After a ton of unfavourable reviews from the critics I was curious to see just how this would play out and if I agreed with the general consensus that this was a ‘bad’ or ‘mess’ of a film. 

I didn’t. In fact, I enjoyed watching this for what it was. A fun popcorn film which fit nicely after the also slammed by critics Batman vs Superman (which incidentally I also quite enjoyed). A few minor niggles stopped this from being a must see for me, but there was still plenty to enjoy. 

Make no mistake, this is the DC version of the Avengers. The first half hour of the film introduces us to our core characters and sets the scene for what is to come. This is a great way to get to know about each character especially for those who may be unfamiliar with the comics or only vaguely aware of the history of the DC universe. When I first watched the trailer there were certain casting choices that I had doubts about, primarily Will Smith as Deadshot & Jared Leto  as The Joker. To my surprise, both played their roles well. It was good to see Smith play the villain, although he still manages to pull off the hero vibe with ease as his character is easy to like. 

Leto’s Joker was a similar story, his spin on the character wildly different from Heath Ledger’s take in the iconic The Dark Knight and all in a good way. Leto’s incarnation is a snarling beast, a dangerous yet mesmerising psychopath who pushes the crazy button harder than any other screen version of the character before. With his Tattoos, gold rings, flashy cars and garish suits, The Joker steals every scene he features in which in part is one of my niggles with the film. There just isn’t enough of him. Apart from the occasional brief appearance, most of the Joker storyline are small flashback scenes about his relationship with Harley Quinn (played superbly by Margot Robbie) and have little impact on the main storyline which itself is another thing I’m going to have a little moan about. 

The plot is thin to say the least, a basic setup to get the squad working together for the greater good to stop the evil Enchantress from destroying earth by making some kind of superweapon which is never seen or fully explained. Our heroes (or are they still villains?) dutifully go on a world saving mission and learn along the way that even bad guys have morals. 

Does any of that matter as far as enjoying the film goes? Not one bit. This is a fun, loud switch off the brain and enjoy kind of film which is clearly designed to set up more movies in the franchise (speaking of which, it’s advisable to watch Batman vs Superman before seeing this as there is a little plot crossover). If you are looking for a fun summer film that dosen’t require too much thinking, give this a go. 

Final score: 8/10

Definitely better than the poor reviews give it credit for. Go give it a watch!