Here it is, folks. The follow-up to 2016’s highly loved and acclaimed Suicide Squad, starring Margot Robbie and Jared Leto as the greatest incarnations of Harley Quinn and the Joker that have ever existed.
….well, actually, in the words of Harley, herself:
To be fair, though, I actually enjoyed Suicide Squad. Sure, it had its issues (to me, the biggest of which was the villain’s one-dimensional-ness,) but I thought Robbie did an excellent job in the role of Quinn, and I think Leto…worked with what he was given? I think if he had been allowed more screen time, perhaps he would have been a much better Joker. Definitely not the best, but the best is basically untouchable if you ask me.
On the topic of Birds of Prey, I thought we were allowed a more fleshed-out version of Robbie’s Quinn, which was the real highlight of the movie. Her portrayal is crazy enough to feel like Harley, but she also gets to showcase her high intelligence and often utilizes her PhD in Psychology in amusing ways. Her action sequences are so beautifully choreographed, yet they feel pretty believable with Quinn often having to improvise as things don’t go according to plan. I also appreciated that they showed her limping after a particularly nasty hit to her ankles, and she often was shown realistically reacting to being attacked/in pain. This is important to me, as Quinn is not a superhuman in any way, and showing how she perseveres despite being knocked down is inspiring.
As for the other main characters in the movie, I felt for the most part the Birds of Prey were pretty dull. Not a lot to write home about, and their individual personalities were not given a lot of time to develop and evolve as the movie went on. We rarely see any of them doing something that sets them apart from each of the others, so they kind of muddled together. I don’t know if anyone will walk out of that movie saying that Black Canary is their new favorite character.
Most of the male side characters in the movie were also fairly similar personality-wise. They were pretty pervy and sadistic, and being sexist seemed to be a dominant trait. If you want to see a feminist film, this might be a good choice, as most of the males are pretty unlikable in contrast to the females. I don’t think there was a single male character portrayed as “good” if I remember correctly. Even still, this was definitely a contrast to most superhero films in which men are portrayed as overly-good with very little female representation.
I enjoyed the plot overall, and though at first the non-linear storytelling really threw me off, once I got in the groove I thought it made a really awesome way to have the insane Quinn as a storyteller. She wasn’t quite an unreliable narrator, but it was almost like she forgot details and would jump back to fill in the gaps. It reminded me a bit of how my mom tells stories, haha!
I also really liked the visual effects, especially in the film’s knockout scenes of Quinn in the police station and the incredible longshot that was in the film’s climax. (I’m a sucker for a good longshot!) I felt like they followed up Suicide Squad’s effects really well and tied the movies together in a really appealing way.
The costumes in this film were also well done, with each of the characters having a very distinct style. Of course, Quinn’s costumes are a bit over-the-top, but the girl is kinda insane. She can wear a jacket made of caution tape with suspenders if she wants to.
Music-wise, I enjoyed the selection throughout the film, with the highlight for me being a creepy and fantastic rendition of “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” by ADONA. The other song that really stuck with me was “Woman” by Kesha that was featured at the end of the film. I also could have sworn I heard the opening riff to “Heathens” by my boys, Twenty One Pilots, during one of the pieces of score, but I might have been hearing what I wanted to hear…
Finally, I need to address the biggest issue I had with the film. I think this issue alone will prevent this movie from being a blockbuster, and it is so disappointing because it could have been avoided. If the suspense is killing you, here it is:
The R-rating.
Hear me out – I am not out here asking like R-rated films don’t have their place, but this one just felt…forced. Lots of F-bombs that were unnecessary, and I think just one at a more iconic time could have been really impactful (I have a specific instance in mind that was cleaned up for the trailers…I think anyone else that has seen it would know what I’m talking about.) I also think that some of the gore was a little over-the-top, just because they could. If the movie were rated PG-13, I think a broader audience might be able to enjoy this film, and I think it would fit better with the tone set by other DC films. (I even saw a high school couple in front of me in line unable to get in because one of them was not old enough. Money lost, WB!)
Overall, the film was enjoyable from beginning to end, but there were definite improvements that could have been made in order to make it a real standout in the Superhero genre. I am looking forward to seeing if we will get more adventures with Robbie’s Quinn in the future, and perhaps this will spawn a new genre of Supervillain films. After all, who doesn’t love a good villain?
Amanda Roach 