5) Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
Just as Superman/Batman: Apocalypse served as a testing ground for the character of Supergirl in a feature film, Batman: Assault on Arkham is actually a Suicide Squad story in all but name. Set within the world of the Batman: Arkham video game franchise, the film follows six criminals designated with the impossible task of breaking into Arkham Asylum. As they fight to complete their mission, the team have to deal with Arkham inmates, dispatcher Amanda Waller and Batman himself, all while combating the mistrust that inevitably develops when you throw a group of psychotic, murderous villains together.
Each member of the Suicide Squad is given a moment to shine, including Killer Frost and group leader Deadshot, but Harley Quinn steals the show with a manic performance from Hyden Walch, who captures all the gleeful insanity that the character became known for in the original Batman animated series. In the latter half of Batman: Assault on Arkham, the Joker also comes to the fore, playing the Suicide Squad and Batman off against one another as he plans to set off a dirty bomb and win Harley back. The Clown Prince of Crime sure knows how to multitask…
Unlike the other superhero films on this list, Batman: Assault on Arkham is a heist movie which takes joy in its madcap antics, bloody violence and sexual content to deliver a decidedly adult take on the DC source material. While using animation in this form this could be considered a gamble, it seems likely that Batman: Assault on Arkham acted as a precursor to the live action Suicide Squad movie which was recently confirmed as part of DC’s upcoming movie slate, particularly now that Jared Leto and Margot Robbie have been basically confirmed to play the Joker and Harley Quinn. Check out Batman: Assault on Arkham first though for a glimpse of the insane love story the two share before Hollywood inevitably decides to tone it down.
