Suicide Squad Reviews: 10 Things We Learned About The Joker
9. It's A Great Performance
If you're looking for a broad assessment from the majority of reviews - and it genuinely is the majority (I'm not just being a blinkered fanboy here) - it seems Leto is impressive in the role. He needed to be, but it's good to hear all the same.
Variety's assessment reads like this:
"Yes, he and Leto manage to invent a version of the Joker every bit as unsettling as the late Heath Ledger’s immortal incarnation, turning the iconic Batman rival into a ruthless seducer (hunt down Mr. Nobody to see the origins of Leto’s wicked deep-throated cackle), but the character barely has anything to do."
Even though he's not on screen enough, according to ArcaMax, "a little bit of Leto's hipster pimp Joker goes a very long way."
Even those fans currently pulling their hair out about reviewers not giving any credit will be able to flick through any number of sites and find praise for Leto. He's one of the stand-outs, with The Daily Beast calling his "legendarily demented Joker is utterly captivating in his handful of scenes."
Coming Soon agree:
"[He] brings a lot new to the character and... while Nicholson was a deranged gangster and Ledger was an anarchist, Leto’s Joker is more like a rock star crossed with a psychopathic serial killer. One minute he’s clowning around and joking. The next minute is quietly staring at you like a predator stares at prey. It’s an unsettling performance, and Suicide Squad breaks new ground with the character as we explore the romance between him and Harley Quinn."