Despite getting pulverized by critics, Suicide Squad pulverized its opening weekend, raking in $267 million worldwide. True, the supervillain saga was a gruelling experience for all who saw it, but at least Toronto audiences could stave off boredom by looking for local landmarks. Don’t let mentions of Midway City or shots of the Chicago skyline fool you—Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc and the gang are all proud denizens of the 6. Here, seven Toronto spots where you might run into a superhero.
In an early flashback, viewers discover how the Joker (Jared Leto) brought psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel (Margot Robbie) under his zany sway, transforming her into the insane clown-woman Harley Quinn. As the Batmobile pursues Joker and his gal through Midway City, eagle-eyed viewers will spot Zanzibar, Elephant & Castle and other Yonge Street landmarks, shown above. (The hordes of Torontonians who observed the filming, meanwhile, have been digitally scrubbed away.) The chase climaxes when the Joker drives into the harbour, and Batman pulls Harley from the underwater wreckage. The caped crusader revives her near Harbourfront Centre with a little sexually charged CPR.
Another flashback introduces us to master assassin Deadshot (Will Smith), doing what he does best. He executes a job and escapes into Toronto’s railroads (presumably on his way to visit the Ripley’s Aquarium). It’s official: Will Smith and the CBC building have finally appeared in the same shot.
The Squad fights a villain named Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) who possesses an archaeologist and unleashes a bunch of monsters to take over the world. She hides out in Lower Bay Station, disguised as Central Station, where her monster army wages war against the police. Late in the film, Killer Croc dives into the flooded station from its Bay Street entrance (where the Bay sign is visible), telling his compatriots, “I live underground—you’re just tourists.” But one wonders if even a grizzled he-man like Mr. Croc could survive the Bloor line during rush hour.
After emerging from the wreckage of their helicopter at Yonge-Dundas Square, the Squad does battle with monster baddies around Yonge and Wellesley. It’s a bittersweet scene, because it’s your last chance to see the stretch of T-shirt stores, Money Marts and fast-food joints that have since been demolished to make room for condos.
Because no film would be complete with just one helicopter crash.
In the midst of saving the world, the Squad takes a moment to do some shopping on Yonge. Harley Quinn bashes a window and steals some clothes, reasoning, “We’re bad guys; it’s what we do.”
The Squad uses their superpowers to teleport from Lower Bay Station to Union Station for a final showdown with the Enchantress. We wouldn’t dream of spoiling who wins this battle (take a wild guess), but we can say that the station gets its most elaborate cinematic destruction since Silver Streak.
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