When these moments emerge, Robbie is consistently handed opportunities to smash the film's fourth wall with a carnival-style mallet-sometimes by going nuts, other times by surprising viewers with somber reflections. Now that Joker isn't around to protest or protect, everyone wants their cut of Quinn's figurative (or literal) scalp-perhaps none more than the slimy crime lord Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).įurther Reading Ousted Guardians of the Galaxy director switches camps, tied to new DC Comics filmQuinn's appearances and interruptions function like the filmmakers' id: showing up to blurt, giggle, and set off fireworks whenever the film has an organic opening for humor, combat, or even context. because Quinn has picked up some enemies over the years. Once the breakup becomes public knowledge, Gotham's underworld is quick to react. If you're keeping score: this all happens in a self-contained version of DC Comics' Gotham, as opposed to one connected to the events of either Suicide Squad or Joker. Unlike her performance in Suicide Squad, where the character wavered between "lead" and "sidekick" status, her return in BoP enjoys a front-and-center placement, which the actor relishes.Ī quick, spoiler-free plot introduction: Quinn and the Joker have ended their relationship, which we learn after a cartoon-animated recap of Quinn's classic origin story (troubled childhood, became a psychologist, fell in love with a crazed supervillain, yadda yadda). DC Comics' Bronx-accented scoundrel Harley Quinn steps out of the shadow of her usual criminal-clown boyfriend, and the results, in Robbie's nimble hands, rank at the top of the modern comic-film acting pantheon. Let's start with the film's easiest point of praise. I left surprised and stunned by the rest of the film's bloody, candy-colored pieces falling into place around her performance. I went into its screening expecting a killer performance from Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, which came true. This bombastic, hypercolor explosion of filmmaking is exactly what the comic-film industry needs: equal parts slapdash and artfully arranged, designed to please anyone who wants more depth and weight in a "light," humor-focused comic film. It's been a positive enough trajectory to set the table for this week's stellar Birds of Prey, which appears to benefit from the DC powers-that-be telling its writer, director, and crew to go completely nuts. Since the 2016 film that shall not be named, the results have been uneven, with Wonder Woman, Shazam, and Joker's mostly-thumbs-up results being balanced out by the stink of Suicide Squad, Justice League, and Aquaman.
Birds of prey dc movie#
The other upcoming DC movie we have to look forward to is The Batman, but given that movie is set in the 1980s, nothing from Harley Quinn's solo venture should impact it.īirds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is now playing in cinemas.Slowly and doggedly, DC Comics' filmmaking division has been crawling back to relevance. Since Birds of Prey saw Harley literally blow her relationship up, it's not a stretch to imagine she wouldn't want to work with her ex.Īnd, we have to be honest, Harley's a better win for The Suicide Squad than Joker. It feels very much like a standalone movie, and even Harley's past is explained in a way that means Suicide Squad is optional viewing at best.Īs for The Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey will likely be relevant, considering two factors: Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is part of The Suicide Squad cast, but Jared Leto's Joker is not. It also ties into wider DC Comics plotlines like Black Canary's past. The marketing department is clearly having fun with referencing other pop-culture mainstays, too. Birds of Prey does have nods to other DC movie moments and characters, like Batman teased in the trailer.
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