Suicide Squad (2016)

Every time Suicide Squad gets nervous, it drops a famous song, and it gets nervous constantly. The first act plays like a playlist with a movie stuck inside it. Then the plot shows up, and it’s a glowing beam over a city and a villain who mostly sways in place. Jared Leto’s Joker got all the press and ends up as a handful of scenes of silver teeth and tattoos, barely connected to anything. The editing jumps around like the scenes were shuffled before anyone checked the order. And still, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is so alive she seems to be in a better movie. Will Smith is charming as Deadshot, Viola Davis is scarier than every monster in it, and Jay Hernandez gets the one storyline with an actual heartbeat. It pulled $749.2 million worldwide on vibes alone. A 3.9 because a few great performances can’t save a story this scrambled. $369 says you try Harley’s bat swing at the next birthday party pinata and miss completely.

What works: Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is a star-making turn, and Viola Davis’s Amanda Waller is the scariest person in the movie.

What doesn’t: Choppy editing, a nonstop jukebox and a villain who stands in a sky beam swaying make the story feel scrambled and weightless.

Who it’s for: Harley Quinn fans, and anyone curious how the sequel managed to fix almost everything this one got wrong.