Tag: David Ayer

REVIEW: The Suicide Squad (2021)

David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Idris Elba, and Daniela Mechior in THE SUICIDE SQUAD — Photo: Jessica Miglio / Warner Bros.

Directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) — Screenplay by James Gunn.

Over the years, I have certainly not tried to hide the fact that I think 2016’s Suicide Squad, which was directed by David Ayer (though he has repeatedly made it clear that the film was essentially taken away from him as a result of studio interference), is, to put it mildly, one of my least favorite films ever made in the superhero genre. That 2016 film certainly reeked of studio interference, it was an almost incoherent mess, it was needlessly grimy and at times quite ugly, it used a decent soundtrack as a crutch and in a way that became incredibly tiring, all the while failing to get you to care about the characters or the relationships they were building. There were some decent things about it, but, on the whole, it felt like someone had tried to turn Ayer’s vision into a shameless imitation of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and that just didn’t work for the film that Ayer had envisioned.

Continue reading “REVIEW: The Suicide Squad (2021)” →

REVIEW: Shorta (2020)

“Shorta,” Still Image — Photo: Tine Harden / Jacob Møller / Scanbox.

Directed by Anders Ølholm & Frederik Louis Hviid — Screenplay by Anders Ølholm & Frederik Louis Hviid.

Shorta (which is apparently an Arabic word for ‘police’) is a Danish action-thriller about the so-called blue wall of silence, i.e. a tendency for police officers to withhold information and not report on their colleagues’ misconduct. The film follows two police officers — Jens (played by Simon Sears) and Mike (played by Jacob Lohmann) — who are on patrol. In the film, law enforcement has been asked not to go into the fictionalized ghetto ‘Svalegården’ since the last significant encounter between police officers and the inhabitants of Svalegården led to officers kneeling on the back of the neck of a young man, Talib Ben Hassi, who is, at the beginning of the film, in a coma. Continue reading “REVIEW: Shorta (2020)” →

REVIEW: Birds of Prey (2020)

Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) — Directed by Cathy Yan.

In 2016, David Ayer’s messy and displeasing Suicide Squad embiggened the then fairly new cinematic universe from DC Films and Warner Bros. Pictures. Although it somehow won itself an Academy Award, the film was rightfully panned by critics, including me. I often think back on that film as being one of the absolute worst superhero films of the last decade. Therefore, at first glance, a spin-off from Suicide Squad, which is exactly what Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey is, shouldn’t appeal to me at all. However, this film promised to not just focus on the most entertaining character from Ayer’s film, it also promised a more colorful, more fun, and more feminine approach to a cinematic universe that could benefit from some levity and brightness. Thankfully, although I have some issues with her film, Cathy Yan has successfully brought the film’s characters to life in an entertaining way. Continue reading “REVIEW: Birds of Prey (2020)” →

REVIEW: Bright (2017)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Bright — Directed by David Ayer.

2017 has been a remarkable year for Netflix, in that they’ve given us a handful of great films to be watched in the comfort of our own homes, as well as some great seasons of television. Okja, The Meyerowitz Stories, and Mudbound are terrific Netflix original films. But none of those films were this year’s biggest Netflix risk: Bright, on the other hand, is, and, unfortunately, the first Netflix blockbuster, which reportedly has a budget of $90 million, is a disappointment. Continue reading “REVIEW: Bright (2017)” →

REVIEW: Suicide Squad (2016)

Theatrical Release Poster - Warner Bros. Pictures
Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad.

The DC Cinematic Universe needs a hit right now. Man of Steel was polarizing. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was critically panned and it needed an extended cut to fix some of its many problems. Now, Warner Bros. and DC have released a film about bad guys teaming up to do ‘good.’ It may be a bit of a risk, but they are going for a Guardians of the Galaxy-like surprise hit. Unfortunately, Suicide Squad doesn’t hold a candle to the aforementioned Marvel Studios hit. David Ayer’s film is an almost incoherent mess of a film.
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The Future of the DC Cinematic Universe – Detective Comics Saturday #5

DC Saturday - Rebirth

Detective Comics Saturday is back! On the first Saturday of every month you’ll now see me discuss topics related to DC Comics or the DC Cinematic Universe.

I’m so happy to be back writing about everything DC! Now, after the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, we have to readjust and get ready for the next film in the DC Cinematic Universe (I refuse to call it the DCEU) – David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. But with two WB/DC films having been released – with both of them receiving mixed reviews (to put it nicely) – we might also have to rethink the future of the universe. So, today I answer four questions that I have been thinking about since I saw Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – let’s get to it! Continue reading “The Future of the DC Cinematic Universe – Detective Comics Saturday #5” →

Suicide Squad – Comic Con First Look Trailer Review/Reaction

Suicide Squad is one of the most intriguing cinematic comic book-based projects out there, due to the involvement of the Joker and Harley Quinn – as well as the star power of Will Smith, Jared Leto, and Margot Robbie. Today the Comic Con trailer was released officially, so let’s look at what David Ayer & Co. have come up with. Continue reading “Suicide Squad – Comic Con First Look Trailer Review/Reaction” →

Tom Hardy Exits ‘Suicide Squad’

Actor Tom Hardy, perhaps best known for being Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, has reportedly decided to ‘drop out’ of David Ayer’s DC Cinematic Universe film Suicide Squad starring Jared Leto, Will Smith & Margot Robbie.

Tom Hardy was to play Rick Flag in the aforementioned film, and now The Wrap reports that Warner Bros. is eyeing Jake Gyllenhaal to replace Hardy as Flag.

Reportedly, Hardy had to drop out due to one of his next films (The Revenant) ‘going over schedule’. Gyllenhaal is one of the best actors out there – and though I personally would’ve wanted him to play the Joker someday, this will do.

For more on DC, Superhero Speculation, and Comic Book Movies in general – Don’t go anywhere!

– I’m Jeffrey Rex.