After months of trailers building excitement, the cast talking about their strong camaraderie and Jared Leto freaking everyone out by staying in character as The Joker and sending them gifts of used condoms and sex toys, expectations were understandably high for 'Suicide Squad'.
Viola Davis, Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto at Suicide Squad world premiere
Although many hardcore DC Comics fans loved Zack Snyder's 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' the critical response was far less than universally enthusiastic with the superhero battle being branded too long, too dark and with a plot that twisted in a ever-more confusing way. Although Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman proved to be very popular.
David Ayer's 'Suicide Squad' with its ensemble of anti-heroes was expected to inject some humour and sass into the DC Cinematic Universe - backed by Warner Bros. Pictures to take on the big screen behemoth that is Marvel Studios.
The film had its world premiere in New York City on Monday (01.08.16) and the first reviews are now in and once again they are a mixed bag.
The Hollywood Reporter says "the film starts with promise but disengages as it loses its creative bearings" and it's a "puzzlingly confused undertaking that never becomes as cool as it thinks it is".
Vanity Fair said the movie is "bad. Not fun bad. Not redeemable bad. Not the kind of bad that is the unfortunate result of artists honourably striving for something ambitious and falling short."
Rolling Stone's reviewer questioned: "Who stole the soul of 'Suicide Squad'? I'd say it's Ayer's willingness to go all limp d**k and compromise his hardcore action bona fides for a PG-13 crowdpleaser that would rather ingratiate than cut deep, or even cut at all."
Jared's Joker - who is portrayed as a gangster who even owns a strip club - has been criticised for being sexist and misogynist, but to informed DC Comics these are character traits the green-haired villain has had in stories for years. The Joker has always treated Harley Quinn (wonderfully played by Margot Robbie, it must be said) as his 'property'. She was his psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum before she fell in love with him and ceased to be Dr. Harleen Quinzel.
The critics' response to this version of The Joker perhaps shows more about their lack of knowledge about the character and their narrow understanding of what he should be from the big screen interpretations of Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger.
Other reviews were also determined to let film fans know the movie isn't as funny as the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe stating that other than Harley Quinn, Will Smith's Deadshot, Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, Jay Hernandez as El Diablo and Karen Fukuhara's Katana don't quite have the same level of wisecracks.
The Guardian stated that "the new DC Comics supervillain movie certainly brings the crazy with its team of psychopathic ex-convicts, a Dirty Half-Dozen Hannibal Lecters. It also brings the chaos and the surreal disorientation. It's undoubtedly an advance on that recent uneasy face-off, 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'. But does it bring the funny? Not the way the Marvel movies do it, really: that ingredient of sympathetic humour hasn't quite worked its way into DC's mix yet".
While The Daily Telegraph wrote: "When you compare 'Suicide Squad' to what James Gunn and Marvel Studios achieved in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' - low-profile property, oddball characters, make-it-fun brief - the film makes you cringe so hard your teeth come loose. But it's a slog even on its own crushingly puerile terms."
Again, perhaps the critics just don't get that DC is known for being darker in tone than Marvel and this will always be reflected on the big screen.
As Ben Affleck - who appears again as Batman in 'Suicide Squad' - said: "DC is more mythic, it is more grand in that way, and it is a little more realistic. Just by their nature, these films can't be as funny or as quick or as glib as Marvel movies."
For the DC Cinematic Universe to be truly appreciated maybe the critics need to stop the Marvel love-in.
Tagged in Will Smith David Ayer Margot Robbie