Carly Mallenbaum

USA TODAY

Suicide Squad's methodical release of engaging movie trailers, perfectly scored clips and wacky on-set anecdotes (we're looking at you, Jared Leto) have had DC Comics fans salivating for the supervillain movie for a good year.

The Warner Bros. movie hits theaters this weekend, and the film starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Leto as the lethal Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Joker is supposed to be great, right?

According to many movie critics (excluding our own Brian Truitt, who gave the film 3½ stars out of four): No, not so much. Here's a sampling of reviews that have helped the movie earn its current 31% positive score on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes:

"Suicide Squad isn’t a movie — it’s a two-hour trailer, a demolition derby of barely explained action and droll quips. ...The question isn’t whether Suicide Squad is as good as The Avengers, but whether it’s as bad as Green Lantern."

"If you know someone you really can’t stand — not someone you dislike, not someone who rubs you the wrong way, but someone you really loathe and detest — send that person a ticket for Suicide Squad. It’s the kind of torment you can wish on your worst enemy without feeling too guilty: not something to inflict permanent damage, just two hours of soul-sickening confusion and sensory torment."

"There isn’t a moment of spontaneous fun or humor in this long, turgid movie, the latest letdown for DC Comics fans who’ve been waiting for someone to pick up the baton Christopher Nolan left behind and do this universe justice."

"Suicide Squad is a so-so, off-peak superhero movie. It chases after the nihilistic swagger of Deadpool and the anarchic whimsy of Guardians of the Galaxy but trips over its own feet. ... It’s too cynical, or too scared, to be as grisly or as dirty as it should be."

"In fact, Suicide Squad is a seriously schizoid feature. It is, on the whole, a brainless, over-the-top, guns-blazin' actioner. Yet the action is interrupted several times by these earnest timeouts while the characters explore their inner selves like members of a group-therapy session."

"The walking dead aren't the only clichés that eat away at the potential in this material. Superfreaks become supersweeties and Suicide Squad: Dawn of Dullness (my subtitle) does the impossible. Forget Batman v Superman — at least it tried. This botch job makes Fantastic Four look good."

However, hardcore fans of the franchise — most of whom have likely not seen the movie, which opens Friday — aren't just sitting back and reading the negative reviews. Instead, thousands have signed a Change.org petition to shut down Rotten Tomatoes, because, as with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice's 27% rating, "It's (sic) Critics always give The DC Extended Universe movies unjust Bad Reviews."

However, it seems Abdullah Coldwater, the creator of the petition, has apparently had a change of heart. He posted an announcement since garnering 17,615 supporters for a successful campaign:

"In fact i started this petition to gather dc fans to express our anger just for fun. I didn't mean it to be taken that serious. After thinking. I found this petition is pointless. And the only thing that it does is spreading a speech of hate and online fighting among the supporters and objectors . The movies is something to enjoy. And the hate and fight is the opposite of enjoying."

For more thoughts on Suicide Squad, check out this week's Straight Up Hollywood podcast: