Movie Review: The Suicide Squad

8/10

The often-hilarious romp has an excellent cast and brings hope for brighter days in the DC Universe.

I have superhero movie fatigue. In fact I had superhero movie fatigue twenty superhero films ago. The narrative structure is the same in just about all of the films, regardless of which comic book universe the films spring from. The heroes and villains blend together along with their storylines. They are woven mostly into mediocre fabric that is typically overhyped by the social media verse.

Even the recent DC box office successes did little to intrigue me. Wonder Woman and Aquaman mostly stuck to the same formula that skyrocketed the Avengers universe to success. They featured some great lead performances but little distinguishable or memorable outside a “grand final battle”.

The original Suicide Squad was a complete disaster, an exercise of style (and poorly edited style at that) over substance.

James Gunn was the perfect writer-director to revamp the franchise.

With Harley Quinn being the only returning character, I was glad to see Margot Robbie reprise the role. It was a highlight of the first Suicide Squad film. Surrounding her are a new band of misfits that are immediately more engaging and more likeable than the original cast. Highlights are John Cena as Peacemaker and Sylvester Stallone as King Shark. King Shark is arguably the greatest DC character to ever be put to screen. You wouldn’t think it possible that a giant shark/man hybrid with a dad bod who mistakenly tries to eat his own team member could be so endearing. Stallone’s voice is perfect for the character. John Cena, meanwhile, has a comedic talent that will hopefully be more widely recognized as a result of this film. I’ll take a Peacemaker film over anything from the Marvel universe.

Leading the new band of misfits is the always-engaging Idris Elba as Bloodsport, a hired assassin who was imprisoned for “putting a kryptonite bullet in Superman that sent him to the hospital.” Elba is perfect in the role, managing to be at once gritty, reckless, villainous, and likable.

The narrative as a hole adheres to the traditional superhero structure, but does so with enough twists and turns to distinguish this as a comic book move worth the theater price. Characters both good and bad die unexpectedly; the final battle is one for the history books. The movie’s introduction is arguably the greatest opening in superhero film history.

The script provides plenty of laughs. This was easily the funniest superhero film I’ve seen since Deadpool, even managing to be a superior romp to my favorite of the Marvel films, Thor: Ragnarok.

Here’s to hoping Gunn gets the reigns to the sequel!

Movie Review: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it

6/10

Same tropes and narrative structure as the first two Conjuring films, but with some effective jump scares and great performances.

If you’re considering watching the third Conjuring film, odds are that you’ve seen the first two. Odds are you also know what to expect, and rest assured the third film will deliver few surprises. Sometimes, though, a repetition of what worked in previous installments isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

As in most franchises, the main character motivations are well established by the third installment of a series. In Fast and Furious, for example, it’s made abundantly clear in each installment that Dom is motivated purely by family. In The Conjuring, the Warrens are motivated by saving vulnerable souls from the sinister forces that aim to disrupt God’s work. You know they’ll have to reluctantly perform an exorcism or two, and you know the Annabelle doll will make an occasional cameo.

The first two Conjuring films succeeded partly from director James Wan’s expertise in creating jump scares, and partly because the performances from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warrens are well-done and believable. The two have legitimate on-screen chemistry, and the story keeps us hooked because of their unique occupation as exorcists/demon hunters, as well as their endearing marriage.

The third Conjuring film is mostly more of the same, but most of the elements that made the first two films successful remain. One can’t help but feel an emotional pull when one or both of the Warrens are in danger due to their quirky and believable relationship and affection for each other.

The Devil Made Me Do It does incorporate more procedural elements to the story as the Warrens investigate the forces behind a young murderer’s suspected demonic possession. Having a human behind the devilry adds a bit more of a physical threat that one would expect in detective film. However, I can’t say the procedural elements succeed in elevating the film above previous installments. They are just barely engaging enough to hold our attention between what we really want: the jump scares.

The scares are more or less created with the same formula: characters wander into and under places they shouldn’t, and we anticipate a terrible consequence, which tends to jump out at us suddenly. That said, they mostly work.

Don’t go into Conjuring 3 expecting a revolutionary horror film. However, it’s a fun diversion for the viewer looking to recapture the same tension and fun of the first two films.