Line #112 YMMV/SuicideSquad2016


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2	* ActorShipping: There was a little bit between Creator/JaiCourtney and Creator/KarenFukuhara given some thought they had cute chemistry together in interviews.
3	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
4	** Is Amanda Waller really motivated to ShootTheDog for the sake of the greater good and protecting ordinary humans from super beings that could potentially annihilate all of humanity? Or is it all just a cover for her personal advancement and benefit?
5	** Deadshot is either an anti-hero with some codes and ethics who genuinely loves his daughter, or an amoral sociopath with DelusionsOfEloquence who uses his MoralityPet as an anchor to feel better about his bad deeds. It's also in question as to whether he really is better for his daughter than his ex-wife--who is evidently inept, but not a murderer.
6	** It's possible to see the Suicide Squad as more authentically courageous and moral than they were supposed to be seen as. Unlike Batman's vast fortune and Superman's powers, most of the squad are poor, exploited by the state (and subject to torture and beatings in confinement); the powers that they have cursed them with insanity/skin diseases and mutation; they're entirely blameless for the collateral damage of the film [[spoiler:caused in fact by Amanda Waller's incompetence and underestimating the Enchantress; and yet, when they are given a chance to walk away after learning the truth, they heroically step up and risk their lives for virtually no reward, and El Diablo shows more guilt about the violence inflicted by his actions than both Batman and Superman -- and in the end they get locked up once more ''and'' screwed over by Waller]].
7	** The Joker and Harley's relationship invites a bit of this. Does this version of the Joker truly care for Harley, or does he only want to get her back because he feels she belongs to him? While their relationship as shown in the movie lacks much of the casual abuse, and Harley vocally consents to many of the more extreme things Joker puts her through, we also primarily only see the relationship through Harley's eyes, and don't forget, Harley Quinn is dresses-up-like-a-clown-and-murders-people insane and notorious for her unhealthy devotion to Joker even when he is outright abusive of her in other continuities. On the other hand, the scene of the Joker lying in a depression among a circle of weapons and other objects lends credence to the idea that he does genuinely care about/misses her in his own batshit-psychotic way, which is ''not'' seen through Harley's eyes. WordOfGod on it is that [[http://murderous-manipulative-angel.tumblr.com/post/148892329597/do-you-think-the-joker-actually-loves-harley he really does love her, but hates admitting it]].
8	** Related to the above, did the Joker rescue Harley from drowning in the chemical vat out of a genuine fondness for her, or did he just realise that by letting someone so devoted to him die he was screwing himself out of some golden eggs?
9	** Deadshot and Harley's relationship. Are they PlatonicLifePartners? LikeBrotherAndSister? [[ShipTease Or something else entirely?]]
10	** Batman arresting Deadshot when Deadshot's daughter was present. He says he doesn't want to do this in front of her, but it's very easy to speculate that Batman chose to capture Deadshot with his daughter there in order to ensure that Deadshot doesn't put up a fight or go down swinging. Considering this incarnation of Batman is much more ruthless and pragmatic than most, it's entirely possible that he was exploiting Floyd's greatest weakness, not begrudgingly taking him in in front of her.
11	** When Harley breaks the store window to steal a clutch-purse she sees, Flagg can't believe what he sees. She reminds them that they "are the bad guys. It's what we do." This shows a bit of difference between "bad," such as Harley and Floyd, who have some guidance, albeit twisted (Harley stealing pretty items because she fancies them; Floyd is the professional hit-man but takes out a mob stool pigeon), as opposed to "evil," like the Joker, who tortured Harley just for the fun of it.
12	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: See [[AwesomeMusic/DCExtendedUniverse here]].
13	* BaseBreakingCharacter:
14	** Amanda Waller. Either she's a genuinely compelling WellIntentionedExtremist, and one of the most interesting parts of the movie, or she's evil to the point of being unrealistic, a SmugSnake who's far less competent than the MagnificentBastard she's sold as, and [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter more interesting in theory than in practice]]. Though most people praised Creator/ViolaDavis' performance, they're rather divided on the way that the character was written. In particular, several viewers have argued that [[spoiler: killing her entire staff]] was a completely unbelievable move for Waller, and a lazy way to establish her unsympathetic qualities.
15	** Will Smith’s casting as Deadshot has also divided viewers. Some believe Smith to be one of the film’s saving graces, especially as he provides his trademark wit to deliver several of the film’s funny moments. Others hated the casting for this exact same reason, believing Smith’s [[CelebrityStar star power]] to be too distracting to make Deadshot an engaging character, especially as many of the other characters’ roles were reduced in his favour. Less extreme members of this camp agree that, though Will Smith has proven himself to be a talented actor in the past, his performance as Deadshot in the film was simply retreading his [[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir more]] [[Film/MenInBlack well-known]] [[Film/{{Hancock}} roles]].
16	* BestKnownForTheFanservice: ''Suicide Squad'' has Creator/MargotRobbie as Harley Quinn wearing short shorts and, uh, what else... ah!, and Creator/CaraDelevingne as Enchantress in a ChainmailBikini.
17	* ClicheStorm: Many viewers were disappointed that the film [[RuleAbidingRebel followed the typical superhero movie formula without changing anything,]] and the protagonists being "[[InformedFlaw villains]]" had little to no impact on their dynamic or characterizations. They behaved more like Anti-Heroes than actual villains. Despite initially selling itself as a "new look" into the [=DCEU=] similar to ''Film/RogueOne'' in the ''Star Wars'' films, the ExecutiveMeddling resulted in it devolving into an even more generic superhero movie than its direct predecessors, to the point where its climax is the "[[PillarOfLight portal in the sky]]" cliche that was also used in [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows two]] [[Film/Ghostbusters2016 other]] movies released in that year alone.
18	* CommonKnowledge: The thought of sending non-powered criminals up against Superman-level threats seems like Waller runs on InsaneTrollLogic. In actuality, when she made the pitch her ace in the hole Enchantress hadn't yet slipped off the leash. From there we can assume Waller's envisioned team would have had Enchantress front and centre with the rest providing backup (or at the very least meat shields).
19	* CrazyIsCool:
20	** Whatever possessed the Joker to arrange dozens of knives, bottles, piano keys and other items in a sigil-like manner, and then lie on the floor laughing like a kook, [[http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/suicide-squad-trailer-image-57.png it makes for a striking image.]]
21	** Invoked by the Joker again when he [[spoiler: survives the helicopter crash, disguises himself as a [=SWAT=] operative (with his name emblazoned across his uniform) and busts Harley out of prison.]]
22	* CreepyAwesome:
23	** The Enchantress, as played by Cara Delevingne. [[spoiler:Her super-villain scheme may be conventional, but her withered look and golden eyes are genuinely unnerving (especially at the end) and Delevingne's exaggerated dance-like actions while setting up her portal while also calling out the Squad, who she knows is in the same room as her, are quite effective]].
24	** Killer Croc is creepy and violent. He's also awesome and steals many of his scenes with his hilarious and incongruous lines and overall goofy attitude.
25	** Joker, as per usual is psychotic and creepy as hell, but still very entertaining.
26	* CriticalDissonance: Par for the course with the DC films at this point, though it is a lot weaker this time around. Critics hated the movie and by opening it had a 26% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans, however, were more mixed, with a 61% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score and a pretty good B+ Cinemascore[[note]]a research firm that surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences[[/note]] among the general movie-going public, rating particularly well amongst teenage viewers.
27	* CriticProof: Despite the critical bashing it received, the film smashed records for an August opening and was able to keep its number 1 spot at the box-office for three weeks in a row. It wrapped up its run around $750 million. For comparison, direct competitors ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' and ''Film/{{Doctor Strange\|2016}}'' (all three films from separate studios released within a few months of each other) got significantly stronger reviews (52 and 72 on Metacritic, to ''Suicide Squad's'' 40) and similar production budgets, yet only grossed $544 million and $677 million respectively. ''Suicide Squad'' also had [[http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Suicide-Squad higher]] [[http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Doctor-Strange-(2016)#tab=summary home]] [[http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/X-Men-Apocalypse#tab=summary video]] sales than either, by more than 2-1 in the case of ''Doctor Strange'' and 3-1 for ''Apocalypse.'' This is all without having been released in the huge, superhero loving Chinese market as well.
28	* DiagnosedByTheAudience:
29	** Harley Quinn's mental disorder seems to just be "whatever the writers feel like". It's mostly poor impulse control combined with being [[AxeCrazy prone to violence]] and an unhealthy obsession with the Joker. She apparently also hallucinates, however, as at one point she asks if she's the only one who can see some magical phenomenon, and mentions she's off her meds. As discussed in [[https://youtu.be/KjvE_h-GBf4 this video]], Harley shows signs of Histrionic Personality Disorder, but it's never mentioned in-universe.
30	** Most of the time the Joker seems... not all there compared to Harley. In addition of psychopathic tendencies, the Joker has random bouts of maniacal laughter, confusion, and slurred speech-like patterns. All attributes that stem from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dementia_pugilistica punch-drunk syndrome]]. Considering he has faced [[GoodIsNotNice Batman]] one too many times, it makes sense that the Joker's mental stability is finally catching up to him.
31	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
32	** Creator/JimParrack made an impression on some people as [[NumberTwo Mr. Frost]] for his status as the {{Foil}} to the Joker and having AdaptationalBadass. [[spoiler: Of course, [[WeHardlyKnewYe he doesn't last long]].]]
33	** Slipknot appeared on screen for less than five minutes [[spoiler:and died in his second scene]] with no characterization within the movie itself. Despite (or more likely ''because of'') this, he's become a MemeticBadass by the fandom (see below).
34	** Despite having practically no impact on the story and little character to speak of, Killer Croc has his fans simply due to his spectacular makeup design, which is widely regarded as the why this film won that Oscar.
35	* FanNickname:
36	** The film gets sometimes nicknamed "Trailer Park's ''Suicide Squad''" among DCEU fandoms and beyond due to the belief that the Trailer Park company reedited the film out of a mandate from Creator/WarnerBros, or at least that the movie's tone was heavily changed to fit that of its second and third trailers (the [[Music/{{Queen}} "Bohemian Rhapsody"]] and [[Music/{{Sweet}} "Ballroom Blitz"]] ones).
37	** ''Studio Squad'' is quickly becoming another nickname as well, to better tie in with ''Josstice League''.
38	** Will Smith's version of Deadshot is sometimes jokingly referred to as [[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir "The Fresh Prince of Belle Reve"]].
39	* FandomRivalry:
40	** A pretty big one with the Series/{{Arrowverse}}, mainly because this movie more than any other takes so many villains and characters off the table for the CW shows, [[spoiler: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Katana, and Amanda Waller]] have all been either killed off or written out thanks to this movie and fans have not been happy. It also made sure that there was little chance of there ever being any new Suicide Squad episodes. Making matters worse is that ''Series/{{The Flash\|2014}}'' established a multiverse exists -- and the Arrowverse later introduced its own version Superman -- meaning the TV versions of the characters ''could'' have continued.
41	** Within the larger MCU vs. DCEU rivalry is one between this film and ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' due to the perception that this film "ripped off" elements of ''Guardians'' such as the RagtagBandOfMisfits cast and contemporary rock soundtrack.
42	** A curious case with the ''Film/Ghostbusters2016'' reboot has arisen after various critics who had praised the 2016 ''Ghostbusters'' compared the two movies, often criticizing ''Suicide Squad'' as "sexist." Those on the ''Suicide Squad'' side have countered by suggesting that the rivalry is due to ''Suicide Squad'' earning more in its opening weekend than the 2016 ''Ghostbusters'' did in its entire run.
43	** A new rivalry has now sprung up with ''Film/Deadpool2016'' and ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' after at the 89th UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s this film was nominated for and won an Oscar[[note]]for Best Hair and Make-up[[/note]] while the much more critically and popularly received ''Deadpool'' and ''Civil War'' [[http://variety.com/2017/film/news/oscar-nominations-snubs-biggest-surprises-1201968226/ both received no nominations]]. On a side note, ''Film/{{Doctor Strange\|2016}}'' was nominated for Best Visual Effects, but lost to ''Film/{{The Jungle Book\|2016}}''.
44	** Yet ''another'' rivalry has sprung up with fellow Hair and Makeup nominee ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'', [[{{Trekkie}} whose fans]] feel that the styling effects of ''Beyond'' were far more impressive than ''Suicide Squad'''s and [[AwardSnub much more deserving of the Oscar win]]. Even more putting off for them was the fact that the Oscar reel of ''Suicide Squad'' focuses mostly on the hairstyling done for Harley Quinn and Enchantress, rather than the actual make-up prosthetics used on characters like Killer Croc and El Diablo [[note]]many of the film's harsher critics praised the latter two as the ''only'' convincing effects used in the entire film, especially when compared to all the CGI and its [[SpecialEffectsFailure distractingly unfinished look]][[/note]].
45	* FashionVictimVillain: The Joker wore a number of garish outfits that make the character's usual purple suit look tasteful by comparison. While he admittedly looks cool in the black tux and white bowtie he wears in a couple of scenes, it seems he prefers to wear glittery jackets with brightly-colored, half-buttoned silk shirts, and he even spends a significant portion of the movie in a dark purple crocodile-skin duster and baggy blue pants while shirtless and barefoot — and none of this is helped by the character's metal teeth, shaved eyebrows, and gaudy tattoos. His henchmen looks even worse, wearing a random assortment of bizarre masks that have no real coordination or consistent theme.
46	* FranchiseOriginalSin: Harley having been involved in the Joker's murder of Robin was criticized by some as OutOfCharacter and something Harley would never do. In ''Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'', Harley was willing to go along with the Joker kidnapping, torturing, and [[MindRape mind raping]] the current Robin into becoming their child. If anything, murder is less awful than that.
47	* FriendlyFandoms: An oddly specific example between the Quinnshot shippers for this movie and fans of the movie ''Film/{{Focus}}''. This is because Will Smith and Margot Robbie were in ''Focus'' together, playing love interests, and Quinnshot shippers tend to use images from that movie in their fan works for Harley and Deadshot.
48	* GratuitousSpecialEffects: While the CGI for the Enchantress's magical powers is necessary, the CGI for her becoming taller and having a typical supermodel body is completely unnecessary. It serves no other purpose than to make her look sexier, which [[FetishRetardant fails due to the CGI being botched.]]
49	* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Waller shows Deadshot just a hint of compassion when he demands to see his daughter in Gotham. In ''Series/{{Peacemaker\|2022}}'' we find out Waller also has a daughter living in Gotham.
50	* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct:
51	** While his talent as an actor was not in doubt, Creator/WillSmith was doing a RaceLift and PlayingAgainstType as the amoral Deadshot. It turned out he did a good job toning down the charm and ramping up the angry asshole, with just enough heart to make him likable.
52	** Creator/JaiCourtney had some detractors for being placed as a lead character in a number of lesser-received franchise films, but his turn as Captain Boomerang showed him far more interesting as a character actor.
53	* HesJustHiding: [[spoiler: Since El Diablo's body was never recovered, and he seemed to be some kind of Aztec fire god or demon, it's not entirely out of the question that his abilities saved him from that bomb.]]
54	* HilariousInHindsight:
55	** Will Smith is an African American playing a Caucasian Floyd Lawton. In a later issue of Suicide Squad Most Wanted, a marksman named Will Evans is called upon the Suicide Squad as a back up for Deadshot and ends up impersonating him. Said "Will" is also an Afro-American.
56	** Harley has a fantasy of her puddin' as a normal guy. In ''Film/{{Joker}}'', he is a normal guy whose girlfriend is a hallucination.
57	** Creator/JaredLeto playing Batman's archenemy becomes this after ''Film/{{Morbius\|2022}}'', where he plays a "bat man" of sorts (introducing spliced bat genes into his own body, becoming a vampire; he even grows a kinship with bats as a result). [[spoiler:TheStinger of that film makes it even funnier when he meets Creator/MichaelKeaton's [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Vulture]], essentially teasing a [[Film/BatmanFilmSeries Batman]]/Joker team-up.]]
58	* HoYay: It seems Deadshot and Rick Flag spent half their screentime getting up in each other's faces. Culminates in Flag ''running up to hug Floyd'' after the latter [[spoiler: takes the shot that activates the bomb that wipes out Enchantress and her mooks once and for all]], while gushing about how amazing the shot was.
59	* IKnewIt: [[spoiler: Slipknot dying early on]] was expected from the very moment the first trailer aired, since very little footage of him was shown and was repeated for every other trailer. [[spoiler: Even before the first trailer, it was believed he would be the first to die due to being a barely used, barely remembered gimmick villain in the comics, compared to everyone else having more use and exposure. Not to mention, he already had precedent for trying to escape and learning the hard way the bombs are real in the source material, too.]]
60	* ImprovedSecondAttempt:
61	** Judging from this movie's trailers, the film seems to be lighter in tone to ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', even if it is dark comedy. In particular, the posters regularly utilize an eye-catching neon pink and blue color scheme, possibly as a reaction to criticism of ''Man of Steel'''s washed-out color scheme.
62	** Toward the beginning of the film, we see [[spoiler: Harley Quinn being saved from drowning by Batman, who actively works to save her life, before arresting her, and later takes Deadshot in alive, and even announces himself (rather than just ambush the villain, as he'd normally do) because Deadshot was out with his daughter and Batman didn't want to traumatize her, and also gives fans a glimpse of a more classical and moral Batman who turns criminals in.]]
63	* ItsNotSupposedToWinOscars: Warner Bros.' spin, until it actually won an Oscar.[[note]]for Hair and Makeup[[/note]]
64	* JerkassWoobie: Several members of the squad qualify.
65	** Harley is established as being mentally unstable even before her chemical immersion. In contrast to most masochistic interpretations of the character, she's shown in visible discomfort when the prison guards strap her to a chair and force-feed her through a nasogastric tube.
66	** Deadshot's abrasive, but having lost his beloved daughter to his deadbeat ex-wife while he rots in prison earns him some sympathy.
67	** Killer Croc. He may be a murderer, but it's not his fault he looks like a monster and even the unfeeling Waller recognised that it was the alienation that turned him bad.
68	** Rick Flag is DrillSergeantNasty, but it's understandable as his girlfriend is being held hostage and he's facing the very likelihood that he'll have to kill her. Highlighting this is the fact that when he first met the squad members, he did initially show a sympathetic side.
69	* JustHereForGodzilla: A lot of people are interested in seeing how an anti-hero/villain-led comic book movie will turn out, along with what this means for the DCEU. Others just want to see a live-action version of Harley Quinn, or Leto's interpretation of the Joker, or both.
70	* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt:
71	** [[spoiler:Harley escapes with Joker in the helicopter. Waller orders Deadshot to shoot Harley in exchange for letting him go free, and Deadshot seemingly complies. Who actually thought he was really going to kill Harley at that moment?]]
72	** [[spoiler:Joker seemingly goes down with the helicopter during the third act... and unsurprisingly returns unharmed at the end. Aside from the fact that killing the Joker in his debut seems unlikely, frankly it seems like a crashing helicopter is the safest place for a named character to be.]] Then again [[spoiler:[[JokerImmunity this is the Joker we're talking about.]]]]
73	* LoveToHate: Amanda Waller gets this treatment from most of the fandom. She's a stone-cold badass who scares the hell out of everybody, and is portrayed by Creator/ViolaDavis, who's been getting near-universal praise for her performance... but she's also an UngratefulBitch who thinks she can treat the Squad like trained dogs and [[spoiler:murders her staff (who, bear in mind, were ''completely innocent'') to cover her own ass after her plan blows up in her face]]. Most of the fans agree that Waller's a cool character and admire her in a way, while also agreeing that she's a completely heinous person, with some even expressing disappointment that [[spoiler:she gets to live at the end after what she did]].
74	* MagnificentBastard: Floyd "[[ImprobableAimingSkills Deadshot]]" Lawton is the deadliest [[ProfessionalKiller hitman]] in the world. Deadshot sets the tone for his methodology when he cons a client out of double the money promised before [[ColdSniper sniping]] down his target with only mere seconds of a window available. Armed with an almost instinctual knowledge of firearms, physics, and mathematics, Deadshot applies his skills in battle to impressive extents regardless of the opponent or how chaotic the battle is. In the office building battle, when cornered, Deadshot--aware of Diablo's reputation--deliberately provokes him into unleashing his deadly fire to save the crew. A HitmanWithAHeart who loves his daughter and never takes contracts for women or children, Deadshot never lost any of his distinct style throughout the film.
75	* MemeticBadass: '''''Slipknot'''''. The promotional material has so heavily implied that he will be a SacrificialLamb that the fandom has gone the other way, treating him as everything from the strongest member of the Squad to the secret seventh member of the ''Film/{{Justice League\|2017}}''. Many have taken the statement that he "can climb anything" to the illogical extreme, saying that, for instance, he could beat Superman by climbing to Krypton and getting kryptonite. Ironically, this isn't even the first time Slipknot has gotten this treatment. In the actual Suicide Squad comics, all Slipknot did was fail to strangle some alien robots and end up on the wrong end of Captain Boomerang's ChronicBackstabbingDisorder. Years later, though, some fans noted he'd first appeared tackling the incredibly powerful ComicBook/{{Firestorm\|DCComics}} with nothing but a rope, and declared him to be awesome.
76	* MemeticLoser: Of course, despite his MemeticBadass status, there were plenty of viewers who joked about just how unimpressive Slipknot’s role in the film was, given it consists of him being the only member of the squad introduced with no backstory aside from his ability to “climb anything”, having zero personality, and being killed off in a matter of minutes.
77	* MemeticMutation: [[Memes/SuicideSquad2016 Now has its own page]].
78	* MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales:
79	** El Diablo (Chato Santana) has gained some popularity among Latin American fans, because of his amazing powers, his tragic past (which has turned him into TheAtoner) [[spoiler: and his heroic sacrifice at the end.]]
80	** A number of Australian fans have expressed affection for Captain Boomerang, both due to his off-kilter, proudly nasty personality and for the joy of seeing an Aussie actor playing [[TheBogan a walking museum of scuzzball Down Under stereotypes]]. Jai Courtney himself was a little reticent after being cast, when he learned just ''how'' stereotypical the character was in the comics and how it could be perceived back home, but everyone agrees he clearly had fun making the role his own.
81	* MisBlamed: A ''lot'' of the flak Creator/DavidAyer has taken ever since the release -- especially since the release of the much more well received ''Film/TheSuicideSquad'' -- never acknowledged that the released movie was a product of heavy ExecutiveMeddling Ayer had no control over.
82	* MoralEventHorizon:
83	** If murdering Robin - a ''minor'' - before the events of ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' didn't make Joker enough of a monster already, his treatment of Dr. Harleen Quinzell removes any kind of sympathy to the character.
84	** Amanda Waller [[spoiler:crosses it when she murders her own staff and group of interns in cold blood when the Squad comes for her, in order to cover up her own screw up with Enchantress. These were absolutely innocent people, who didn't have clearance and who were simply rubbed out for Waller's own career. Deadshot is an amoral sociopath who nonetheless has never killed women and children, and it's impossible not to agree with him when he says that Waller, Flagg and Co. by condoning this action have no moral ground over him and the other Squadmates]].
85	* {{Narm}}: [[Narm/DCExtendedUniverse Has its own page.]]
86	* NarmCharm:
87	** Joker's tattoos and wardrobe may be absurd, but that's The Joker for you.
88	** Many viewers love to playfully point out that many songs from the trailers were also in ''Film/WaynesWorld''.
89	** Harley's reactions from pouting when lectured by Rick Flagg to expressing excitement at the explosive carnage seem childish and silly in many gritty scenes. Then again, it does make her seem all the funnier and out of touch with the world. On a related note, Margot Robbie's accent might not be consistent, but it's quite endearing.
90	** Most fans will admit the Squad becoming TrueCompanions so quickly when they barely know one another is a bit silly, but many of them find it endearing, especially in the case of El Diablo, the Squad's most noble member.
91	** The overwhelming number of quips is pretty jarring for anyone accustomed to the somber tones of ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', but since the protagonists are okay with casualties and collateral damage, it makes sense for them to be inappropriately chipper.
92	* OlderThanTheyThink:
93	** A common complaint about the movie was that they completely wasted Slipknot as a character, being that [[spoiler:he only shows up for three minutes to get himself killed by the nano bombs trying to escape after Captain Boomerang convinces him the bombs were a bluff]]. However, they may not realize that the scene where [[spoiler:Slipknot tries to escape after being convinced by Captain Boomerang had been [[MythologyGag lifted straight from the comics, in a scene that is nearly identical to the one played out twenty-eight years later]]. In both cases, Boomerang was just trying to see if the bombs were real]]. There is one crucial difference, however: [[spoiler:[[DeathByAdaptation Slipknot survived the detonation in the comics]]]].
94	** A schlocky fantasy-adventure film from Japan, ''Kunoichi: Lady Ninja'' (''Kunoichi ninpo-cho: Yagyu gaiden''), also had a woman doing the same (campy) ritualistic dance like the Enchantress which casts a massive spell with flashing energy and shaking earthquakes.
95	** Harley's line about how "normal is a setting on the dryer" is actually the title of a 1998 book almost verbatim (specifically, the book ''Normal is Just a Setting on Your Dryer'' by Patsy Clairmont.)
96	** Joker’s ‘open-chested trench coat’ look when he attacks the laboratory [[https://www.deviantart.com/chuckdee/art/Joker-ArkhamCity-1stpass-263314914 also appeared in concept art]] for VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity.
97	* OneSceneWonder:
98	** Batman only gets about 2 minutes of screen time, but par the course with Batman, every second counts.
99	** [[spoiler:The Flash]] gets one line during his ten second cameo and still manages to be one of the most memorable parts of the movie.
100	* PortmanteauCoupleName: Harley Quinn/Deadshot has already gotten a name: Quinnshot.
101	* QuestionableCasting:
102	** A few were surprised that Will Smith landed the role of Deadshot due to the RaceLift involved. Furthermore, since initial buzz for the film centered on the actors approached while the characters were yet unknown, some expected he was going to play Black Manta or another black supervillain as opposed to a character who has appeared prominently on ''Arrow''. It should be noted that the role was met without controversy, unlike [[Film/FantasticFour2015 Michael B. Jordan being cast as the Human Torch]], but a bit of surprise from fans. Meanwhile, some are just unsure if he can pull off a villainous role that's so heavily against type. Fortunately, his performance was one of the film's main highlights.
103	** Largely averted with the rest of the cast, who have been more well-received as a whole than other casts hired for Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse productions.
104	* RealismInducedHorror: Waller [[spoiler:executing her innocent staff to cover up her own fuckups, and getting away with it]]; the nightmares caused by Joker and Enchantress are mitigated by their CartoonishSupervillainy being completely unrealistic, but Waller [[spoiler:suddenly and casually murdering people who had complete trust in her]] is realistic enough to stand out.
105	* TheScrappy:
106	** Many fans and critics feel that Enchantress was the weakest part of the movie, thanks to a combination of [[FlatCharacter poor characterization]], [[GenericDoomsdayVillain generic and vague motivations]] and some occasionally cliche dialogue about darkness and world domination, along with simply being so powerful that she leaves little room for an interesting conflict. Not to mention that she's horribly out of sync with the rest of the movie; watching her battle the Suicide Squad is a little bit like watching Film/{{the Dirty Dozen}} fight [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Rita Repulsa]]. Cara Delevigne's overacting doesn't help on this count.
107	** As already mentioned above, Jared Leto's Joker has become less well received by fans as the years went on, especially after the release of ''Film/Joker2019''. The decision to give him gangster-style bling, tattoos, metal teeth, and a wannabe-gangster personality has left fans incredibly unimpressed, feeling like they don't suit him at all, as well as many feeling that Jared Leto's performance as the character just wasn't threatening and difficult to take seriously. That being said, Leto's return for ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'', his redesign (which lacks the infamous tattoos), and [[spoiler:his chance to actually interact with Batman on-screen, combined with the less grating voice and memorably creepy performance]] [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap turned some fans around]]. With ''that'' being said, there's still many fans who remained unimpressed.
108	* ShipToShipCombat: Harley/Joker fans have always had Harley/Ivy fans to fight with, but now they also have Harley/Deadshot shippers.
109	* SoOkayItsAverage: Outside of critical reviews (which are almost universally negative), the general consensus from most is that it's not the best comic book movie out there, but it is watchable, has some decent action and does have some enjoyable parts due to the reasonably good acting. However, it was vastly undermined by a clumsy plot, incredibly poor editing, and [[FlatCharacter underdeveloped characters]].
110	* SpecialEffectFailure:
111	** The bizarre CGI effects used for the Enchantress' empowered form. While her usual form is a creepy-looking practical costume with makeup, her empowered goddess form seems to be almost entirely CGI for some reason, despite being just a simple ChainmailBikini. At times, it appears to be Cara Delevingne's face awkwardly pasted onto a CGI body and headdress, giving her the appearance of a bobblehead. The CGI body also inexplicably has [[MostCommonSuperpower breasts some three times larger than the actress']], even after appearing in practical costume with natural proportions. It moves the effect from "bad" to "unignorable."
112	** Her brother Incubus doesn't fare much better. Being a fully CGI creation, he doesn't have the same issues as Enchantress, but the actual quality of said CGI is about on par. Particularly in regards to his weightless animation and [[UnintentionalUncannyValley unintentionally unnerving face]].
113	** [[spoiler:Slipknot's]] head exploding looks very fake and sanitized, most likely to avoid bumping up the rating. Not only is there [[BloodlessCarnage absolutely no blood]] during or after the explosion, the actual explosion is only on screen for a split second (probably to hide how fake it looks), and his headless corpse is only shown from one angle were we can't see the stump.
114	* SpiritualAdaptation:
115	** The movie is actually a more effective substitute of the comic book ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' than [[Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen its own film adaptation]]. It has a bunch of surly antiheroes who cross the lines between heroes and monsters (much like the original comic), led by [[spoiler:a girl (Harley Quinn) haunted by her affection for a monster (Quinn-Joker=Mina-Dracula), a straight hero who is secretly mourning and grieving for his loved one (Quatermain=Rick Flagg), a villain who has a strained relationship with his daughter (Captain Nemo=Deadshot), and monsters with soft centers and RedemptionQuest (Mr. Hyde=El Diablo and Killer Croc). It even has a LovableRogue potential traitor in Captain Boomerang (Invisible Man). All of them are also led by a shady intelligence officer (M and Campion Bond/Amanda Waller)]].
116	** Due to the team becoming TrueCompanions in the third act, an element that never really appeared in the comics, it's probably the closest we'll ever get to a ''ComicBook/SecretSix'' movie.
117	** Some might even consider it an adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/EvilConCarne'' due to the group of villains working together.
118	* StrangledByTheRedString: A platonic example. [[spoiler:Before sacrificing himself to save the others from Incubus, El Diablo states that, having already lost his first family, he was not willing to lose the surrogate family he had formed with the other members]]. While this ''could'' have been a heartwarming moment to rival that of even ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'', this feels somewhat forced and confusing when, prior to this scene, Diablo had barely interacted with any of the other members[[note]]he shows some concern over Boomerang and has one friendly moment with Killer Croc, but the former isn't in the theatrical cut and the latter is tacked on.[[/note]] and his relationship with Deadshot is shown to be strained. He also apparently doesn't think too highly of Flagg.
119	* TaintedByThePreview: The first photo of the Joker's radical redesign was met with widespread mockery and derision, particularly the now infamous "Damaged" tattoo on his forehead.
120	* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
121	** Quite a few Deadshot fans feel this way about Will Smith's portrayal, in large part because he's played more or less like a typical action hero type, especially a Will Smith action hero type. His death wish is never touched on, his issues with women only crop up with regards to his ex-wife[[note]]which is in itself changed; ignoring that he was never married to Zoe's mother (and his actual ex-wife was his ''late son's'' mother), but the two had a very amicable relationship rather than the toxic one shown[[/note]], and his relationship with Zoe and her mother is changed to a more typical 'divorced father seeking custody' dynamic rather than Floyd's more unique dynamic in the comics, where he actively wants to distance himself from Zoe in order to keep her safe. For many, the movie's version is essentially just another heroic hitman character without any of Deadshot's unique personality traits.
122	** This trope was inevitable seeing that he's one of, if not the most, iconic villain in history, but the changes made to the Joker are [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive]] at best and [[DisownedAdaptation absolutely hated]] at worst. The character's traditional calculating and sinister personality is replaced by that of a generic gangster wannabe, complete with rapper-style bling and tattoos. His usually tragically toxic relationship with Harley is also watered down to a version of the CrazyJealousGuy trope. Some also consider him to be annoying instead of intimidating.
123	** Though not to the same extent as the above, some of Rick Flagg's fans have also been let down by his case of AdaptationalJerkass. Flagg, who is usually the TokenGoodTeammate, acts considerably more conceited and arrogant towards both the squad members and his superiors, and his usual leadership role is more or less [[AdaptationalWimp demoted]] to him being co-leaders (if not being replaced altogether) with Deadshot.
124	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
125	** The movie spends a good chunk of its running time building up the Joker as a dangerously psychotic criminal mastermind with a massive crime syndicate and military-grade hardware at his fingertips, but then makes him more-or-less incidental to the main plot -- even though making him the BigBad could actually have improved the story in many ways. Unlike the Enchantress, the Joker is down-to-Earth enough to fight the BadassNormal Suicide Squad on their own terms, yet he could still have been a very plausible threat to Midway City, and making him a major antagonist could have given Harley a much more developed character arc by making her ConflictingLoyalties -- whether as a member of the Squad or as Joker's partner -- a much more central part of the film. David Ayer himself admitted that he should've made the Joker the main villain.
126	** Fans who were looking forward to Katana were disappointed with her relatively small role. Some sites even compared her treatment to that of ComicBook/{{Jubilee\|MarvelComics}} from ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', another Asian superhero who fans were excited for but turned out to be fairly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Although she does get more of a backstory, and is at least involved in the central conflict to some extent.
127	** It is never fully explored how or why El Diablo can [[spoiler:change into an Aztec fire god/demon]], or how he even got his powers in the first place. This would have been very interesting if it had been explained at all, [[spoiler:and given his death, probably never will be]].
128	** Captain Boomerang feels criminally underused outside of his arrest and PluckyComicRelief scenes, usually involving RobbingTheDead or his pink stuffed unicorn.
129	** Some looking forward to seeing Slipknot in action were disappointed. [[spoiler:He dies in his second scene, and didn't even get a cool introduction]].
130	** Rick Flagg is given barely anything to do in the film's second half [[DrillSergeantNasty aside from giving orders to the squad]]. This is especially jarring as, unlike the other characters, he has a personal connection to Enchantress and his main objective [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight is saving her alter-ego]]. However, much like Superman in ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', Flagg is DemotedToExtra simply because he is not played by a popular actor.[[note]]It is widely believed that the character's role was made smaller after Creator/TomHardy backed out to work on ''Film/TheRevenant''[[/note]] As a result, the big moments both Harley and Deadshot have with Enchantress in the finale[[note]]Harley destroying Enchantress' heart and Deadshot shooting her[[/note]] feel as if Flagg ''should'' be the character doing these things, and is only not doing them because Creator/WillSmith and Creator/MargotRobbie are more well-known than Joel Kinnaman. The fact that this version of Rick Flagg is [[AdaptationalVillainy antagonistic]] and [[AdaptationalWimp weak]] compared to his comic book counterpart and other versions (who are usually portrayed as being one of the most moral government officials and one hell of a soldier who is able to keep up with the best of the squad) does not help the case very much.
131	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDclQowcE9I&t=1131 This video]] lays out clearly every chance for character development the movie missed due to poor editing.
132	** Joker's line about his "toys" and the enigmatic nature of the film's true threat beyond the general destruction of Midway City, lead some people to assume that the Clown Prince of Crime had joined up with ''Intergang'' -- a criminal syndicate using weapons supplied by ''Darksied'' to undermine humanity. This could've been a way to tie-in the event of ''Suicide Squad'' into the larger ''Justice League'' MythArc. Instead, the main bad guys were Enchantress and her brother, Incubus, two character few people have even ''heard of''.
133	** Killer Croc has very little to do, and we never get to see any of the depth and tragedy revolving around his character.
134	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
135	** The entire plot of ''[[Recap/TheNewBatmanAdventuresE21MadLove Mad Love]]'' -- one of the most popular arcs for Harley Quinn and the reason that she was beloved by the audience -- was glossed over within 2 minutes of the film in favor of Joker and Harley's criminal streak and Quinn's capture by Batman, which essentially robs Harley of her descent to madness and obsession with the Joker.
136	** The film sold us on a story about a team of ex-supervillains seeking redemption as a crack Special Forces team and becoming TrueCompanions in the process, but there are a few problems with the presentation that made it ''very'' hard for that premise to live up to its true potential. The ExtremelyShortTimespan means that there's very little time to believably build the Suicide Squad up as FireForgedFriends, since they still barely know each other by the end of the movie. And because most of the running time is consumed by the Squad's very first mission--where everything that ''can'' go wrong ''does'' go wrong, and they're forced to save the world from another of Waller's recruits--we get very little time to see them functioning together as the hyper-competent team that they're supposed to be.
137	** If the villains hadn't decided to become heroes and save the world, there would certainly be possibilities for interesting writing [[TheBadGuyWins while offering audiences something relatively different.]]
138	--->-- '''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic:''' Screw this scene man, lets give the audience what they goddam paid for.
139	** Batman and the Joker both make appearances, yet aside from a car chase scene they have zero interaction. Given that this Batman's StartOfDarkness was triggered in part by the Joker murdering Robin it just leaves a particularly juicy plot thread dangling. It would be another 5 years before the two arch-enemies would get to have [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague a scene together with Robin's murder hanging over them]].
140	** The movie features both Suicide Squad regulars Deadshot and Captain Boomerang on the same team, as they often are in comics and other media. Often, they can't stand each other due to being total opposites apart from their ImprobableAimingSkills with their weapons, and only work together out of [[TeethClenchedTeamwork necessity]]. Here, they barely interact with each other much, if at all, with Deadshot primarily arguing with Flag and Boomerang being little more than a PluckyComicRelief, leaving some fans disappointed.
141	** The film sets up an AbhorrentAdmirer dynamic between Captain Boomerang and Katana that only pops up about twice. They apparently shot more scenes between the two, including Boomerang trying to kiss her and getting immediately rejected after the defeat the Enchantress. Given some thought there was strong chemistry between Creator/JaiCourtney and Creator/KarenFukuhara, having more interactions between these characters could’ve resulted in decent laughs. Since Fukuhara won’t be reappearing alongside Courtney in Film/TheSuicideSquad, it looks like we won’t be getting it.
142	** In general, many noted that a lot of the interviews after the film came out can be summed up as “we shot this scene which was really cool, but then it got cut”.
143	** Captain Boomerang immediately leaves when the squad's bombs are turned off. You might expect his next appearance to be a BigDamnHeroes moment, but instead he just inexplicably rejoins them without any explanation for why he changed his mind.
144	* TooCoolToLive [[spoiler:El Diablo, who not only has fire-based powers, but also can turn into a freaking ''giant fiery skeleton'', makes a HeroicSacrifice.]]
145	* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: The film was [[CriticalDissonance blasted by critics]] for its pacing and [[{{Narm}} embarrassing]] performance by Creator/JaredLeto as ComicBook/TheJoker. However, they all praised the rest of the cast for slightly elevating the film to SoOkayItsAverage status.
146	** The three primary standouts were Creator/ViolaDavis's scary charisma as Amanda Waller (which is enough to make the IntroDump first 25 minutes compelling), Creator/WillSmith's portrayal of ComicBook/{{Deadshot}} (who is warm enough to make his hitman character charming), and Creator/MargotRobbie as ComicBook/HarleyQuinn (who was very funny, had NoStuntDouble including for the sequence where she had to ''run across the ceiling in stiletto heels'', and acted well enough that her over-the-top NightmareFetishist [[TheMadHatter Mad Hatter]] character was convincing). The movie's portrayal of the latter even made her into a BreakoutCharacter or an EscapistCharacter, far more popular than anything else about the movie.
147	** Some also complimented Creator/JayHernandez as El Diablo, who has an actual character arc and provides a subdued performance that conveys how it's a tragic one; Creator/JaiCourtney PlayingAgainstType as a funny and charming douche that proved SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct; and Creator/KarenFukuhara also earned a few fans for her stylishly badass work despite having little dialogue or much to do overall. The latter even went on to get a similar but much larger and showier role on ''Series/TheBoys'', with her work here possibly helping her get the part.
148	* UnintentionalUncannyValley: [[spoiler:The Enchantress' visions showing Harley Quinn her fantasy, a normal life with Joker, marriage, kids and everything would not nearly be as unnerving as it is when we ''see the Joker as a normal man'' (no green hair, red lips and white skin).]]
149	* UglyCute: Many viewers find Enchantress's first "dirty witch" form to be more attractive than her OneWingedAngel "Miss Universe" form.
150	* UnexpectedCharacter: [[UnexpectedCharacter/DCExtendedUniverse Has its own page.]]
151	* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Many will concede that Killer Croc's look alone, achieved through practical effects, makes the film indeed worthy of the Best Hair and Make-up Oscar. It puts the likes of the CGI Lizard from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' to shame.
152	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: The movie's soundtrack ended up winning the 2017 Kids Choice Awards for best soundtrack. Said soundtrack containing quite a bit of profanity and the "Heathens" song being explicitly about going to prison.
153	* WinBackTheCrowd: After concerns over ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' being too dark and serious, many fans looked forward to the movie's (comparably) lighter, funnier tone. However, general audiences were mostly just as divided over the movie than its predecessor, with some Internet personalities, like WebVideo/TheAngryJoeShow and Jeremy Jahns (though he changed his mind on it according to his ''Film/Deadpool2'' spoiler review), giving the film very high marks, while others, such as ''Creator/RoosterTeeth'' and ''Creator/FunHaus'', tore it to shreds, and DC fans either praised it as one of the best superhero films created or another on the list of disappointing films forming the DCEU.
154	* TheWoobie:
155	** June Moone is forced to share her body with an undead witch who can take control of her when she's sleeping.
156	** Most of the team (save for Captain Boomerang) qualify as {{Jerkass Woobie}}s, due to being disenfranchised outcasts forced into a life of crime.
157	** Though one may not believe it, Amanda Waller could qualify depending on how her yet to be revealed backstory measures up with that of her comic book incarnation (who worked her way out of extreme poverty despite the murder of her husband and two of her children). When she tells Bruce Wayne that she values leverage over friendship, it almost makes one wonder what happened in her past and if she once might have been a decent person.
158	** Rick Flag and Katana are {{Iron Woobie}}s due to their (sort-of) DatingCatwoman and CrusadingWidow trauma, respectively, but they keep soldiering on.
159	* WTHCostumingDepartment: The Joker's over-the-top appearance in this incarnation has not been well-received. His tattoos have been pointed out as an especially egregious example of this trope, as they've been derided for being too silly and on the nose, particularly the "Damaged" one. To some, he resembles more of a deranged meth-head than a psychotic and sadistic killer.

Context YMMV / SuicideSquad2016