Honestly, it took me three tries to get through this movie once. It kept putting me to sleep.
The cast do everything they can to make their scenes entertaining, but Iron Man 2 is a just an absolute waste of two hours and $200 million. 1: The stupidly integrated villain Ivan Vanko who is given no backstory or true relatable motive (even Mickey Rourke was pissed at how his character was handled). 2: The pointless subplot of how Tony Stark has to create a new element to save himself. 3: The sloppy introductions of both SHIELD and Black Widow. There's very little here that is of any actual entertainment value, or at least to balance out how tedious the whole movie is to watch. No wonder why Jon Favreau left to make more personal works.

**A long form review originally posted in 2010:**
I find, the best way to look at this movie, is as two movies. Sounds strange I know, but bear with me.
On the one hand you have this Super Hero movie, it's about the main character, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), flying around doing comic book-character type stuff, and it's this pretty okay action film that's worth taking a look at. Then, there's this drama with a hint of comedy, this other film isn't really a genre, it's just about the characters interacting with each other, it's about the main character, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), driving around doing billionaire-playboy type stuff, and this movie, is fucking great. Part script, and part flawless acting, this movie sets _Iron Man 2_ apart from any other Super Hero film out there. It was explored in the first film, and you get a similar thing there, but in this movie the division is more clear, and it bizarrely benefits from it.
When films go franchise-style, it's inevitable that there will be scheduling conflicts, it's an unfortunate part of the industry, particularly when you have a deadline to meet, and for whatever reason, an actor will be unable to return to their original role. Such an event takes place in _Iron Man 2_ when Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes (originally played by Terrance Howard) is replaced by Don Cheadle. I personally think that Howard was better suited to the role, simply because he looks more like Rhodey does in the comics. But their way of dealing with the changeover is simple, and clever, the character's first lines, whilst making perfect sense in context, are "Look, it's me, I'm here, deal with it. Let's move on. Drop it." Very classy.
Although Mickey Rourke (_Get Carter, Sin City, The Wrestler, Man on Fire, The Expendables_) manages a very convincing evil Russian; Ivan Vanko, who's a perfectly good character, Whiplash as a villain is unfortunately somewhat lacking. Sam Rockwell (_The Green Mile, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Frost/Nixon, Moon, Conviction_) plays Justin Hammer, corporate rival of Stark's. Scarlett Johansen (_Eight Legged Freaks, The Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Island, The Prestige, The Spirit_) is another good addition to the cast, in the role of Natalie Rushman A.K.A Natasha Romanoff A.K.A Black Widow. Samuel L. Jackson (_Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, The Starwars Prequel Trilogy, Shaft, S.W.A.T, Kill Bill Volume 2, Snakes on a Plane, 1408, The Spirit, Inglourious Basterds_) portraying S.H.I.E.L.D Director Nick Fury, rounds out the newbies in the cast. And it's all good news.
The Hammerdrones are an attempt at revamping the whole boss-battle that was such a let down in the original film, which honestly, once again didn't really work out. Once again it's a case of the character interaction that makes the film what it is. The effects also went a long way in the line of helping out the film, 'cause they were awesome. There are a couple of negatives in the script, just those moments when the suspension of disbelief is not... suspend-y enough. As for example the line; "Congratulations sir, you have created a new element", is a little flawed.
Though if I was forced to choose between them, I would probably say that _Iron Man_ is the better of the two films, but _Iron Man 2_ has a better re-watch value in my opinion, which I prize highly. I wait with baited breath for the next Marvel film to come out, _Thor_.
63%
-Gimly

Yet another ridiculously high rated Marvel movie, we get it Marvel fanboys you just love it when a new Marvel movie comes out, so much that you forget any flaws in it and give it a 10 or a 9 anyways.
But come on seriously? Wouldn't you rather they spent a little time at actually writing a somewhat decent script and making it a bit more entertaining than to praise EVERYTHING they do to the skies just because you want a new chapter in the Marvel universe?
Cause this is NOT a good movie, 35 minutes of decent at best action and 85 minutes of nonsensical blabber.
Mickey Rourke was the only highlight in this movie, the scene at the racetrack with him was really cool but then he just became a wasted opportunity just like the rest of the movie.
A really boring turd of a film.

It was understood that the theaters would be sold out but when the three of us came there we just couldn't accept NO for an answer. So we were finally able to buy tickets BUT we were seated separately. It was fine though. The movie kept me entertained. Except for the guy near me who was snoring pretty loud, the movie was great.
Of course Robert Downey Jr was amazing as always. There might be weird critics with this movie but for me, I liked it. The action scenes were just right. It wasn't too much and it wasn't too little. It was weird seeing Don Cheadle though play Terrence Howard's character. I like Terrence better. And then there's Scarlett Johansson who is really sexy although I think there weren't that many acting for her in this movie. There weren't many lines. And what was weird also was that in this movie, the chemistry between Tony Stark and Pepper was not that much compared to the first movie although in this movie they actually ended up together. But all in all I liked the movie. Seeing old characters from the first movie and new characters. I can't wait for a 3rd Iron Man movie.
My rate for this movie is B+.

If you can't make a movie better than the comic, then don't make the movie.

**Suicide Squad could have been more if the studio hadn’t interfered in production, but what we got still entertained and debuted some amazing actors bringing these wild characters to life.**
The Suicide Squad comics are some of my favorites. C-list villains are forced to run shady impossible missions for the government with the hopes of having their prison sentences reduced. The comics were so fun because everything was so unpredictable, with characters dying in almost every comic. So seeing those comics come to life was an absolute delight for me. Unfortunately, the unpredictability was minimized, and the plot was fairly cliche, but I still loved this movie. Will Smith as Deadshot brought real swagger to a less-developed character. Margot Robbie’s debut as Harley Quinn took everyone by surprise, bringing Harley to live-action with near perfection. Viola Davis as Amanda Waller was a brilliant casting as well. Finally, I enjoyed the faceless monster villains as canon fodder for the Squad to demolish effortlessly, showcasing their skills at violence. I understand that Suicide Squad wasn’t the greatest comic book movie of all time, but it gave me what I expected from the film and more because of the exceptional casting.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Suicide Squad has a horrible script. First, there was the story--such as it was--itself: A super villain with the power to end the world goes to work in a universe that has established Batman and Wonder Woman. So what do the authorities do? Call up Batman and Wonder Woman? Of course not! Hire a bunch of criminals to save the world.
It would be like if the U.S. was invaded by China, and we went and got the Taliban to protect us.
So, from the very bones of the story, the movie fails. Add in a tell-and-don't-show approach to characterization, and horrendous dialogue, and this film was doomed before it got off the printed page. I really wanted to like this film, but I just couldn't.
So, let's go back to the tell-and-don't-show approach to the characters. Instead of seeing and experiencing anything, we're told what such-and-such is all about. It's an incredibly boring and lazy style of writing. Look at he scene where the principal characters all sit around and tell stories while they have a drink. But that's the thing: They shouldn't be telling us anything. Everything that is told to us as if we're a classroom of elementary school students instead of adults who can put two and two together, should be revealed through each character's dialogue and actions. But that would require some actual writing. This movie seems like it simply filmed the first draft of the screenplay. And then there's the dialogue itself. "I've already killed one family; I won't kill another." Who wrote this? A high school kid who thought he was being deep? Flagg refers to the love of his life as the girl he "was sleeping with." Serious? You're risking your life to save some broad you're banging? And then after two hours of watching Harley pine for Joker and reject the rest of the members of her "squad", she's finally given the chance to be with the Joker and live happily ever after. Well, despite everything we've seen for the past two hours alluding to the fact that that is exactly what she wants, she rejects that for "her friends." She's never shown any sort of friendship so far in this movie. But, dialogue.
It's typical fill-in-the-blank writing. So, Harley didn't show any love for her "friends" but did for Joker. And then chose her "friends" over the Joker. So, I guess it's up to the audience to "fill in the blank" and decide what Harley's change of heart was all about? It shouldn't be the audience's responsibility to do the writer's job.
The characters themselves were boring and uninteresting. Despite wasting the first 20 or so minutes on the film trying to make us love the psychotic Harley Quinn and mass murdering Deadshot, I didn't care. I just couldn't care for anyone or anything happening. It was like there was an invisible barrier between me and the screen. I just couldn't get into the movie. And since no one other than Harley, Deadshot, and Flagg got a pointless backstory introduction, the audience feels, subconsciously, that these are the characters that will carry the story. They don't. The only character that was even remotely interesting was Katana. And despite a few flashes here and there of decent martial arts and kenjutsu action, the character is wasted.
And speaking of wasted characters, let's talk Joker. Jared Leto was upset how much of the Joker was cut from the film. If you can cut such a big name and charismatic character down to the point where the actor playing him complains, and still get away with a finished film, the problems with the script become apparent. Joker was wasted in this film. You cut him out entirely, the overall story doesn't change. So, why include him in the first place? Because shared universe...maybe? Or something? I don't know. And neither do the filmmakers.
And while I know almost everyone on the planet--including those who despise the movie--praise Margot Robbie's Harley, I found her shtick getting old rather quickly. And then to top that off, she reneges on her established motive, thus making her a totally pointless character.
And, before we move on from the topic of bad characterization, what was with Amanda Waller (a good guy...I guess?) executing FBI agents? I feel like I missed the most important scene in the movie--the one that shows something that makes the entire movie make sense. But then again, Amanda Waller doesn't make good choices. She has a folder, inside of which is a list of the upcoming DCEU characters: Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg, etc. She actually has dinner with Batman. But she puts the world's fate in the hands of Diablo, Boomerang, Harley Quinn and Deadshot. It's like calling the police because of a problem, and then scouring death row for the people who will actually solve this problem. Yeah, I'm confused too.
But let's go to the ending. Because the ending shows us one thing: That the Suicide Squad's involvement in all of this was totally pointless. Simple bombs end up saving the day. Bombs. Man made, average, everyday bombs. Satchel charges. Any idiot in a uniform can detonate a bomb. So, why let out a bunch of mass murderers to save the world, if saving the world only involves setting off satchel charges? I mean, why not call the Air Force in, have them drop a couple of bombs, and send a guaranteed-to-be-disappointed-audience-anyway home early? One phone call to the Pentagon, and the ENTIRE MOVIE is UNNECESSARY. But, DC.
In the end, this movie was a total disaster.

Aka NEEDLE DROP: THE MOVIE
SUICIDE SQUAD is a mess. But an entertaining, well-cast mess.

**They are not superheroes, they are supervillains.**
It's nothing against DC, but overall I'm starting to think the todays cinema is getting crowded with the lots of superheroes. Just like any pollution or the over population on the earth's surface. It needs stability, but nobody cares about it other than money making agenda. I also think it's going to last for only a few more years, when this trend going to end like that happened in the 70s, 80s and the 90s. And the space travel era to begin which is already kick- started. So DC or Marvel and others, they should be careful, for far they could take their products.
Like the title say, it's not just about the film characters, the film itself a suicidal. I'm not saying the film was unnecessary, but the plot was dragged too much. There are too many pauses, or you can call time wasting moments. I could not take another blowing up city concept. And that swirling thing in the sky, I don't know how long they are going to use it in the superhero films. I did not like the supernatural concept which is supposed to be a pure science fiction action adventure. At least Thor was from another planet, more like he's an alien, but the witch in this film, ruined my appetite.
The actors were not bad and so the graphics, including the stunt sequences. The story was very familiar. It was more or less, same as the animated flick 'Monsters vs Aliens'. It can be watched for entertainment purpose, the majority won't say it's their favourite or one of the best of the year. But surely there are people who would love it. It was a massive box office hit and I don't see any hurdle for its sequel, but all I hope is it to get better in the follow-up. So finally, it's not a bad film or boring, but it just did not have the midas touch that all the superhero films had. That means a watchable film, only for once.
_5/10_

Some semi-interesting visuals and a few characters I'd like to get to know, but an absolute mess of a movie. The thing feels like a trailer, or a clipshow, or a music video or some other sort of two-hour long promotional material for the actual _Suicide Squad_ that comes out later.
_Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._

Suicide Squad is the third and latest entry into the DCEU, and is about a bunch of bad guys that are rounded up to fight for someone else. And just like this year's BvS, this movie received overwhelmingly negative reviews by the critics and was divided among the fans. I was super curious to watch it because unlike many, I actually enjoyed the DCEU till this point. Enjoyed both Man of Steel and BvS. But unfortunately, this one's a mess.
The majority of the movie just feels choppy, editing was all over the place. Like they had a final product but because of disagreements, they took out a lot of scenes, shorten the runtime, and added others, making a giant choppy mess in the end. Scenes don't properly flow, including the flashbacks. Some scenes feel like they were added later (Probably the re-shoots) and they definitely didn't fit, particularly the elevator scene with Harley. The songs were all over the place as well. Some worked with their respective scenes, but most of them didn't, and again it felt like something added later, to give the movie a more jolly feel. And difference between development given to each member of the squad is astounding. Some were completely left in the dust, while some got a bit of line here and there, while some got a lot more development. Basically, to me it felt like that the movie reeked of studio involvement.
Also, the focus was just off. Movie is called Suicide Squad yet there is a whole lot of other stuff that gets way too much screentime. The whole end of the world plot was totally generic, uninteresting and unnecessary. The villain wasn't good, and the movements were weird, and not in a good way. Joker-Harley romance was also something padded on, and could have been removed in exchange for more screentime with the squad.
Speaking of the Joker, he and his whole weird mafia/gangster lord type vibe didn't work for me. Jared Leto felt like he was trying too hard at times. There were moments where I saw the Joker I wanted in him, but those moments were swiftly followed by over the top feel that he gave most of the time. And that laugh....Yeah NOPE!!
Even the action was mostly OK, apart from a couple of good scenes. There was no proper thrill, no proper buildup. Too many cuts. Say what you want about Snyder, but you have to admit that the dude can atleast direct amazing action sequences.
And all of that sucks because there is stuff in the movie that works, like the main squad. Will Smith as Deadshot was great. He played his usual cool self and it worked. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn was sexy and mostly good, because there were few instances where her dialogues gave me cringe. These two had a good chemistry together too. Also liked other members like El Diablo, Killer Croc, and captain Boomerang, all of whom were likable, had some fun moments etc.
Plus, among all the mediocrity, there were glimpses of what the movie could have been like. Fun moments between the squad, some touchy moments, rare cool action sequences, full group scenes or rather a scene, the bar scene and such.
Ultimately, The movie is like a mediocre cake covered with a thin layer of good frosting. The overall taste isn't bad, but it isn't good either. You enjoy the good frosting for a short while, and then have to deal with a whole lot of mediocre tasting body of the cake. I was disappointed. I really REALLY wanted to like this film. Pushed back all the negative or positive criticism and went in with an open mind. I'm not too hopeful what the extended cut will improve as 13 mins of footage isn't much, and I'm guessing it is Joker footage mostly.
It's funny that after watching this, I respect MCU more now considering what they were able to do with the more risky project: Guardians of the Galaxy.
6/10
Blog Post Link: http://reviewsreactor.blogspot.com/2016/10/suicide-squad-2016-movie-review.html

Summertime 2016 has not been very kind to DC Comics-based personalities looking to shine consistently like their big screen Marvel Comics counterparts. Following the super-sized dud that was _Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice_ released a few months ago must really put some major pressure on Warner Bros. to gamble on ensuring that the presence of **Suicide Squad** does not meet the same kind of indifferent reception. Well, it turns out that although the anticipation was high for writer-director David Ayer's supervillain saga involving high-powered imprisoned rogues recruited as U.S. governmental operatives out to stop other skillful baddies (as it was for Zack Ryder's aforementioned "Dawn of Justice") the concoction of **Suicide Squad** feels like a colorful mishmash of collective misfits laboriously taking up space in a disjointed eye candy-coated spectacle that never manages to match its intended sizzle.
One would think that the premise for **Suicide Squad** would tap into the intriguing naughtiness with more robust gumption given the collection of super-powered oddballs asked to be immediate anti-heroes in this toothless jamboree of renegade rejects. Strangely, the grim and brooding presentation of **Suicide Squad** is more of an erratic downer than a hyperactive high-wire act as intended at the creative hands of Ayer. There is no reason why this lively group of adventurous agitators should appear so flat and inconsequential in a boisterous blockbuster that sporadically limps.
Given the twisted members that comprise this elite team of terrorizing tools it is very disappointing to see how **Suicide Squad** struggles with its so-called subversive themes. Sadly, this splattered mess never firmly grasps its bid for distinctive irreverence or off-balance exploitation. Instead, **Squad** feels strained in its execution and we are never really invested in entirely watching these treasured troublemakers find redemption because the story is soggy and uninspired. Furthermore, not all of the **Squad** participants are fleshed out satisfyingly for us to get behind with thirsty cynicism. The headlining leads in Will Smith's Floyd Lawton/Deadshot, Oscar-winner Jared Leto's green-haired Joker and Australian beauty Margot Robbie's Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn get the meaty standout parts while the lesser known supporting cast get stuck with chewing on the thankless remaining bone while seemingly acting as background furniture to the bigger names.
Naturally, desperation has set in for the U.S. government as they need to safeguard national security against advanced sinister forces that threaten the fiber of American self-interests everywhere. What better way to hire gifted protection than to consider employing the world's most incarcerated corruptible, cutthroat cretins to perform the dirty work in unforgivable mission ops that require death-defying determination. Enter U.S. Intelligence agent Amanda Waller (Oscar nominee Viola Davis). Waller's duties are to assemble the ragtag team known as the Suicide Squad--ominous (yet talented) jailbirds tapped to step in and assume superhero status (especially when the real superheroes are tied up in other crime-stopping affairs) while helping out for the greater good of our vulnerable society. In exchange for the Suicide Squad's sacrifice in turning from hell-bent heels to reluctant heralded heroes they are promised commuted prison sentences should they effectively defend and destroy the deadly foes out to promote heavy-handed havoc across the board.
Conveniently, bureaucratic bigwig Waller (through voiceover) introduces the Suicide Squad and describes what beneficial assets they bring to the turbulent table. Among the naughty notables include the well-known ace sniper Floyd Lawton/Deadshot as well as legendary lethal joy-boy Joker and his better (or perhaps worst half) in girlfriend Harley Quinn. The other toxic tag-a-longs along for the thrill ride of becoming rebellious rescuers include George Harkness/Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Chato Santana/El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Waylon Jones/Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana, Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) and Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman).
Overall, **Suicide Squad** is surprisingly depressing and goes through the proverbial motions without so much as taking advantage of its surrealistic makeup. The movie never realizes its excitable potential and drifts into yet another superhero yarn that is more patchy than pronounced. Smith's Deadshot is out in the forefront but for the most part feels restrained and not as spry and savvy as one would imagine. Leto's Joker obviously pales in comparison to the brilliant and mesmerizing psychotic take on the role that earned the late Heath Ledger his posthumous Oscar statuette. In all fairness, nobody could inhabit the Clown Prince of Crime as Ledger uncannily did with committed concentration. Still, Leto's Joker--although viciously off-balance--felt recycled and furiously empty at times. Robbie's turn as Joker's misguided main squeeze merely comes off as a bratty Barbie Doll with synthetic edginess. The other **Squad** participants settle for the back burner more or less which is a crying shame because they should have been more engaged than the tepid material allowed them to be initially.
Woefully sketchy and missing the fueled opulence that one would expect emerging from this cockeyed costume caper **Suicide Squad** is a detonating dud for the missing explosive DC Comics movie brand that needs to step up the pace if they expect to make a consistent and challenging impression on the devoted fanboys at the box office looking to move beyond the sardonic fantasy-based realm of another redundant serving of a _Batman/Superman_ entry.
**Suicide Squad** (2016)
Warner Bros.
2 hrs. 3 mins.
Starring: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margo Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Jay Hernandez, Jai Courtney, Scott Eastwood, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Common, Cara Delevinge, Karen Fukuhara, Adam Beach
Directed and Written by: David Ayer
MPPA Rating: PG-13
Genre: Superheroes Saga/Action & Adventure/Comic Book Fantasy
Critic's rating: ** stars (out of 4 stars)
(c) **Frank Ochieng** (2016)

It's immensely enjoyable and goes well with the Iron Man solo films.

There's a delicate balance between comic book fantasy and Norse mythology in this film and they were able to lay it all out perfectly.

I would give it a 7/10. A good superhero flick but I know they can do better than this.

Not a bad movie for the first film in a trilogy.

Great storytelling and depiction of how Asgard looks. Additionally, they did an awesome job in setting up Thor's family dynamics.

I loved how Chris Hemsworth did justice to the Norse God of Thunder. He is truly made for this role as much has Tom is made to be Loki.

Impressive superhero film that goes well with the Iron Man solo movies that Marvel has released.

Both Loki and Thor make such a huge impression on screen. The two actors who portrayed these gods are surely top-tier!

Tom Hiddleston is such a great actor! Chris is pretty great too but Tom has such a mesmerizing aura whenever you see him on-screen that it's hard not to be absorbed by the film.

Both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston showed that they can be among the star players in the film industry worthy to be included in this movie.

I didn't expect to like Thor as much as I did. Marvel sure knows their characters and they demonstrated that expertise by creating a superhero film that's a mix of Marvel comics and Norse mythology. Good job!

One of the most original origin stories out there!

It's like Thor was actually made to fit Chris Hemsworth rather than the other way around! Marvel couldn't have done a better job at casting than this!

Not a big fan of the action sequences but story-wise, this film did great. It really explains how Thor came to be and why he is the person he is now.

How Asgard was explained and how Thor came to be was explained really well. One of the better superhero origin stories for sure.

Chris Hemsworth plays a great god of thunder! Much like how Downey has molded into his character, Iron Man, Chris has done the same thing too as Thor.

I haven't seen Chris Hemsworth act in any other film and this is the first time I've seen him in action, but I gotta say he really did justice to this role. Big thumbs up to Marvel for doing a great job on this casting!

I was surprised to see Kenneth Branagh directing a big budget comic book film, but as the film continued to explore a Shakespearean tale between two brothers feuding, the relationship with their father, and a coming of age love story, I realized this is exactly the kind of movie Kenneth Branagh would make.
I really enjoyed Thor. It was funny, exciting, and different from the usual superhero ilk. And it definitely got the MCU back on track after the dismal Iron Man 2.