Suicide Squad (2016) was a supervillain ensemble about a team of Gotham City’s worst superpowered criminals being forced by the government to work together to save the world from an evil villain with magic powers. It was basically “Avengers” and “Guardians of the Galaxy”, but with supervillains. Though the premise was intriguing and the set up seemed promising, the film suffered from studio interference and resulted in a sloppy script. Though a huge box office hit, it was panned by critics for its overcrowded plot and messy tone, and for Jared Leto’s cringe-inducing (not in a good way) performance as the iconic Joker.
Suicide Squad was not without it’s loyal fans and defenders, as it went on to gain a cult following. One aspect of the movie that everyone seemed to love was Harry Quinn, played by Margot Robbie.
Harley Quinn had her debut in Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), where she was voiced by Tara Strong as the neglected girlfriend to the Joker, played by Mark Hamill. While the Joker ignored her, and even abused her, Harley still loved the Joker dearly. He was “her puddin’.” Though fans have been split as to whether Joker and Harley’s relationship is romantic or toxic (long before Rey and Kylo Ren even existed), they have deep love for Harley. If you’ve been to at least one comic book convention, chances are you’ve seen at least two or three cosplays of Harley Quinn. And it’s no surprise. She’s funny, and yet heartbreaking. She acts of innocent and ditzy, yet is as quick as a whip. She’ll kiss you, and smack you with a bat. And not in that order. She’s every boy’s fantasy, and also a nightmare.
With Batman movies being pumped out in theaters over the years, fans have begged and pleaded for Warner Bros. To make a Harley Quinn movie. Or at least put her in a movie.
With her breakout role in Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn is arguable more popular than she’s ever been. As evidenced by the hype for “Birds of Prey”.
The film is about Harley Quinn coming to terms with her new life after splitting up with her boyfriend, the Joker. She feels as if she spent so much time in Joker’s shadow, that she didn’t know who she was. She teams up with Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Cannary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to save a young girl (Ella Jay Basco), from an evil crime-lord, Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). It’s a story that feels so timely. Margot Robbie served as producer on this film, and fought hard for the film to have a female writer, a female cast, and be rated R. This is a female driven film with a female perspective. It’s like the best Girls Night Out ever.
“Birds of Prey” is honestly some of the most fun I’ve had in a while. The action is nonstop and exhilarating, the plot is fast-paced and exciting, and the characters are unforgettable. Harley Quinn is one of the most entertaining protagonists for a movie. She’s the kind of girl you want to invite to everything. She just makes everything more fun!
And the rest of the cast is just as entertaining. Mary, Jurnee, and Rosie kick all kinds of ass (figuratively and literally) as Harley Quinn’s enemies-to-teammates. Ewan McGregor steals every scene he’s in as Black Mask. Whenever he was on screen, he cracked me up, intimidated me, but also made me want to punch him. He plays a douchbag so well. It’s like if Obi-Wan turned to the Dark Side instead of Anakin.
Cathy Yan, an independent filmmaker, directed this. This is her first big blockbuster film. And what a promising start it is. The action is John Wick levels gripping, the comedy and the emotional moments both hit hard, and the plot never feels like it drags. It moves at light speed. Every scene felt important as well as entertaining. I never felt like a scene went on too long. The plot kept me guessing with every new twist and turn. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, it surprised me. The movie was what I imagine a date with Harley Quinn would be like. Unpredictable, chaotic, and never leaves you bored, but does leave you wanting more.
If you are a fan of Harley Quinn, this is the movie you’ve been waiting for. Even if you don’t know who Harley Quin is outside of Suicide Squad, this movie still has something for everybody. Action, comedy, badass women, explosions, and no Jared Leto. What’s not to love?
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