The arrival of a considerably altered and 30min extended Batman V Superman:Dawn of Justice, also known as "the Ultimate edition", demonstrates that the public saw a hacked-up version of the film in theatres. It is highly likely that Suicide Squad will get the same treatment. Why bother seeing a mangled mess when there is a chance that an improved and retooled version is just around the corner?
Since the release of the cast list and original trailer for Suicide Squad, the buzz surrounding it was of a slick and dark super villain team flick that offered a fresh twist on the genre. The studio was so confident in this product that, back in 2010, they announced that they would be planning a whole trilogy as part of their forward look to 2020. With the exception of the appearance of the Joker, much of the characters were new to the big screen and, as such, this helped build both excitement and skepticism concerning the project. The status quo of the film changed dramatically after the critical backlash on Batman v Superman in March 2016, and reshoots were called to liven the film up. BvS was blasted for its downer tone and overt nihilism, which would have have made Suicide Squad a excellent contender to follow in those footsteps as it stars a group of psychotics with a serious questionable grasp on morality.
Naturally, abruptly taking a action triller and adding comedic elements to it was bound to fail as every element of the film had been considered beforehand and suddenly new and considerably different elements were shoehorned in. It shouldn't come as a shock then that the reviews released upon its release reflect this disorder and the clear sloppiness of the studio. This further puts stress and skepticism on future DC films, due to unnecessary interference by head management. Those who experienced last year's Fant4stic saw first hand what happens when studios meddle with the creative process. At least Disney has the foresight to interfere in at the start of the production process, leading to a properly finished product. Perhaps once day we will see a proper version of Fant4stic...
Say what you will about BvS, it is highly likely that you didn't see the full version and therefore that your judgement is based on an abridged version. Similar arguments can be made to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is adored for its extended cuts and generally seen passively by those who just saw the theatrical cut. In the case of Suicide Squad, once again, it is likely that a similar argument can be made. As more films pander to the large audiences rather than choosing their niche market, the likelihood of the existence alternative versions of the same film increases, thus further discouraging people from going to the theatre. More films should follow the example of Deadpool, released earlier this year, which targeted a specific demographic, a group that marched to the theatres in droves to see a film with a fraction of the production costs of BvS, resulting in very similar returns. One can only hope that studios recognize this sooner rather than later and allow their creative teams to show audiences the intended version of the film the first time around.
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