THE SUICIDE SQUAD directed by James Gunn (2021) 3 3

[Buzzetta]

I reallllly liked it. 

It was the batsheets crazy version that I wanted it to be.

I was entertained.

[CrocHntr]

I really enjoyed the movie and have now watched it twice.  Count me as one who would have gladly paid to go twice to the movies, but already have HBO and chose to simply watch on the big screen in my living room instead.  

[Bosco685]

On 8/7/2021 at 2:08 PM, Buzzetta said:

I reallllly liked it. 

It was the batsheets crazy version that I wanted it to be.

I was entertained.

It was entertaining. Though I hated to see some of the old guard deaths.

[Bird]

On 8/7/2021 at 2:15 PM, Bosco685 said:

It was entertaining. Though I hated to see some of the old guard deaths.

I think death of characters is the way to go! In general, comics need to keep them around for the perpetual publishing, but movies are few and far between and there is no need to keep someone around if the story means they gotta go. Not cheap deaths like many in Suicide Squad or Deadpool 2, but ones that mean something to the audience due to movie content and not because we dig them on the page for decades. Besides, if you want to use the character again no one seems to care as long as it is a "fresh" start.

[Bosco685]

On 8/7/2021 at 2:23 PM, Bird said:

I think death of characters is the way to go! In general, comics need to keep them around for the perpetual publishing, but movies are few and far between and there is no need to keep someone around if the story means they gotta go. Not cheap deaths like many in Suicide Squad or Deadpool 2, but ones that mean something to the audience due to movie content and not because we dig them on the page for decades. Besides, if you want to use the character again no one seems to care as long as it is a "fresh" start.

The Vanisher was played quite well though with the interview scene (if he was even there  ), and then the surprise death and reveal who it was. Now that was worth the experience.

But I agree. Suicide Squad flushing away characters quickly without a meaningful death would be less impactful to the audience.

[Jaydogrules]

On 8/7/2021 at 10:30 AM, Bosco685 said:

 

I love when you two make final proclamations in advance of doom. Like you never learned from Joker when you and Gatsby proclaimed it was a failure even before release.

Joker is looking more and more like an outlier every passing month for WB.

-J.

[Bosco685]

On 8/7/2021 at 4:17 PM, Jaydogrules said:

Joker is looking more and more like an outlier every passing month for WB.

-J.

Hard to say since a pandemic has been flaming the world since its announcement on March 11, 2020. Even the mighty MCU just had its first movie released, and after 23 films behind it even Black Widow struggles.

With the WB releases, we had Wonder Woman 1984 (December 2020) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (March 2021) with either a hybrid schedule or 100% dedicated to streaming. So with The Suicide Squad this is the first big hybrid release during improved times.

So where is this 'more and more' baseline?

[▫️]

On 8/7/2021 at 1:02 PM, Jaydogrules said:

I don't buy the "covid" thing here to explain away a failure of the magnitude.  Streaming isn't a culprit either.  We have too many other comps at this point from various release strategies to not be able to call this what it is- a flop (so far, at least).

-J.

It is what it is. If you think COVID has no effect on this movies box office or movies in general, cool. There’s also a reason studios fight for that PG13. I commend them for throwing dollars to the wind in favor of a hard R. 

[D84]

Well, I enjoyed it until 

Spoiler

Rick Flag was killed. I get why they did it, but since he was the only character I cared about, it was hard keep watching.

And I don't get why people are praising John Cena's performance. It was passable, but nowhere near the caliber of the rest of the main cast. It seems like congratulating the dog for not  on the carpet. 

It's still one of the best movies I've seen this year, but that's not saying much.

3/5

[Bird]

On 8/7/2021 at 5:02 PM, D84 said:

Well, I enjoyed it until 

  Hide contents

Rick Flag was killed. I get why they did it, but since he was the only character I cared about, it was hard keep watching.

And I don't get why people are praising John Cena's performance. It was passable, but nowhere near the caliber of the rest of the main cast. It seems like congratulating the dog for not  on the carpet. 

It's still one of the best movies I've seen this year, but that's not saying much.

3/5

I agree with most of what you said there. Cena is not a good actor, I would imagine that role is a strong candidate for the one offered to Bautista.

[D84]

On 8/7/2021 at 4:05 PM, Bird said:

I agree with most of what you said there. Cena is not a good actor, I would imagine that role is a strong candidate for the one offered to Bautista.

You're probably right. Batista would have been better in the role. A lot of actors would have been better.

My brother and I laughed out loud in the theater at the fake bulge they put in Cena's tightie whities. 

[Jaydogrules]

On 8/7/2021 at 1:44 PM, Bosco685 said:

Hard to say since a pandemic has been flaming the world since its announcement on March 11, 2020. Even the mighty MCU just had its first movie released, and after 23 films behind it even Black Widow struggles.

With the WB releases, we had Wonder Woman 1984 (December 2020) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (March 2021) with either a hybrid schedule or 100% dedicated to streaming. So with The Suicide Squad this is the first big hybrid release during improved times.

So where is this 'more and more' baseline?

Shazam under-performed big time and birds of prey tanked before Corona.  

WB is now working on a "miss" streak four movies long.

With Black Widow, Marvel started its own "miss" streak. Nothing they have coming out the rest of this year is going to do anything (not counting Spider-man and most likely Venom, assuming Sony doesnt chicken out on releasing those after seeing these atrocious box office results).

Or maybe, just maybe, audiences really are finally just tiring of these movies.

-J.

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Jaydogrules

[Bosco685]

On 8/7/2021 at 5:27 PM, Jaydogrules said:

Shazam under-performed big time and birds of prey tanked before Corona.  

WB is now working on a "miss" streak four movies long.

With Black Widow, Marvel started its own "miss" streak. Nothing they have coming out the rest of this year is going to do anything (not counting Spider-man and most likely Venom, assuming Sony doesnt chicken out on releasing those after seeing these atrocious box office results).

Or maybe, just maybe, audiences really are finally just tiring of these movies.

-J.

 

• Shazam release date: March 15, 2019
• Joker release date: October 4, 2019

Why are you going back in time in order to attempt a point?

[Jaydogrules]

On 8/7/2021 at 2:45 PM, Bosco685 said:

• Shazam release date: March 15, 2019
• Joker release date: October 4, 2019

Why are you going back in time in order to attempt a point?

Joker isn't DCEU. 

To show that this losing streak pre-dates Corona.

-J.

[Gatsby77]

On 8/7/2021 at 12:14 PM, Scam Likely said:

R rated flick during COVID with simultaneous release on streaming. Still a critical success that will do well with Blu-ray/iTunes/Amazon purchases once it leaves HBO.

Doesn't matter.

This was a good film, but it's already bombed.

<$26M opening against a $185M budget?

Ouch. This performed worse than Space Jamz.

Will make far less than the $33M domestic opening weekend of Birds of Prey - which was a turd sandwich - and >$100M less than the first Suicide Squad did in its first three days. And that's a shame.

I think audiences felt burned by the wretchedness of the first Suicide Squad film, and - as Forbes' Scott Mendelson notes, box office-wise, it's a (sad) reality that Idris Elba isn't in the same league as Will Smith.

R-rating doesn't change the calculus much, as Deadpool managed $133M+ as an R-rated cartoon 5 years ago, and much of this film clearly emulated that one.

Further, I haven't heard anyone whose seen this claim it was worse than Black Widow, yet that film is still on track to be the domestic box office winner of the year (at least through September), despite similar simultaneous streaming.

I thought this was a far better film - and (as I've noted) top 3 for the DCEU so far.

It deserved better.

Edited August 7, 2021 by Gatsby77

[▫️]

On 8/7/2021 at 7:16 PM, Gatsby77 said:

Doesn't matter.

This was a good film, but it's already bombed.

<$30M opening against a $185M budget?

Ouch.

Will make far less than the $33M domestic opening weekend of Birds of Prey - which was a turd sandwich - and >$100M less than the first Suicide Squad did in its first three days. And that's a shame.

I think audiences felt burned by the wretchedness of the first Suicide Squad film, and - as Forbes' Scott Mendelson notes, box office-wise, it's a (sad) reality that Idris Elba isn't in the same league as Will Smith.

R-rating doesn't change the calculus much, as Deadpool managed $133M+ as an R-rated cartoon 5 years ago, and much of this film clearly emulated that one.

Further, I haven't heard anyone whose seen this claim it was worse than Black Widow, yet that film is still on track to be the domestic box office winner of the year (at least through September), despite similar simultaneous streaming.

I thought this was a far better film - and (as I've noted) top 3 for the DCEU so far.

It deserved better.

On average, a PG movie will double or triple the box office take over an R rating. SS never had a chance against BW at the BO. Deadpool was pre-COVID as well. Honestly, I would have skipped this movie if Will Smith reprised his role. Idris Elba is actually an actor and I was on board right away with his casting. Whether this movie bombs or succeeds financially doesn’t affect me. I’ve got nothing riding on it. I had a good time with it. 

[Bosco685]

On 8/7/2021 at 6:55 PM, Jaydogrules said:

Joker isn't DCEU. 

To show that this losing streak pre-dates Corona.

-J.

What does Joker and DCEU have as a differentiator?

Birds of Prey definitely was poorly positioned. But the film was released 1/25/20 and COVID was announced 3/11/20 (Day 34 of its release). So any chance of keeping it going was killed rather quickly.

Now as far as the road ahead, though I agree WB/DC can be a challenge to understand any plan there are some very interesting productions coming.

[Bosco685]

On 8/7/2021 at 7:16 PM, Gatsby77 said:

Spoiler

Doesn't matter.

This was a good film, but it's already bombed.

<$26M opening against a $185M budget?

Ouch. This performed worse than Space Jamz.

Will make far less than the $33M domestic opening weekend of Birds of Prey - which was a turd sandwich - and >$100M less than the first Suicide Squad did in its first three days. And that's a shame.

I think audiences felt burned by the wretchedness of the first Suicide Squad film, and - as Forbes' Scott Mendelson notes, box office-wise, it's a (sad) reality that Idris Elba isn't in the same league as Will Smith.

Spoiler

R-rating doesn't change the calculus much, as Deadpool managed $133M+ as an R-rated cartoon 5 years ago, and much of this film clearly emulated that one.

Further, I haven't heard anyone whose seen this claim it was worse than Black Widow, yet that film is still on track to be the domestic box office winner of the year (at least through September), despite similar simultaneous streaming.

I thought this was a far better film - and (as I've noted) top 3 for the DCEU so far.

It deserved better.

 

I love when it is appropriate to quote Scott Mendelson when he fits your narrative. But then when he doesn't...

[paperheart]

On 8/7/2021 at 10:02 AM, Jaydogrules said:

I don't buy the "covid" thing here to explain away a failure of the magnitude.  Streaming isn't a culprit either.  We have too many other comps at this point from various release strategies to not be able to call this what it is- a flop (so far, at least).

-J.

‘So far’- you are being much too kind. 

[Gatsby77]

On 8/7/2021 at 7:59 PM, Bosco685 said:

I love when it is appropriate to quote Scott Mendelson when he fits your narrative. But then when he doesn't...

? 
I didn’t need to quote him to make that point.
Anyone can look at Will Smith’s box office track record vs. Elba’s and see that one can consistently open a film and the other can’t. Elba’s more of a secondary lead / value add than a leading man A-lister.

Any honest financial analysis of Suicide Squad 2 vs. 1 can’t overlook that Will Smith’s absence from the latter is a nontrivial factor.