i’m a firm believer of the ninety-minute movie. growing up, all my favorites seemed to be over and done before i knew. i watched and re-watched, and my parents bought me merch, and everyone was happy. but then, something happened. the age when Wild Bunch was cut to fit more screenings in per-day were over. people wanted more. but they didn’t want as much as Kevin Costner thought they wanted. enough bang for their ever-increasing buck. so, the meandering one-hundred-and-twenty to thirty minute movie was born. where twenty-to-thirty minutes could be easily cut as deleted scenes, or used as trailer-fodder. oomph-factor.

as i watched Suicide Squad, i was re-directing the movie in my head. i had read the tabloids and interviews. that it was retooled in post-production is evident from the first minute and i couldn`t help wondering whether a scene would feel better here, or there, or nowhere at all. excellent example is Jared Leto`s Joker. for months he was hyped with production stills and internet forums. we expected everything. when people got less than they thought, they were disappointed he was just a bit-player. i think they could have cut even more out. he should be there to support Margot Robbie`s Harley Quinn. instead the shadow of what his character should have been looms large over what he is, and could have been, performance not-withstanding. cut everything but the flashbacks with Harley in the asylum and axis chemicals, and have a legacy stand to bear fruit in future movies. have him as an end credit easter egg. or don`t have him at all this time around. but it`s everything-or-nothing.

other then that, it was a perfectly-serviceable suspense-comedy superhero origin story with the best unnecessary soundtrack i`ve heard in a while. we`ll see where Warner goes from here.