To be fair the legs hit later on. It found an audience long after the headlines died down.
So I finally saw the film, and I am of two minds about it. (which is never ideal) I will give two different reviews, one for the moviergoer in me and one for the comic geek in me. (both without spoilers or tagged if I think it is iffy) For the sake of people not wanting to read it the score I give is a 7...maybe a 7.5 but I am not sure. It would not rank high on my DCEU films list...it would rank
meh. Aquaman walked this line much better.
Average Moviegoer:
Yeah what the heck is this? This movie is all over the place and doesn't seem to have a sense of what it is. The humor is hit or miss and the film is entirely too long. The characters are cool but outside of a couple you never really get to learn much about them so you never really feel anything when things go sideways. This is like a gratuitous fever dream of death and ridiculousness that is kind of a low rent version of The Expendables. Much like that film once the "oh cool look at all these guys in the same film!!!" veneer wears off what is left is just a rather stupid film with some funny jokes and way too many characters and deaths. If I walked in and watched this apropos of nothing, I would probably never watch it again because the creativity is overshadowed by the stupidity. This feels as bland and weak as a Marvel Film (lets throw 35 jokes into every scene no matter how violent it is or out of place they are) to me only they went R-rated so it is more violent to try and offset the Di$ney-fied blandness. I would probably give it a 5.5/6 and would instantly forget it. Just not my cup of tea...
Comic Nerd:
Well this is about as faithful as you can get with the idea of Taskforce X in film form. I mean everything from the Bait and Switch to all of the double and triple crosses, the backup plans and just insanity fits with what I have read over the years in Suicide Squad comics. Ostrander must have been crying tears of joy because this feels like what he was always going for. Even when they are doing the right thing these people are just not really redeemable and in truth outside of Ratcatcher none of them even pretend otherwise. (especially Bloodsport and Peacemaker) Waller was the type of evil you want to see out of her, King Shark made me laugh and Harley was Harley. Not sure why people think she is so different than she was in BOP...she is almost exactly the same. (which is fine I like BOP) Starro was awesome to look at but, much like Marvel Villains, kind of just stupidly defeated. The ending made a lot of sense and overall I think it matches how comics kind of play out including having the story stretched out longer than it needs to be
Geek meter gave it around an 8.
My question though is...why the heck do reviewers like it? After many of these same reviewers panned other DCEU films for "gratuitous violence" and "needless death" why were they all lining up to praise this film? Even the part of me that likes the film is baffled that it is reviewed so well based on history. Is James Gunn really that much of a reviewers wet dream? Is it because they told a bunch of kneeslappers as they shot and killed innocent people? (or others died in the aftermath) All of the critiques of MOS could literally be put on this film outside of the fact that they took joy in the destruction and death and Cavill never smiled and quipped like Bruce Willis. (yes I know they are villains, but come on that didnt stop critiques like that of the first film) If shot for shot, joke for joke, this film was made by a different director it would be at best in the 50s. (not saying that is the score it deserves just saying) I don't get it, and it kind of highlights why I absolutely hate how RT has destroyed honest critique when it comes to film. No one has a baseline anymore, they hold no standards they just throw crap out there to get headlines. Everything is so hyperbolized. This film does not deserve the praise it gets, but it also doesn't deserve to be destroyed either. It is an ok film that some will enjoy, some will hate but won't really move the needle much. I would bet the score reflects how much you like or dislike James Gunn as this film is all his for sure. I am always
meh on him so this film encapsulates that.
Much like WW84 (and Dune later this year) it is definitely benefitting from not being in the theaters because even with great reviews there was never going to be legs. Now when WB lets him make another they can tout streaming numbers to pump it up. (if they are good) They need to reign him in though because a film like this will never survive a true summer blockbuster season. I dunno I would prefer less James Gunn after seeing this.
I will likely watch it again at home cause the GF wants to maybe watch. (she will hate it I would bet) I hope it is better upon rewatch but honestly if she doesn't want to watch I am not sure I will. I walked out of the theater and kind of went, ok that is done on to the next film. That usually means I am out.