Episode 266: Suicide Squad!

The episode opens with a humorous, edited intro parodying Suicide Squad's premise. The hosts then transition to discussing the Ghostbusters reboot, sparking a debate about gender representation in film. They move to the main topic: Suicide Squad. Sean states he enjoyed the film for its entertainment value, while Greg criticizes its amateurish construction and tonal confusion. Sean reveals a key production detail: after the first trailer garnered 57 million views, Warner Bros. hired the trailer company to recut the entire movie, leading to a disjointed structure with excessive pop songs. The hosts analyze the film's flaws, including repetitive character introductions, a weak villain plot involving Enchantress, and problematic moments like women being punched for laughs. They compare DC's cinematic universe strategy unfavorably to Marvel's, noting DC tries to introduce too many characters at once. The conversation covers performances, with praise for Will Smith and Margot Robbie despite poor material. They discuss Jared Leto's Joker, the film's climax, and how it fits into the broader DC slate post-Batman v Superman. The hosts express hope for future DC films like Wonder Woman, citing Jeff Johns' increased involvement. The episode concludes with brief mentions of MySpace and promotional details.

As heard by us

A loose but specific look at Suicide Squad's messy construction and stranger visual choices.

TV Ate My Dinner frames Suicide Squad as a film fighting its own assembly, less a finished object than a rough draft pushed through an equally rough alternate cut.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a Suicide Squad argument where the panda-suit gunman somehow becomes the detail your concierge points you toward before Jared Leto's Joker gets the room divided.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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