At least crazy Suicide Squad isn’t as bad as Batman v Superman

Suicide Squad isn't a cinematic masterpiece. But, it isn't as bad as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice either.

It's actually quite enjoyable, provided you leave your thinking caps behind. Strictly.

Remember, Suicide Squad is supposed to be as crazy as crazy gets in the world of DC comics. It's sort of a parallel universe, this one, where the bad guys are actually the good guys.

It's dark, sure, but the whole point of Suicide Squad - or Task Force X - is that it doesn't take itself as seriously, as say, Batman or Superman. It's funny, sometimes sexist and, sure as hell foul-mouthed.

Warner Bros/DC Comics and director David Ayer want you to treat Suicide Squad the film in the same way. Stick with that, and it can be lots of fun.

Consider logic and it can be a piping hot mess, call it a kryptonite to the DC Extended Universe, if you may. Question is, which side are you on?

For the uninitiated, Suicide Squad tells the story of a crazy, dysfunctional band of misfits who fight injustice, to save their own a***s.

Imagine the most wicked anti-heroes handpicked from the darkest corners of the DC universe and put together in one place.

To fight crime. It can be quite a riot, on paper. Only, in the film there's a slight twist in the tale. Our head recruiter Amanda Waller (who is basically DC's version of Nick Fury) has messed up big time.

One of her pet recruits has escaped and is all set to wreak havoc on earth. The rest of the squad must clean her mess up, because well, you got to do what you got to do. It's not like they have a choice or anything.

It's an ensemble cast, the Suicide Squad. Members include Deadshot and Harley Quinn. The rest of the team, ala infamy is just meh!

There's one guy who is into tattoos and can set things on fire, there's one who throws boome-rangs, and some girl who's a ninja assassin. And oh, there's one freakishly ugly dude who thinks he is beautiful. Don't judge me. I love DC. I am a big fan.

But, none of the other 'supervillains' made sense to me in the film. And not for lack of trying. They seemed like they were there simply for the after-party. Even Rick Flag, who usually has a field-day while giving master Amanda a hard time on-ground in the comics, seemed a bit off in the film. Perhaps, love does that to you in the DC Extended Universe. Remember, what love did to Superman in Dawn of Justice?

Also read: We need Batman more than Superman today

If it were not for Deadshot and Harley Quinn, Suicide Squad would have been a disaster of epic proportions. Deadshot (played by Will Smith) is the most-wanted hitman in the world while Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie), well, she's just as crazy as a coot.

While Deadshot forms the emotional cornerstone of the film, Quinn represents its cathartic wild side.

Together, the duo shares an almost sibling-like relationship that transcends the silver screen and reaches out to you. The message is out loud and clear: there's humanity even in the darkest and the most desolate corners of the earth. It simply comes in different shapes and sizes.

That said, Deadshot and Harley Quinn form the epicentre of Suicide Squad for a different reason. Their characters have been given due on-screen time to explain, to an extent, why they are what they are.

Their origin (and life) stories are more coherent and logical. Floyd Lawton - aka Deadshot - has an 11-year-old daughter back home in Gotham City.

Meanwhile, Harleen Quinzel - aka Harley Quinn - was once psychiatrist to the Joker at Arkham Asylum. She thought she was curing him, but she was falling in love. Madly.

Speaking of which, Jared Leto's take on one of the most controversial, and without a doubt, the most complicated supervillains the entire comic world has ever seen, the Joker, was the subject of grave concern for fans and enthusiasts alike, since the time the film's first batch of trailers went out.

Now that the film is out, well, it's safe to say Leto's take is 'different'. Different from Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson's takes. Reasons being two.

One, it's a different Joker altogether. He's young and love-sick. He spends almost all his time trying to woo and save Harley Quinn.

He doesn't really care about Batman at this point of time, which is…weird? But, then don't judge the man. His is more a cameo than a full-fledged role.

He's just there to justify a plot, the existence of Harley Quinn perhaps and that's all. Of course, his cameo is still meatier than Batman's.

There's one more DC character here who has an even shorter cameo. Not telling you his name though.

Deadshot and Harley Quinn are indeed a sight for sore eyes in a film that is otherwise nearly as nonsensical as the one it follows. Dawn of Justice of course. This is because Suicide Squad doesn't have one plot-hole but many.

It's not so much about plot-holes vis-à-vis story (provided there is any) but plot-holes vis-à-vis characters and narrative that bring Suicide Squad down.

It's hard to understand why Harley Quinn should be caged like a circus animal, when Enchantress, who is actually a much bigger threat, is left free to roam about as she pleases.

Also read: We deserved a better Batman v Superman film

Oh right, because they have her heart cut out and without it she is vulnerable. Ok. That really didn't work out now, did it? Why is Amanda Waller so mean? And why is nobody catching the Joker, for crying out loud?

My real problem with Suicide Squad isn't its botched up character-set though, because frankly speaking, there's only so much that you can do in 123 minutes.

My real problem with Suicide Squad is that it tries too hard to offer a little something of every-thing. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

What's bad is that it tries to be Flash, and an amnesic version of it. So much so that it ends up looking like Speedy Gonzales, or more precisely, a loony tune.

You see, it goes really fast through scenes (and often story-lines) especially in the first half and then realises, hey, I missed something.

More often than not, that missing bit becomes the defining moment of the story. Like the one where Enchantress rescues her brother. The film then goes back to explain the whole thing, which is kind of funny.

Also read: Joke's on Jared Leto, he can't pull off Heath Ledger's Joker

It's like a Rubik's Cube, only easier to decipher. Going back and explaining to the audience only goes on to show you admit you left something.

As mentioned earlier, Suicide Squad isn't a cinematic masterpiece. But, it isn't as bad as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice either.

This is because many of us already knew Suicide Squad was bound to get crazy. It's got some crazy characters. It's got some crazy good characters in the likes of Deadshot, Harley Quinn and the Joker.

It's got some crazy (often over-the-top) CGI-effects. It's got crazy ounces of action. Not to for-get, it's got a crazy good soundtrack by Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price as well.

Don't go looking for a blockbuster. Go watch it for the fun and frolic, and lots of eye candy. Please, please leave your thinking caps behind.