The big talk out of San Diego Comic Con (you know, the other little convention going on while I was attending ConnectiCon) was about the Suicide Squad film. Suicide Squad is one of DC's weirder comic franchises. Amanda Waller runs various secret superhero/supervillain projects for the government. Her masterpiece is the Suicide Squad, a rotating group of supervillains who are allowed to fight for their freedom on deadly missions. If they slip up, they're blamed for the destruction and executed. If they succeed, they'll probably wind up back in jail again anyway. At least they get some fresh air.
The trailer doesn't show a lot, but what it does show gives me hope for a could-be summer blockbuster of 2016.
- Viola Davis makes a great Amanda Waller. She has that commanding presence onscreen that will make her villain to villains but not really a hero character pop. DC/WB was wise to focus the first trailer on her acting ability.
- Harley Quinn is onscreen again. Harley Quinn is amazing. It took DC over 20 years to embrace the Harley Quinn fandom and now she has her own solo series and, clearly, a starring role in Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie looks like she nails the character and has a lot to do, even if the choice of shoe isn't exactly functional.
- Finally, some Katana action. Katana is amazing. Her power is being an amazing martial arts fighter who fights the yakuza with a katana. Depending on the continuity, Katana might believe that her dead husband's spirit resides in her sword and guides her. That's not always part of the story. We'll see how much they use Karen Fukuhara in the film. I'm hoping lots.
- Killer Croc, good people. Everything is better with Killer Croc. He has a rare genetic ancestry that gives him physical characteristics from the early stages of human evolution. Super tough skin and super strength make him one of Batman's greatest nemeses. Plus, he did this during the Batman: The Animated Series era.
- I'm not 100% sold on Jared Leto's Joker, though that is most likely a reaction to the character redesign. I personally didn't mind the tattoos and grill interpretation in still images, but I don't think it's reading menacing enough in motion. We'll see. His isolated scene is pretty far removed from the action.
- I'm also worried that the film is going to be a bit too...sincere? Serious? Self-involved? Suicide Squad is supposed to be ridiculous and this trailer looks a touch too gritty to capture that. We'll see.
