So, having this blog but apparently not much to post in the ways of original fiction, I’ve decided I might just do some reviews and share some thoughts.
Without further ado, I give you:
Suicide Squad and the Art of Storytelling
Caution: There be spoilers for the movie ahead! Don’t read if you don’t want to know!
So I just returned from watching Suicide Squad, and after I’ve spent the last little while thinking about storytelling, and learning about it, I have some thoughts about this movie.
First of all: Here’s how not to do it.
Item One: Viewer/Reader expectations. The trailer promised me a movie full of wise-cracking, crazy super-villains, forced to act in the interest of society and doing so with brutal madhouse flair.
This is not that movie. All the quips are in the trailer, pretty much. I’ve seen that trailer a few times, so I already know them. I’m not sure if it’s that or just the general atmosphere of the movie, but most of them pretty much fall flat in context. So, not so much with the wise-cracking. As for the flair… Sure, so we shoot and bash some mutated people. Deadshot and Harley get some reasonably cool scenes. I’m still missing some cinematic oomph, though.
Item Two: The Beginning. So we all know that in the beginning, you’re supposed to hook the audience. I guess that’s what they tried by showing us some prisoners being abused– hey, we’re supposed to be sympathetic to these convicted criminals, so, sure. Only why do we then segue into a half hour affair of talking heads that narrate at length the back story of these characters under the pretence of putting together this team– which still leaves us in complete darkness as to the motivations of these people to do what they do?
Now, I don’t know if it was in truth half an hour, but that’s what it felt like- a boring half hour of telling, not showing. This is one of those instances where someone didn’t quite figure out where the story started which they wanted to tell. And it’s a waste of time, too. Those short little summary screens of the villains they had– that was all we needed at this point in the story. The rest would’ve done much better interwoven with the major plot at times where it was relevant for that character.
Item Three: The Plot– in which we ask: what plot? The one about the shady government agency and it’s shady dealings? Or the one about the evil witch trying to destroy the world? What is this movie trying to tell me? Recruiting super-villains to your defence is a bad idea? Super-villains can be good people, too? I’m really not too sure… So it was a home-made problem because the evil witch you thought you had on a leash went and… stole your bomb?
Here’s a hint: while your story can have twists and turns, it shouldn’t confuse your audience. I, as the audience, am still somewhat confused as to what the whole point of this exercise was. The evil witch is building a portal– oh, but your job is to extract your (pretty much evil) boss instead of stopping her. Right. There’s an army of mutated evil minions in your way, you’re supposed to avoid them, so you… stay right where you are until they attack you? Okay. You’re possessed by an evil witch that you hate but… you call her so she can… run away and resurrect her brother and destroy the world? Uh… And why again was that bomb important? And why didn’t we know about it the moment it happened if it was?
This… is not how you write a good, logical plot.
Oh, and also– the dramatic team walk and the slow-motion final show-down has been done to death. Really.
In conclusion: There is a great movie in there– one about how super-villains are maybe people, too, and about how even bad people can be in love, about what separates good from evil, anyway, and whether the ends justify the means, and about whether redemption is ever possible.
Unfortunately, the movie I saw today wasn’t that movie.
Canis Lupus Writes 