Or should I be calling this Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey? Still kinda bummed this didn’t kill it at the box office. Also bummed that I didn’t make it out to one of the Glitterpunk screenings at Alamo Drafthouse. I could have easily put together at least 5 outfits for it. I compromised by wearing pigtails and spikey earrings to work and my movie to get in the Harley Quinn spirit. That’s a world that I’d be happy to spend more time in.
Harley Quinn, the breakout from Suicide Squad (and arguably only positive element of that film) gets her own movie now. She’s broken up with the Joker and is ready to claim Gotham as her own. But first, there’s a bunch of baddies out there who wanna hurt her now that she’s no longer under Mr J’s protection. Lucky for her, there’s some other badass ladies in town with complimentary goals in mind.
Any time spent with Miss Quinn is so much fun. The way she stole her scenes with the Skwad proved she could own a film, and my God did she. I love her punk rock attitude bubbly but deadly personality. I cannot get enough.
This movie also shows what happens when you put the ladies in charge. You get one of the most fun action movies I’ve seen in a long time. The stunts were impressive, and the fight choreo was so slick. But what I really loved was the use of non lethal weapons because let’s be real, glitter bombs and bean bag guns are so much more interesting than a spray of bullets and testosterone. Lots of people are talking about the hair tie moment as a prime example of what details female filmmakers will get right that their male counterparts don’t. Personally, I was just happy to see Harley looking great without coming from the male gaze. I’m predicting an uptick in her Halloween costumes.
The supporting characters were fantastic, I don’t know which bird I loved best. Black Canary had some great fighting moves to back up a strong three dimensional character. Huntress was hilarious with her difficulty in social situations. And if you don’t love Rosie Perez, then just don’t talk to me.
But the one who very nearly stole this film from the ladies was Ewan McGregor. First off, he had guyliner in a few scenes, which is absolutely my kryptonite. Second, how often do we get to see him as a bad guy? But most importantly, he was so over the top and relishing the role more than I’ve ever seen from him before. I loved the ambiguity in the relationship with his henchman, and how comfortable he was with that. Ultimately, he was just a more fitting match for Harley’s unpredictable energy than anything she had in the first go round. She still owns it though.
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/