Thoughts on: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Intro
Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a 2020 American superhero film based on the DC Comics team Birds of Prey and today I will give my very personal opinion about it based on my own experience while rating different aspects of the movie. SPOILERS AHEAD
Trailer
- BIRDS OF PREY - Official Trailer 1 - YouTube
BIRDS OF PREY only in theaters February 7, 2020 ------------ https://www.birdsofpreymovie.com/ https://www.facebook.com/BirdsOfPreyMovie https://twitter.com/... - BIRDS OF PREY – Official Trailer 2 - YouTube
Gotham’s worst brings out their best. Meet Harley Quinn, Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain. #BirdsOfPrey in theaters 2.7.20. https://...
Story
I savored the narrative, we are always used to seeing Harley as Joker's servant as in her own words '' a Harley Quinn's role is to serve'' and to have her break-up with him and face all the enemies she has made while under his protection is a nice change. I see where DC is going with making all-female superhero movies (like Wonder Woman) and honestly, Harley Quinn is one of the best candidates to claim a movie of her own.
I also loved the way they introduced each character of ''The Birds of Prey'' squad, how they all got together in the end and put aside their differences to fight their common enemy. I mean yes, it's a classic, still, it's enjoyable.
The script lacks complexity, which is good in this case. There are no major twists or hidden secrets, it's just a quick-paced and kind of messy story that doesn't need any sophistication to be better. The only thing I think is missing us perhaps a scene of the Joker, whether it's his reaction to Harley's recent activities or anything really, but I can't be so sure about the real intentions about Joker's absence.
Besides, I do believe I have to mention that the producers did an astonishing job following the source material since a lot of this film's aspects are still the same as the comics from Harley's soft side to children to the Birds of Prey squad members despite Batgirl's absence.
The Squad
Closure
The ending is not that bad. I would say, for some, it maybe was unpredictable because when you look at the trailers and even the movie's title, you would think that Harley is with the Birds of Prey only to find out they started after she left. On the other hand, for a true comics fan, that's THE ending Harley must get because she never actually joined the squad. In the movie, we are not provided with much information about Harley's plans, which leaves us, the audience, excited for her next appearance. All we're given is that she got what she wanted: money, freedom from her Mr. J. and even an apprentice to keep her company. Again, there's nothing wrong with the end, it's just not that glorious (compared to the rest of the movie at least).
Action/Performance
I just adored everything. The fighting scenes were truly fantabulous, and you don't see that very often. From one point, they can be super brutal like, for example, the way Harley broke several legs throughout the film or Huntress' kills in general. From another point, the fights were very entertaining and fun to watch, considering Harley's fighting style. In fact, Harley's weapon choice is what makes her scenes even more interesting she would wield a shotgun that shoots paintballs or a baseball bat and a mallet.
'' Everything Harley does is totally impractical, she will wear something that is just not appropriate for the situation like wearing a big jacket with things flowing off it while trying to do a fight or putting on skates when you're about to fight on a moving platform, I mean none of it makes sense, which is so Harley. She'll bring a baseball bat to a gunfight, it does not make sense ...'' ( Margot Robbie )
The fights are just unpredictable and will always keep you on the edge of your seat.
What made those scenes even more appealing to watch is the fact that all actresses did their stunts on their own, which is splendid, considering there truly are some hard ones to pull off. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who plays Huntress, said that " It was like a full-body workout " when talking about her fighting sequence on the bouncing tongues. In my opinion, and I think a lot of you will agree with me, the carousel fight scene is one of the best, if not the best scene in the entire movie.
The acting overall was fabulous. Margot did a marvelous job, as expected, playing Harley. Ewan McGregor also did a very exceptional work portraying Roman Sionis aka Black Mask and adding, in a way, his signature to the character not to mention all the other actors who all had a tremendous performance. Finally, everything about this section is flawless. They got everything right form humor and fun to action.
So, in the end, all I need to say is: every second of this movie is worth watching. If you're looking for something to entertain you and warm-up your heart, then you've got your movie for the night.
My rating is 8.2/10.
© 2020 Mouadh Bondka