Look past all the gee-whiz special effects and the unnecessarily convoluted plot and Suicide Squad is a colorful political allegory in which someone rebellious, with a fondness for red (pink?), white, and blue and ambitions to help those in need, is seduced by a lunatic thug with weird hair and a lot of love for himself.

It’s a warning to us all.

Are we listening? Guess we’ll find out in November.

Meanwhile, this is a fun popcorn flick if you turn your brain off and just go along for the ride. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot are the highlights, but Jay Hernandez is also really good as Diablo. And never mess with Viola Davis as Amanda Waller: she will wreck you.

Jared Leto’s Joker was mostly forgettable, which I suppose is preferable to being memorable for all the wrong reasons. I hope they go a new direction with the character in Harley’s spinoff movie.