Movie lovers;Making ‘Suicide Squad’ a Smash, Despite Withering Reviews

Backed by a meticulously executed marketing campaign, “Suicide Squad” pushed through abysmal reviews to set box office records for Warner Bros. over the weekend.

Ticket sales for that violent PG-13 film totaled about $135 million, the best result on record for an August release, even when adjusting for ticket price inflation, according to com Score. “Suicide Squad” unseated Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which had about $96 million in initial sales in 2014. The 2001 movie “Rush Hour 2” now ranks third, with $92 million.

“Suicide Squad,” about a gang of DC Comics super villains, also set sales records overseas, where it has collected an additional $132 million.Even so, the film faces difficult questions. Will it continue to attract crowds in the weeks ahead? Or will “Suicide Squad” ultimately go down as another disappointment? “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” delivered enormous box office returns for Warner in March and then cooled, as poor reviews and word of mouth caught up to it.