Matthew Jacobson

mjacobson@thespectrum.com

I made the mistake of letting early critical reviews dictate whether or not I went to see "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" on its opening weekend, and it's a mistake I won't make again.

Since "Suicide Squad" was announced, I had been counting the days until I got to see some of my favorite characters brought to life on the big screen, most notably being Harley Quinn. I'd written no more than three columns in my excitement, defending the film to the bitter end from early naysayers.

And now the weekend arrived. I bought a ticket and went diligently with my coworker to the theater after work on Thursday night. I wanted to get ahead of the game, and I wasn't going to let the tidal wave of bad reviews sway me. After the movie, I got out of my chair, looked at my coworker and said, "I loved that movie!" My coworker agreed with me.

Suicide Squad trailer proves DC fans are their own worst enemies

So why am I so at odds with other critics when it comes to "Suicide Squad?"

I immediately began questioning my abilities to be properly critical. After all, a film critic plays an important role in a film-saturated society. With multiple movies premiering every weekend, it's a reviewer's job to help people see the flicks that are worth paying for. And as of this publication, the critical consensus is that we should have all stayed away from "Suicide Squad" in droves.

I wasn't afraid to admit that perhaps I was viewing the film through biased eyes. After all, I wanted this movie to succeed so, so much. Could it be I'd tricked myself into believing that it was good? There was only one way to find out: Go see it again.

So I went again.

On the second viewing, I started to see the things other critics were complaining about, although I still wouldn't go so far as to throw the entire film in the trash because of it.

After the failure of "Batman v Superman" among critics, I can see where scenes may have been reshot in order to add more comedy to what could possibly be a whole lot of drama. Perhaps this even made for some choppy editing. But there are plenty of films out there with less-than-stellar editing that don't incur the critical wrath "Suicide Squad" has. There had to be something more I was missing.

Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Will Smith, Jay Hernandez and Jared Leto brought magnificent performances to "Suicide Squad." They played their parts very well. And yes, there was an over-the-top villain — just like most comic book villains are.

In the end, "Suicide Squad" managed to be a living comic book. It told the story in such a way that I felt like I was reading a graphic novel. Plenty of laughs, a whole lot of action, flashbacks and superpowers. I don't know if I could ask for anything else from a comic book film.

In order to be the best critic I possibly can, though, I saw "Suicide Squad" a third time. Instead of going for fun I went in with a critical eye. And I believe the film has two major problems that are causing it so much friction with critics and audiences.

First, the thing I love most about it is also the thing many people hate about it: It really is a comic book brought to life. For the average moviegoer who doesn't read comics religiously, "Suicide Squad" comes across like a jumbled mess. And if you aren't already familiar with the characters, it can be even more confusing.

So on that count, I will have to acknowledge that I might be seeing the movie in a different way than most.

The second problem, though, is that it isn't a Marvel movie.

'Suicide Squad' trailer debuts: Let the judgement begin!

In a very sad damned-if-you-do and damned-if-you-don't scenario, Warner Bros. and DC can never hope to find the success Marvel has because, well, people expect comic book movies to be Marvel movies. They want the flashy dialogue, tailored costumes, good guys doing good-type of story.

But that's just not what DC is about. No, DC exists in a darker world, and any attempts to brighten it up start to border on "Batman and Robin" territory. But if Warner Bros. decided to make a movie just for the critics, one in which the good guy is a Captain America type with a beautiful smile and a can-do attitude, the movie studio would be eviscerated for copycatting and ditching the darker themes many DC books carry.

After viewing "Suicide Squad" three times, I'll offer this very honest review:

It's not a movie for everyone. Fans of the books on which the movie is based will most likely appreciate it far more than those who don't read comics. It could have been improved in parts, and I'm positive there's a version of this movie out there that flows far better. Perhaps we'll see it on Blu-ray.

Most importantly, though, while "Suicide Squad" may not have been up to most people's standards, it certainly doesn't deserve the internet backlash it's received. Stop punishing Warner Bros. just because it's not Marvel.

Follow Matthew on Twitter and Instagram, @MatthewJGeek; "like" him at Facebook.com/MatthewJacobsonGeek; email him at MJacobson@TheSpectrum.com; call him at 435-674-6234.

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