First Suicide Squad Reviews: Are They Good or Bad?

It’s been much-anticipated, long-awaited, but now the very first reviews for Suicide Squad are finally coming in, as the embargo on critical reactions officially gets lifted.

So, what’s the consensus? Is Suicide Squad the sort of course-correction that the DC Extended Universe needs after the divisiveness of Batman v Superman and before the big event that is Justice League arrives? Let’s take a look at the roundup.

Starting with the most important review, from Comicbook.com’s own Lucas Siegel:

Suicide Squad is the fun, action-packed movie DC Comics fans have been waiting for, delivering two hours of great quips, crazy action sequences, a pitch-perfect Harley Quinn, and other actors stepping swiftly and easily into their roles. — Lucas Siegel ComicBook.com

Other sites have been somewhat favorable:

Though wonky in structure, it makes a certain sense that this antihero tale wouldn’t play by the rules. Packed with attitude, “Suicide Squad” is ferocious fun, boasting a bounty of action, mirthful mayhem, and a cavalcade of curious characters. It’s just the kick in the pants Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment need to correct course ahead of next year’s “Justice League.” –Kristy Puchko, CBR

For DC, which blew it with Batman v Superman last spring, Suicide Squad is a small step forward. But it could have been a giant leap. –Chris Nashawaty, EW

Suicide Squad is quite bonkers (even if it is not as clever as this year’s Deadpool), and it’s easily the most visually ambitious and viscerally kinetic superhero experience of 2016, putting it tonally miles away from anything Marvel Studios would ever touch. –David Crow, Den of Geek

Suicide Squad above all else gets its heroes… That’s a victory that DC and WB should tout and take full advantage of – and one that seems to indicate a surprisingly bright future for a Movieverse hitherto committed to prevailing darkness. –Isaac Feldberg, WCTC

Meanwhile, other sites have been downright brutal with their reviews:

A puzzlingly confused undertaking that never becomes as cool as it thinks it is, Suicide Squad assembles an all-star team of supervillains and then doesn’t know what to do with them. –Todd McCarthy, THR

“Suicide Squad” isn’t a terrible movie per se and judged against its forbearer, ‘Batman v Superman,’ it resembles a shining beacon of coherence. But “Suicide Squad” isn’t a very good movie either, a mediocre effort with commonplace ideas of rebelliousness and salvation. –Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

“Suicide Squad” plays like a TV pilot that puts forth the sketchy outlines of several characters, with the promise that the series will fill them in later. If the idea was to have future DC movies do that instead, then those films have their work cut out for them. — Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

Suicide Squad is so uninspired, so dim and unthoughtful, that its one true arresting act of destruction is to deliver what could be a fatal blow to non-Marvel superhero movies. (Unless it does very well at the box office—which, what the hell, it probably will.) If you can believe it, Suicide Squad is even worse than Fantastic Four. –Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair

BUT there are some agreed upon bright points – one in particular:

In a movie that feels disproportionately anemic and disjointed at times, Harley Quinn is the beating, bananas heart of the film. Beneath an assortment of face tattoos, caked-on clown makeup, and very sparse costuming, she’s always off-kilter and delightfully herself—a spunky supervillain who lacks impulse control and morals but keeps the makeshift squad together when self-interest and friction threaten to tear them apart. –Jen Yamato, The Daily Beast

The general consensus is this:

• Suicide Squad is not as cool as it could’ve been – but is better than Batman v Superman.
• The Plot and villains are weak.
• The characters and banter are generally strong and entertaining.
• There’s a lot of evidence of studio meddling and recuts.
• There’s a lot of DCEU connections shoehorned in.
• Characters like Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Amanda Waller are satisfying standouts.
• Jared Leto’s Joker isn’t in the film enough; and the performance is as debated as you would expect.

Of course, this is just the critical consensus – any fans waiting on this film need to form their own opinions! Then let us know what they are @ComicbookNow!

Next: Our Suicide Squad Official Review

Suicide Squad blasts into theaters August 5, 2016; Wonder Woman is coming on June 2, 2017; followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017; The Flash on March 16, 2018; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020.