Suicide Squad Comic-Con Trailer Review/Reaction

The Suicide Squad's Comic-Con has officially been uploaded by Warner Bros. after many bootlegs online, and it gives us our first look at Jared Leto's Joker and more! If you followed my coverage of Suicide Squad, you know that of all the upcoming DC movies, this is the one that I want to work because Harley Quinn and movies about villains fascinate me. So, does this teaser trailer satisfy my expectations? Well, in some ways, yes, and other ways not so much. 

We finally get to see Margot Robbie in action as Harley Quinn! And the jury is still out on the portrayal because, she does not get many lines in the trailer. She definitely looks completely insane, and I love how she does the shotgun thing with her bat. I also like the pale skin and lack of scars or many tattoos. The backstory of her being a psychiatrist is a crucial part to the character, and the writers must keep that intact, which is my main worry.

Visually, the film looks low budget, almost somewhere between television and film, which reminds me of HBO or Netflix in terms of cinematography. It seems to lack the visual skill that makes people want to see it in the theater. Obviously, I will be watching it in theater, but it almost looks less cinematic than Netflix's Daredevil, which could hurt its box office draw. With all that said, we will not know until we see the movie for ourselves.

Will Smith is one of my biggest problems. He is not playing a character, he is playing Will Smith: Bad Boy version. I have a feeling that he will be given too much screentime, and while he is a fun actor, he is always Will Smith, by which I mean he rarely disappears into the role. The other Suicide Squad members appear to be cannon fodder to show off the explosive chips in their heads.

Lastly, there is Jared Leto as the Joker. Well, he is so much better in action than the promotional stills lead us to believe, which is expected. However, his line at the end, "I'm not going to kill you.... I'm just going to hurt you, really, really, bad," sounds almost too similar to Heath Ledger's Joker. On the other hand, I like the facial expressiveness and body language of Leto in the clip. Aside from the stupid tattoos, Leto will probably be a great Joker, and I want to see more of him. Plus, the Batman cameo is going to be fun!

What did you think? Please comment below and let me know!

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Suicide Squad Full Team Revealed

The Suicide Squad has finally been revealed! The entire team is featured in the picture above, and there are some things I like, and other things are not so good. The biggest reveal for me is Harley Quinn, since she is one of my favorite characters in the DC universe, and I am mixed about her appearance. Much like the entire team, her costume looks like a cosplay, and not the amazing kind, but the type that is just okay. I am sure Margot Robbie is a capable actress; however, the costume is not selling me on the character just yet. With that said, I want to be optimistic about the character and the film in general. As I have said multiple times, this is the DC movie that I want to be good, so maybe, just maybe this can turn out to be better than it looks.

As for the other characters, they all have a very "Gangsta" look to them. Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang appears to be a little too low tech, but there is nothing that bad about his costume. Karen Fukuhara as Katana, the samurai sword woman in the front, gives off the appearance of a cosplay, and again, but the amazing kind. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc looks very strange since his upper half is big, while his lower half is too small. Enchantress and El Diablo are okay, but nothing special. As a whole, maybe the film is intentionally trying for low-budget appearance because none of the costumes look that much better than the Suicide Squad in CW's Arrow. However, I really want to see them in action, because as we know from the pictures of Daredevil's original costume that pictures often do not look nearly as good as the final product. Lastly, not entirely unexpected, The Joker might not apart of the team, but rather the antagonist.

Below is an excerpt from IGN.com naming each character and actor: "The photo depicts (from left to right) Slipknot (?)* (Adam Beach), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), Katana (Karen Fukuhara), Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and El Diablo (Jay Hernandez). Ayer dropped the photo with the sentence 'Task Force X assembled and ready'."

Below is a picture of Will Smith in full Deadshot armor and costume. Even though it looks somewhat strange, it is accurate to the comics so I give a passing grade.

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Jared Leto's Joker Revealed in Suicide Squad

What the heck!? Jared Leto's take on the Joker has finally been revealed for the upcoming Suicide Squad, and it nothing like anyone expected. What is going on here!? He looks like some punkrock drug dealer! Of all the upcoming DC films, Suicide Squad is the one that I am most hyped for, and this new photo isn't doing my hype any favors. 

Despite initial impressions, there are some interesting aspects of this photo. For one, Jared Leto is, again, unrecognizable in a role, and I have no doubt that he will kill it as the character (pun intended). The skull jester looks somewhat sinister, and the mouth on the arm is not a bad idea. The "HAHAHAHA" everywhere isn't terrible I suppose, but just like Jeremy Jahns said, these tattoos look like something a Joker fan would get, and the "Damaged" on his forehead is not something the Joker would do to himself (maybe he didn't?).

His eyes look insane, and the green hair is a good throwback to the classic look, so those elements are not bad. What I absolutely hate is the grill on his teeth, or are silver replacement teeth. Hopefully, the Joker will wear a snazzy purple suit like the original Joker, so that the tattoos are not as prominent. Or maybe this will look a lot better in the film. With such a punkrock look for the Joker, I am afraid of what that might mean for Harley Quinn's appearance; will she also be a punk rocker? Of all the DC movies, I really want this one to be good! David Ayer has had some ups and downs with his films, but he has had several critical hits, and I hope this is one of them, because a movie about villains is exactly what I want to see. 

On a side note, this version of the Joker reminds me of Jake Martinez (picture below) from Tiger and Bunny (I highly recommend the series for superhero fans). From how he is portrayed in the series, Jake is a very Joker like to the point where he has an assistant that refers to him as "Mr. Jake," much like Harley and the Joker.

To a lesser degree, his small build and tattoos remind me of Jonny Lee Miller's take on Sherlock Holmes in Elementary (not that’s it s positive or negative thing).

What do you think of this new Joker? Please comment below and let me know, and do not forget to check out my Avengers Countdown post by clicking here.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 10 Movie Villains: Part 3 (Final)

The final part of my Top 10 Movie Villains list is here. If you missed the previous parts you can click here for part 1 and here for part 2.

3: The Joker (The Dark Knight)

Quote: "You wanna know how I got these scars?"

How could Heath Ledger's Joker not make the list? Anyone who does not include him in the Top 10 would effectively be lynched by the internet! With that said, there is no denying that The Joker is a legendary film villain. Ledger’s performance is the highlight of The Dark Knight. For me personally, he is at least 90% of the reason The Dark Knight is entertaining to watch. Christian Bale's Batman is fine, but Ledger steals every scene he is in. My only minor issue with the Joker is that he is more of an antagonistic force opposed to a fully fleshed out character, and that definitely works perfectly for what the film required. 

2: Loki (Marvel)

Quote: "All humans crave subjugation."

Despite the fangirl raving, Loki is an incredibly complex character with well developed motivations and understandable actions. Starting with his first appearance in Thor, many viewers not familiar with the comics were apparently surprised that Loki turned out to be the villain in the film. In the comics, Loki was always present but rarely as memorable as Marvel's other villains, and after his appearance in The Avengers, Loki turned from a mid-tier Marvel villain to one of the most popular characters. In fact, I would go as far to say that the film version of Loki is better than the one in the comics at that time, or at least the ones I read (which were not many with him in it). Tom Hiddleston changed the character's image from a trickster into a tragic and likable villain that is still ultimately villainous. Loki is not just a compelling villain, but a well crafted character with just as much development as many protagonist, something rarely seen in film villains. Before anyone makes the argument that Loki is becoming more of an anti-hero than a villain, remember, his seemingly heroic actions in The Dark World *Spoilers* were ultimately to enact his plan to take the throne of Asgard from Odin. *End Spoilers* However, he can still be considered a "tragic villain." 

1: Darth Vader

Quote: "You have controlled your fear. Now, release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me."

Could there be any other? Along with the Joker, Death Vader is easily the most iconic villain in the history of media. Whether or not Anakin in the prequels counts as Vader is debatable, but to me, Darth Vader is James Earl Jones voicing someone in the iconic suit, or at least after Anakin was dubbed Vader by Palpatine. In Star Wars (1977), Vader's entrance is unforgettable, and arguably the best villain introduction. At first, Vader served as the imposing antagonist against our lovable heroes. While his past is hinted at the first film, even more is revealed until the ultimate plot twist is revealed. (If, for whatever insane reason you do not know what the twist in Empire Strike Back is, continue to the comment section.) Darth Vader is Luke's father, and the entire dynamic of the character changes, which all comes together with his ultimate redemption in Return of the Jedi. Darth Vader is not just my favorite villain; he is always vying for number one spot as my favorite character of all-time. 

Who are your favorite movie villains? What do you think of my top picks? Please comment below and let me know! 

• Top 10 Movie Villains: Part 1
• Top 10 Movie Villains: Part 2

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