As is my custom, I caught this one a good long while after it had exited theatres. I can see why it was a hit but not a critic's darling. There is enough action and skin for the average comic book fan but depth was sorely lacking for 90% of the film. The one scene with some dialog meat took place late in the film, at a bar just before the big finale. Margot Robbie was talked about a good deal and I'll give her props for fully committing to the crazy but I have to think that the buzz was as much about her lack of a clothing as about her acting. Clearly, this thing was written and directed by a man and came off as a bit of a throwback in an era of kick-ass female power-houses. The biggest sadness was that the attention on Margot Robbie took away from Will Smith, whose subtle, sad, angry Deadshot was understated and brilliant. Mr. Smith was so immersed in the character that it took a couple of scenes before I realized it was him. Jay Hernandez, as Diablo, gets a great monologue near the end of the film and does it with skill and grace. Other than that the rest of the squad, and every other character, comes off as fairly flat and unmotivated. This is even true of the luminaries Viola Davis and Jared Leto (seriously, Gotham's Cameron Monaghan is a better Joker). I have to blame it on the writing and directing. The film is dark, of course, but as the recent Deadpool films have shown, one can have dark without being bleak. In this case, I didn't mind watching it on the small screen. While there is talk of a sequel I won't be running out to see it.
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