Rhade Reviews

Suicide Squad (2016)

Harley Quinn saves the day

[5/10 · 14 August 2016]

So DC Comics is desperately trying to catch up to Marvel's cinematic success after Batman vs. Superman's poor reviews and relatively poor revenue. Yet, I can't help but tell they didn't try very hard. I almost wish I had seen a rerun of 'The Scorpion King' instead, there was more tension and apprehension of evil forces there than in this movie that really only starts to get interesting around 51st minute (way to long after everyone's finished their drinks and popcorn)

Up until then time has been wasted explaining the concept of the Suicide Squad without creating much soul to any the characters, except military-man Joel Kinnaman who gets more of a back-story than many members of the squad and still stands flat as a character (and actor) as his only trait apart from being a military-man is caring for June, who we also know nothing about except that she's possessed by an evil witch.

Will Smith has played a string of heroes by now and this seems like his "back-in-the-game" flick where he just needs popcorn-time at the movies, USD;s in his pocket and doesn't care much about a good script. Even Academy-awarded Jared Leto's performance is overwhelmed by heavy make-up and fake silver-teeth and doesn't deliver a single one-liner worth remembering. Boo script-writers! Consequently iconic and usually deeply unsettling villain Joker is most remembered for... a long, almost avian-like laughter that re-appears a couple of times throughout the movie.

So there is 1 character that keeps us wanting more, that delivers punch-lines and keeps the pace up. Little miss Harley Quinn is the hero of the villains or unwilling heroes, and displays a wider range of emotions throughout the movie than anyone else (tight-lipped Will Smith, open-jaw Joker or the British accent-wielding Enchantress)

Lord knows how many would have fallen asleep in the theater if we didn't have actress Margot Robbie to bring life to Harley and to this dark and sad story. Yes dark and sad, not dark and exciting like director Christopher Nolan's captivating Batman-trilogy that reinvigorated DC's darkest hero after the 1997 unintentional seppuku (Japanese term for ritual suicide) of 'Batman & Robin'.

Even in the 114th minutes, after 68,3% of the film, we're getting backstory to one of the characters. Really? Smell a sequel anyone? One I'm not looking forward to.

Hero of the movie: Actress Margot Robbie Villain of the movie: Writer & director David Ayer Moment of Truth: In the final action build-up 6000-something years old witch Enchantress does a little arrhythmic dance to cast blue lightning and a few minutes later Deadshot screams "You are evil!" at her, to clarify the situation I presume... Hot tip: Watch 'Deadpool' again!

Babylonsjukan (2004)

The Babylon Disease

[7/10 · 14 September 2004]

'Babylonsjukan' (The Babylon Disease) is a film about 20 something Maja who is an average middle class girl in Stockholm. Her boyfriend Olle is, like many neo-hippie-wannabes before him, leaving for India for six weeks and Maja has nowhere to live. Olle helps her move in with his friend Mattias, where she's given the kitchen as her bedroom and from there the story takes off.

The plot develops and while humor is a large ingredient there's a refreshing credibility (repeat after me Hollywood- creedibiiility) to it and any Western-European under 40 can easily relate to the issues of the film. It has some more intense moments as well and is given a twist by referring to the riots at the EU top meeting in Gothenburg in June, 2001. The actors are all unestablished but for enthusiasts of new Swedish film the guy who plays Olle can be seen in the Academy Award nominated film 'Ondskan' (Evil). All in all it's a sweet film anchored in every-day very early 21th century Stockholm.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

No no no

[3/10 · 23 September 2003]

Well, the first Disney movie I saw was 'Oliver & Company' of 1988. Since then I've seen several of them and the one that really caught me back in -91 and still has me was 'Beauty and the Beast'. Several of Disney's movies (Aladdin, the Jungle book...) give you all the basics for a good film, no matter if you're 6, 26 or 46. 'Atlantis: the lost Empire' in NOT one of them.

The animation in itself is rather progressive and arty but an ill match with the concept of Disney's annual 'classic to be'. It's the same style in 'Tarzan', in which it worked better but the very cubist animation gets too much when the film is dark to such an extent. I never developed any feelings for the characters, nor the good ones or the bad once (most of the crew play both parts to an extent it seems) and the story itself could easily have been better done.

This is the worst Disney film I've seen, spite the great way they show expressions and reactions on the characters faces, and it makes me long for either good old classics like 'Snow White' or brand new thrilling Japanese Anime.