Contents
Not Your Typical Break-up Story
She was madly in love with the Prince of Crime but not anymore. After getting horribly dumped by Joker (as seen in Suicide Squad), Harley Quinn is now a heartbroken girl roaming around the streets of Gotham. She now has lost her purpose after years of being devoted to the man of her life. Afterall, that’s what harlequins are for, right? Lost and vulnerable, the people she had done wrong before are now out for blood and guts. Harley had to find ways and fight to survive now that she is all alone. Meanwhile, other women in the city are also facing challenges of their own. One was robbed off of credit at work, one is without a family, and one was a survivor of a massacre. Despite facing challenges of different gravitas, these women share a common denominator: men caused their problems.
Initially, I thought Birds of Prey was going to be one messy film. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy messy films but thank god, it did not end up as another Suicide Squad. Birds of Prey had a more centered craziness and while it may go over the top at times, it does not reach a point of being cringe worthy. I am sure it helped that the characters complemented one another instead of trying to one up one another. Margot Robbie is PERFECT as the YOLO Harley Quinn. I can’t help but be mesmerized by her antics. Her silliness worked well with the more timid characters like The Huntress, Black Canary and Montoya. In a surprising turn of events, her relationship with Cassandra Caine was lovely that I wouldn’t mind seeing a spin-off with the two of them and their hyena.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
We’ve been so gotten used to comic book movies having men at the forefront. It is now about time time women take the spotlight. But of course, just like how it is in the real world, some men will always cry foul about this. In the case of Birds of Prey, it is Black Mark / Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). Think of him as The Godfather of Gotham. Criminals fear him, police respect him. Behind his chill stature is a kid waiting to throw a tantrum at the very slight inconvenience. Doing the dirty work for him is Victor Zsasz. These predators are running after the girls for a diamond.
It is hilarious how the movie explored the predatory behaviour of some men towards women to a point of making them feel uncomfortable about themselves. Birds of Prey may be loud and extra playful but at the heart of it is a topic that resonates and some are even afraid to talk about in public. Behind its loudness and gorgeous action sequences, the film screams feminist in a palatable manner.
Birds of Prey and The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn shines a bright light onthe future of the DC films following Shazam and Joker (even though this is unlikely to become a part of the DCEU). The cinematic universe may have been a decade late to the game but it is exciting to see where these titles are heading. Birds of Prey is fresh, relevant, and entertaining the all throughout!
Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth-Winstead, and Ewan McGregor
Binge-level: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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