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Posted August 3, 2016 by Scott Davis in Features
 
 

The Preview Reel: Suicide Squad Likely Kills

Welcome to another “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. The summer movie season is typically full of superhero flicks, and this week brings the last one of the season. After Captain America: Civil War and X-Men: Apocolypse, the latest DC offering, Suicide Squad, finally hits the screen. Will it live up to the hype or be another DC disappointment? There’s also Kevin Spacey as a cat in Nine Lives, which I guess we have to talk about too.

 

Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad PosterWhat we are excited about:
This is one of the most intriguing releases of the summer, mainly because it has a lot going for it. The A-list cast is certainly the main draw here with the likes of Will Smith, Jared Leto, Viola Davis, and Margot Robbie all having major roles. The trailers make it seem like they have all bought into this weird, hyper-active world, which is great to see. Robbie in particular looks primed for a standout performance as Harley Quinn, we just hope her and Leto have good chemistry to make the Joker/Harley scenes work. Another reason to be excited is director David Ayer. The man behind End of Watch and Fury has proven himself as a gritty action director, and we are excited to see what he does with big summer tent pole flick.

What we are worried about:
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has gotten off to a shaky start. Man of Steel was moderately received and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was seen as a huge disappointment. Many see the DCEU as too dark and self-serious, and although Suicide Squad certainly looks to be their lightest movie, there still is a dark streak running through it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it has not worked for the universe yet. Also, for a universe struggling to establish their heroes, is it really smart to release a movie about their supervillains? Shouldn’t we care about the heroes first? It could be an odd move, but if it somehow works, it could finally set them apart from Marvel.

The Buzz:
Even after the lukewarm reactions to Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, there is a lot of hype surrounding the latest DC universe flick. Suicide Squad is easily one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, if not the year, mainly because of its flashy marketing campaign and adrenaline filled trailers. Tracking suggests the movie will open anywhere from $125 to $140 million, which would be a huge win for Warner Bros. Reviews have been anything but kind, which might hurt its long-term prospects, but there’s too much hype surrounding the movie for it not to have a monster opening weekend.

Final thoughts:
Despite negative reviews and a shaky start to the DCEU, there’s still plenty to be excited about Suicide Squad. An A-list cast, a high profile director, and a great marketing campaign makes it look like there is still fun to be had with this movie. Maybe it won’t be as epic as we thought it would be when it was first announced, but there’s no way we are missing one of the most anticipated movies of the year in theaters.

 

Nine Lives

Nine Lives PosterWhat we are excited about:
Nothing. Not even Kevin Spacey can get us excited. We’d rather stay home and re-watch House of Cards.

What we are worried about:
Everything. Just watch the trailers.

The Buzz:
There is next to no buzz for this movie, which is not all that surprising. It seems like the studio wanted to offer a counter programming option to families who opted not to see the dark Suicide Squad, but it does not look like it is going to work. Look for an opening around $9 million.

Final thoughts:
No excitement for this movie, go see Suicide Squad or literally anything else instead.

Scott Davis

Scott Davis

Scott Davis is a recent graduate of Oakland University where he earned a degree in journalism. He worked for the student newspaper on campus, The Oakland Post, where he became the paper's managing editor. He also earned a minor in Cinema Studies at OU. Scott enjoys all things film and TV related, especially the blockbuster kind. He might be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan you know.