MOVIE REVIEWS
8
The Battalion | 8.9.16
Underdeveloped “Suicide Squad” falls short of expectations
A head-spinning thriller set in a contemporary world
Long-anticipated DC flick adapts concepts well but lacks in execution
Matt Damon brings the mysterious rogue to life one more time
Chevall Pryce
Up close with the BV Bombers Page 4
12th Can
Feeding hungry Aggies Page 6
BATT THE BATTALION | THEBATT.COM
Staff writer
“I
D
BAT_08-09-16_A1-A8.indd 1
Update on Aggies in Rio Page 3
Bombers
Pranav Kannan
Editor-in-Chief
espite an ensemble cast of anti-heroes and villains cracking jokes and fighting their way through Midway City against their will, sluggish pacing and lack of character development hold “Suicide Squad” back from being as impressive as promised. Set in the DC Comics cinematic universe post-Batman v. Superman, the world is reeling over the aftermath of the previous film and looking for a way to fight terror in the modern world. Intelligence operator Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) decides to assemble Task Force X, a team of the dangerous criminals Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and Slipknot (Adam Beach), headed by military tactician Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman). As a concept for a movie, “Suicide Squad” should have been a fantastic film. It has antiheroes, violence and dark comedy, something missing from most other superhero movies full of do-gooders and boy scouts like Captain America. But, the struggle to find a plot worth caring about and effort to do too much in a couple hours make “Suicide Squad” suffer despite the great ideas present in the finished product. It’s very hard to care about most of the members of Task Force X. Davis, Robbie and Smith are clearly the stars of the show, given either more screen time than the other characters or more well-developed backstories, albeit not that fleshed-out. Although they aren’t given too much to work with, these actors shine in their roles. Other characters like Captain Boomerang and Slipknot are really used for punchlines and minor dialogue, and fall to the wayside once the movie gets rolling and the team is fighting through Midway City. Jared Leto’s Joker was present for very little of the movie, despite being hyped by his method acting antics (sending his costars used condoms and dead pigs, alienating himself from the rest of the cast, etc.). Leto’s performance was a bit of a letdown, personally. His character design, resembling a gaudy Hot Topic reject, clouded his already underwhelming performance that seemed a bit forced at times. The scenes de-
Olympics
THE
VIA CREATIVE COMMONS
picting his abusive relationship with Robbie’s character were well done, although a bit more explanation could have been nice for viewers who aren’t familiar with their backstory. The plot doesn’t really show up until around 30 minutes into the movie after most of the characters have been introduced. Once the villain and motivation is present, another useless character, Katana (Karen Fukuhara), arrives and does very little at all to advance the plot. Also, El Diablo was underused for most of the film and was subject to few worthwhile moments. The run-of-the-mill fight scenes coupled with odd breaks in the action for flashbacks and needless dialogue make the movie feel slow at times. “Suicide Squad” isn’t a bad movie. It has some great ideas and adapts certain parts of the source material very well. But the execution wasn’t very impressive, with loose ends and a lot of characters, settings and a plot that could have been fleshed out much more. While “Suicide Squad” is nothing to write home about, it’s a step up from “Batman V. Superman.” Here’s to hoping that the movies following “Suicide Squad” in the DC cinematic universe continue that trend. Chevall Pryce is a journalism senior and Editor-inChief of The Battalion.
remember everything.” An ominous start to a movie which has defined a decade of fast-paced action and drama. The fifth installment of the Bourne series based on Robert Ludlum’s character is eponymously called “Jason Bourne.” The reunion of Paul Greengrass as director and Matt Damon as Jason Bourne has resulted in an eye-watering, guns-blazing tornado of a movie with 123 minutes of cinematic thrills. The movie starts with a quick succession of scenes set all the way from Albania to Iceland. Nicky Parsons, played by Julia Stiles, is hacking into the “Agency’s” servers to access classified information, as Bourne (who is still off the grid) is making a living fighting in illegal rings. A chance discovery by Parsons leads to a meeting and encounter with Bourne on the Anarchic streets of Athens, Greece. This unfolding set of events is watched by the Agency’s cyber ops division led by Agent Heather Lee played by Alicia Vikander and director Dewey played by Tommy Lee Jones. In the classic Greengrass style seen in the earlier Bourne movies of shaky camera shots and breathless action with Bourne jumping rooftops and riding motorcycles being chased by rifle carrying ‘assets,’ “Jason Bourne” seems a bit repetitive but is still impressive. Adding to the drama was the contemporary hard hitting setting of the movie, situated around news events from around the world. From antiausterity uprisings in Greece, where the film begins, to finishing with a privacy debate set in Vegas Convention Center, Greengrass effortlessly combines cinematic drama with global debates.
VIA CREATIVE COMMONS
Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd ‘s meticulous combination of cameras, overhead shots and stoic images of Bourne make it an appetizing watch. Perhaps nothing says it more than the high-octane showdown set in London as a converging group of ‘Agency’ men and ‘Assets’ prowl for the evasive Bourne. Greengrass’s longtime associate, Christopher Rouse‘s editing however leaves us wanting in some scenes with abrupt starts and stops. In contrast to “Bourne Legacy,” it’s immediate predecessor, “Jason Bourne” brings back the familiar sights and sounds of the Bourne Trilogy which we have grown up enjoying. However this familiarity comes at the cost of the movie seeming slightly stale. In spite of some memorable moments and several forgettable ones, “Jason Bourne” still comes out as a recommended watch, even if it is to only see Matt Damon back as in his most famous avatar. Pranav Kannah is a chemical engineering graduate student and writer for The Battalion.
KICKING OFF FALL CAMP
Grant Phiferw - The Battalion
page 5 8/8/16 11:39 PM