG-13 for strong violence, crude references and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 h 39 min

Review:

Honest Thief serves as a fine encapsulation of Liam Neeson’s late career action star turn.  The main issue is this entry lacks any real flair or gusto, instead it all feels kind of perfunctory.  Mark Williams seems to come from the generic filmmaking school since the film is impressively bland and generic.  Liam Neeson goes through the motions while still trying to infuse some gravitas to the proceedings.  The main issue is that the characters are all so thinly written that there is only so much these actors can do with them.  Kate Walsh is given the thankless love interest role that seems to just go along with all the increasingly insane situations with nary a question or concern.  Jai Courtney character is so over the top that the only thing he’s missing is a villainous mustache to twirl throughout the film.  Those expecting some Taken style action to cover up the script’s failings will be left wanting since there’s not much to be found.  Honest Thief seems tailor made for that random mindless cable watching when you put zero effort into your entertainment choices.

C

MOVIE REVIEW: SUICIDE SQUAD

Director David Ayer (Fury) takes the helm for this Warner Bros. production adapted from the DC Comics series about a group of super-villains who are given a shot at redemption by embarking on a heroic mission that will most likely mean the death of them all. ~ Rovi

Director: David Ayer 

Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Cara Delevingne, Jay Hernandez, Jai Courtney 

Release Date: Aug 05, 2016

Rated PG-13 Disturbing Behavior, Action Throughout, Language, Sequences of Violence and 

Suggestive Content 

Runtime: 2 hr. 10 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

Suicide Squad isn’t a perfect film and there are plenty of hints of the turmoil and studio tinkering abound but, almost in spite of itself, it’s still a fun film.  David Ayer really tries to deliver a comic book film that will make fans happy and he succeeds on various levels.  The film’s strength is its collection of characters and actors.  The film spends the most time with Will Smith’s Deadshot and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn with both delivering excellent performances that really drive the film.  Viola Davis is pretty much pitch perfect as Amanda Waller, the government agent who puts the squad together.  As a longtime fan, I did appreciate the amount of effort put into the characterization of some of these characters even if some do end up on the periphery, Killer Croc and Katana fare the worst.  The chemistry of cast is pretty strong through out with a few surprises like Jai Courtney Captain Boomerang and a nice bit of emotional depth from Jay Hernandez.  The biggest issue the film has is the film’s overall plot and primary villain.  It’s pretty straightforward and follows the tropes we’ve seen plenty of times in superhero film with the villain coming off as under written.  The Joker, Jared Leto’s take is more crazed gangster than Ledger’s anarchic take, would have probably served as a better foil for the team.  Still, even with it’s issues Suicide Squad is an enjoyable comic book film that’s got plenty of characters that you’ll want to revisit.  

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of Suicide Squad

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for DC Comics' latest effort, Suicide Squad. Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. 

 

The US government recruits some of the world's worst criminals for a special mission. My dear reader(s), I'm gonna be upfront with ya: I'm a DC girl through and through, but my eagerness for Suicide Squad was mostly hinged on a bit of bonus Batman between headline gigs. 

 

I am pleased to report that the movie is worth a lot more than that. Suicide Squad kicks off with an epic intro, and you can tell right away it's something different from the norm. I think the last time I was this impressed with how well a movie's appearance captured its very essence was Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. 

 

This comic book movie just LOOKS like a comic book, and it's fantastic! Introductions run somewhat long, but that's justifiable given that most of these characters aren't comic A-listers with whom the general public already will be familiar. The acting is overall quite solid, and not just "for a comic book movie." Singling out those who made the biggest impression (good and bad): Cara Delevingne as June Moone/Enchantress: The mousy June/evil Enchantress is a dual role with extremes that exceed the talent and skill of model Delevingne; throw in some weird CGI with her movements, plus those distracting eyebrows, and she is almost unwatchable. 

 

Margot Robbie as Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn: Robbie's turn as Harley is truly disturbing, yet she looks so amazing you wouldn't turn her down even knowing she's utterly bananas. 

 

As Frank Valente once said, "Psycho chicks are the best!" Will Smith as Floyd Lawton/Deadshot: One of the more likeable actors working today, Smith brings all of his considerable appeal to his character, turning in a tough, funny, and sympathetic performance. 

 

As great actors do, Smith becomes the clear "star" of this ensemble picture, without needing to be heralded as such. 

 

Jay Hernandez as Chato Santana/Diablo: Having turned over a new leaf in prison, Diablo is reluctant to use his terrible power, even for good. Hernandez is heartbreaking, and his is my favorite work in the movie. 

 

Finally... Jared Leto as the Joker. I love, love, LOVE this take on the Joker, and I want more of it like yesterday. 

Leto is insane and terrifying, everything this character should be. Suicide Squad seems a bit jumpy, a feeling exacerbated by the inclusion of almost too many good tunes in too-quick sucession. 

 

Occasionally it plays more like a series of cool music videos than a coherent whole, which also leads to spots where it stalls in progression, if not in action. 

 

It doesn't lag or lose your attention, but it does sometimes feel like everything that's going on still isn't getting it from point A to point B. The CGI is mostly great, and, as mentioned, it looks fantastic. There's a certain element to this movie that's more deeply unsettling than your average comic book picture, and I genuinely think an R rating would have been more appropriate and would have better served the material. 

 

Suicide Squad clocks in at 123 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of violence and action throughout, disturbing behavior, suggestive content, and language." Suicide Squad is a rollicking good time, loaded with action, humor, and great characters. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Suicide Squad gets seven and a half. 

 

Fangirl points: Joel Kinnaman! Oh, and...Batman! Batman! Batman! Until next time... 

 

 

MOVIE REVIEW: TERMINATOR GENISYS

The year is 2029. John Connor, leader of the resistance continues the war against the machines. At the L.A. offensive, John's fears of the unknown future begin to emerge when he learns that SkyNet will attack him from both fronts: past and future.

Director: Alan Taylor

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Dayo Okeniyi, Lee Byung-hun

Release Date: Jul 01, 2015 RealD 3D

Rated: PG-13 Gunplay Throughout, Brief Strong Language, Intense Sci-Fi Violence and Partial 

Nudity 

Runtime: 2 hr. 6 min. Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

Proposed Preamble that might make Terminator Genisys more palpable:

Forget everything you know.  Sort of kind of I mean.  The first 2 movies were really good right but since most of you in the audience are millennials you all probably thought they were ok but looked old.  So we’ve just redone some of those sequences but like cooler and with update FX.  Back on point, forget but remember what happened in those first two movies because you kind of need to know but don’t need to know it.  Either way we’ll explain it.  It’d really help if you watched a lot of Star Trek because there are timelines all over the place and yeah there might be plot holes all over the place and if you think too hard it’ll make zero sense, so don’t.  It’s all good we have a great director who knows how to film big action sequences and they’ll be fun, we promise!  Oh and did we mention that Arnold freaking Schwarzenegger is back, giggle, and we totally explain why it’s ok that’s he’s old.  He’s hilarious!  We couldn’t explain Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn being old so we replaced them with the mother of freaking dragons!  OMG she’s sooooo hot, probably not believably tough, but look at her china doll features!  And come on look Jai Courtney, he’s like a warm plate of vanilla ice cream, it’s not great but it ain’t bad either!  I almost forgot about Jason Clarke, he’s like super important, but I think we finally nailed a grown up version of Edward Furlong!  We knew you couldn’t wait for a pretty good twist, so we just told everybody because, come on who hates waiting!  So thanks for giving us a shot on your July 4^th weekend, its hot outside and who wants to see stupid fireworks, we’ve got our own and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy our movies a lot more than you thought you would!  Enjoy!

P.S. We threw in JK Simmons because he like won and Oscar and insures my house!  Probably should have used him more because he’s hilarious!

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Gunman and Insurgent

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the pictures for The Gunman and Insurgent, a pair of action-packed movies sure to get the blood moving. Or not.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up: Sean Penn in The Gunman.

A former assassin's misdeeds come back to haunt him.

Dear reader(s), if we're being honest, my first reaction when The Gunman's credits started rolling was, "What the hell did I just watch??" Not that it was a bad movie, or even a terribly strange movie, it just wasn't what I expected from the trailer. I went back and re-watched the trailer and, in hindsight, I'm not sure why I didn't get it. Luckily, it's a pretty good movie anyway.

Pluses: Sean Penn is on point in the lead. For me, he's one of those guys (like Tom Cruise) who, when I hear his name I think, "I don't really care for that actor." Then I watch him in something and say to myself, "Self, what were you thinking? That guy is awesome!" Though he's crippled on occasion by awkward dialogue, Penn is solid here, which is a good thing, because it's mostly on him to carry this one. Idris Elba and Ray Winstone are very good with limited screen time, and the movie is noticeably better when they're around. The story is interesting, with plenty of action, and there's an angry sex scene that, while not especially long or graphic, is pretty hot. Finally, at just under two hours, the movie is smart enough not to wear out its welcome.

Minuses: Javier Bardem is a total clown...thinking his mugging may even upstage Captain Jack Sparrow in that new Pirates movie. As for the female lead, Jasmine Trinca, both the actress and the role are entirely forgettable; you could have plopped pretty much any woman of an appropriate age in that slot and she'd have been no better, no worse, and no more important to the movie. A bunch of obvious soap-opera glances in the opening scenes reveal the baddie long before you should have any idea; in fact, the whole thing, while entertaining, is extremely predictable. Finally, Idris Elba appears twice in a two-minute trailer and exactly the same number of times in a two-hour movie. I LOVE Elba, and was really hoping to see more of him.

Distractions: Penn's newfound buff-ness and Trinca's funky front teeth.

The Gunman runs 115 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, language, and some sexuality."
As is kinda the norm for this time of year, it's a passably entertaining, but ultimately forgettable, afternoon at the cinema.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Gunman gets five and a half.

Up next was the second installment in the Divergent series, Insurgent.

Tris and Four continue fighting the good fight against Jeanine and the faction system.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, literally every single review I saw of Divergent, the first film in this series, contained some version of the sentiment, "Well, that was way better than I expected!" It is, perhaps, for that reason that Insurgent is something of a disappointment.

Though it runs about 20 minutes shorter than its predecessor, Insurgent seems slow and long. I was pretty bored with it for major chunks of time. The action is decent, but repetitive, and much of the dialogue just seems silly.

Shailene Woodley remains (for me) nothing more than a poor man's Jennifer Lawrence...now with new dopey haircut!! I still have a crush on Theo James (curse you, lady Mary, for your deadly bed!!), and I shallowly found the movie far more interesting whenever he was onscreen. Aside from Kate Winslet, who is always reliable, this series has one of the more boring supporting casts I've ever seen, with a bunch of interchangeable actors who could be swapped out with barely a ripple.

Even having said all that, my chief annoyances were a weirdly made-up and bejeweled Naomi Watts (is that really how you picture the leader of your revolution??) and the awkward giggles drawn from my teenage audience by the non-starter love scene and a single almost f-word. (Hardly the movie's fault, but it still set my teeth on edge.)

Insurgent clocks in at 119 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense violence and action throughout, some sensuality, thematic elements, and brief language."

Sadly, the middle frame of the Divergent series is exactly what I expect of most Y.A. adaptations. Here's hoping next year's finale is more like part one.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Insurgent gets five.

Until next time...

 

Note to filmmakers: More Idris Elba is always better than less Idris Elba.

Cindy Prascik’s Review of I, Frankenstein

Dearest Blog, with the possibility of snow-derailed plans hanging over my Saturday, I hopped out to the movies on opening night for I, Frankenstein. I'd been looking forward to it far too much for far too long to risk a weather delay. (You can stop laughing anytime.) Never worry, though, dear reader(s), I was on my way OUT as the Friday-night teens were on their way IN.

Spoiler level here will be mild-ish, nothing you wouldn't know or have guessed from the trailers.

In the present day, Victor Frankenstein's creation lands in the middle of a centuries-old war between supernatural species.
If you were online for three minutes before happening upon this blog, you've probably already seen an item or two saying how terrible this movie is, or how ridiculous...or probably both. Here I shall provide you the counterpoint.

Yes, I, Frankenstein is cheesy and offers one of the most obvious reveals in the history of movie reveals, but it's also got a likable, recognizable cast, some groovy effects, and one especially well-choreographed fight scene that I'll probably watch ten times in a row as soon as I put my hands on the DVD. Typically for this sort of film, there's a Randomly Hot Dude I've never seen before who has two lines and dies in the first 20 minutes...but now I have a crush and have to spend $100 picking up all his terrible old movies on Amazon. It also has the occasional nod to the title character's iconic nature, and, unlike your friendly neighborhood Best Picture nominee, is smart enough not to wear out its welcome.

Aaron Eckhart has long since proved himself capable, and he's an easy watch in the lead. If the movie takes an extra moment to linger gratuitously on his perfectly sculpted abs, well...no complaints here! It goes without saying Bill Nighy is overqualified for his role, but he's supremely entertaining and the movie is better for having him. (Somehow I couldn't stop picturing his and Gary Oldman's agents fistfighting over these easy-money parts...Gary gets Robocop, Bill gets Frankenstein!) Miranda Otto and Yvonne Strahovski are fine in predictable female roles. Best surprise was the delicious Aden Young turning up in a small but important part.

I, Frankenstein clocks in at a tight 93 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of intense fantasy action and violence throughout."

I will respectfully but emphatically disagree with anyone who trashes this movie. It's a terrific bit of escapism from the so-bad-it's-good school, and, for my money, is destined to become a cult classic. Of a possible nine Weasleys, I, Frankenstein gets seven.

Until next time...



Hey, Doc, next time you're making these, don't forget mine, m-kay?