Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn the only clap-worthy character in an otherwise disappointing ‘Suicide Squad’

To the utter shock of DC Comics fans, it’s happening again. The highly-anticipated David Ayer-directed “Suicide Squad” movie is being slammed by critics after almost two years of build-up to its release. As per the critics, the only good thing in the super-villain-driven movie is Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.

After “Batman v Superman” was heavily criticised by fans and critics alike for falling flat with its concept, Warner Bros went into panic mode as it had invested billions of dollars in its DC film franchise, known as the DC Extended Universe. As always, there was tremendous anticipation surrounding the next instalment “Suicide Squad” but reviews don’t look promising.

The only star to shine is Margot Robbie who does an amazing job as Harley Quinn in hot pants, pigtail and smeared red lipstick. The former prison psychiatrist turned evil by The Joker, the clownish yet evil Quinn fits seamlessly into her role of causing mayhem. Apart from her, there is not much to enjoy. The insanity and chaos of Quinn go hand in hand with her fun and loose character. The fluidity of her physical movements is pretty appreciable.

Will Smith flexes his muscles as Deadshot. He is looking to redeem himself in the eyes of his young daughter. However, his badass side is unfortunately overwhelmed by the “caring dad” side and that may not be appreciated by fans.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, anyone looking forward to Jared Leto’s performance as The Joker, the most iconic villain of all times, would be in for a big disappointment. Leto’s reinterpretation of the drug-addled rich boy is neither great nor terrible. Before viewers can even get into the groove of The Joker, it ends there. He appears in the film only for a few minutes and is not even part of the squad.

The arch-villains embark on a nocturnal mission through Midway City to defeat an ancient enchantress (Cara Delevingne) who has possessed a young archaeologist. The movie seems cluttered, poorly-paced and largely tonally inconsistent.

Viola Davis, who plays Amanda Waller, serves as the story’s narrator. She laboriously summarises the super-villains’ back-stories in a thankless role.