Well it’s been a few days since critics first released their reviews for Suicide Squad and once again critics have stirred the DC fanboys hornets nest. Suicide Squad is currently sitting at 29% on Rotten Tomatoes and it doesn’t seem to be the “savior” of the DCEU, which has embroiled us further in the tedious debate between critics and DC fans. In fact, one DC fan even started a petition to shut down Rotten Tomatoes. In turn, critics have made their own statements toward Suicide Squad and the DC Universe as a whole as it relates to DC fans.
If you ask me, this whole debate is absurd. Critics are not paid by Disney or Marvel or any studio for that matter, nor do critics have it out for DC films. I’m personally rooting for DC and I’m a big Batman fan myself but right now DC is batting 0-for-2. As much as I want to like Man of Steel or Batman vs Superman, I do think the critics got it right with those two films. And the thing with Rotten Tomatoes, it’s a site with a collection of reviews from top critics who are writing individually. There is no conspiracy. It’s as simple as the majority of people didn’t like what DC has brought to the table yet. If you’re a fan of DC and the movies they’ve put out so far, that’s great. There’s nothing wrong with that and personally, I’m glad that you’ve enjoyed those films. However, you have to accept that critically speaking, those films have problems.
On the flipside, there are some sites out there that do go overboard with their criticsm’s and become aggressive in their negativity for some films. And that’s also unnecessary. I get that extreme negativity creates clicks and viral conversation, but it also amplifies this ridiculous problem that shouldn’t exist. At the same time, it kind of is representative of how insane 2016 has been so far.
All that said though, I’m still curious about Suicide Squad. On Episode 153, I discussed how excited I was for this film and I can sum it up in two words; David Ayer. I am a big fan of Ayer’s work, especially when he writes and directs a film solo. Both Fury and End of Watch were written and directed by Ayer and both ended up in my Top 10 for their respective years. Outside of Harsh Times, his directorial debut, Ayer’s unsuccessful films have had some sort of interference. Street Kings had different writers altogether, whereas Sabotage featured a co-writer as well as severe studio interference. In fact, Ayer went on to say the studio essentially re-cut the entire film from his original vision to make it more “action friendly.” Suicide Squad also featured heavy studio interference, which included extensive re-shoots and some major conflict between Ayer and other creators, at least according to Ayer.
I’m not trying to make excuses for Ayer, but when I look at the final products he’s put out as a director, two of those films stand out heavily and they are the only two where he wrote and directed with little studio interference. The evidence is pretty clear to me. You give Ayer the right kind of space and material, and he’ll create something wonderful. That idea is very evident in the marketing for Suicide Squad, which was spectacular. When reviews came out and critics were smashing the film, I was shocked. It looked so great and perfect within Ayer’s style. However, when you read the reports about how Warner Brothers higher ups got involved and you look at Ayer’s past, I’m no longer surprised. I can almost guarantee Ayer’s original vision and cut of Suicide Squad was amazing. There is no doubt in my mind. But in a state of panic due to the disappointment of Batman vs Superman, Warner Brothers felt the need to get more involved and it probably was the deciding factor.
As a fan who was extremely excited for Suicide Squad, it’s sad to hear about its state of affairs but either way, I’m still curious to see it. I love Ayer’s style and these characters look like a ton of fun. So we’ll see how it turns out and if the critics were right.
What about you though, are you excited for Suicide Squad?
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Here are some other films you can expect to see at the box office this weekend:
Nine Lives
Little Men (limited)
Five Nights in Maine (limited)
The Little Prince (limited)
