Suicide Squad is fun but so much less than it could have been

I walked into the theater as I always do:  hoping to enjoy the movie I was about to see.  I want to give myself to the film, embrace it, and walk out happy to have seen it.

Over two and a half hours later--we had a fire alarm about two-thirds of the way into the movie--I left generally glad I'd seen the movie but, as is so common these days, nowhere near entirely happy.

A lot works in the film.  Will Smith and Margot Robbie deliver wonderful performances and continue to have great on-screen chemistry.  Viola Davis is appropriately scary.  Jay Hernandez made me want to check out more of his work.  The special effects were generally solid.  The soundtrack was awesome.  The pacing was appropriate.

The big weakness of the movie is its story.  As with so many films, you simply cannot think twice about any significant plot point.  For reasons that baffle me, Hollywood continues to be unwilling to deliver strong, coherent stories in most of its action films.  These movies could be so very much more memorable and engaging with better stories.

I've put off Jared Leto's Joker because he was decidedly meh for most of the movie.  I didn't hate him, I didn't love him, I just didn't care enough about him.  Following Heath Ledger is a very tall order indeed, but rather than embrace something completely different, Leto seemed to be trying to walk a line between adhering to Ledger's vision and making the character entirely his own.

If the trailers made you want to see Suicide Squad, go; you'll have a decent enough time.  If the trailers bored you, though, or put you off, skip it.  I'm glad I went, but not as glad as I'd hoped to be.

The Legend of Tarzan

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I loved Tarzan movies when I was young.  So, I knew I'd go to see this latest film in the Tarzan saga even though my hopes for it were not high.

I'm very glad I did.  I enjoyed the movie quite a bit.  It never bored me, I liked much of the storytelling, and from start to finish I had a good time.

That said, I have to warn you that the movie requires you to suspend your disbelief in so many ways I stopped counting them, though the real history of the Belgian Congo is certainly one of the key areas you must not think about as you watch.  You also have to accept the overuse of Margot Robbie as the damsel in distress, though it does at least make token nods toward her having her own agency.  In addition, as pretty and as cut as Alexander Skarsgard is--I sure hope he got to eat some ice cream after this one--he utterly lacks charisma.

None of the film's many weaknesses stopped me from having a good time.  The others who went with me also agreed they had enjoyed it--despite its flaws.

This new Tarzan is not going to win any awards, and it does not cry out for a sequel, but it is a fun summer film.  Check it out if you're in the mood for such a light treat.

Focus

I'm a big fan of con-artist books and movies; Slanted Jack is my (so far only) entry in that genre.  I tend to go to con-artist films as soon as they appear.  With Focus, however,  I let the mediocre critical (55%) and audience (58%) ratings on Rottentomatoes deter me--until the other day.

I'm so glad I caught it in the theater.  Despite those ratings, I enjoyed this movie from start to finish, as did everyone in the group that went with me.  Neither the overall plot nor the many sub-plots are simple, but that's exactly as it should be:  we're talking con artists here.  The cast members turn in uniformly good performances, with both Will Smith and Margot Robbie very good in their lead roles.  The dialog is snappy and often funny, and the film is full of grace notes.

If you also enjoy con-artist films, I encourage you to ignore the reviews, avoid reading any spoilers, and head out to catch Focus.