Birds of Prey, Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, Harley Quinn & The Birds of Prey or whatever name it is going by the time you read this was a very decisive movie. I went into this expecting to like it as I was one of the few who enjoyed Suicide Squad (2016) and thought that Margot Robbie was great as Harley so I was excited to see her shine on her own.
How to Stream or Download Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
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The Movie Review
The movie takes place after the events of Suicide Squad, but it never really discusses that. Joker has dumped Harley and she is upset, angry, and ready to lash out. She blows up the chemical plant where she was “born” as a sign of her getting over the Joker. This puts a target on her back though as people left her alone as she was Jokers girl.
The real meat and potatoes of the story is about a girl named Cass who is being hunted by the crazy Black Mask who is played by Euan McGregor. Harley takes Cass under her wing and decides to protect her from Black Mask who also has it in for Harley Quinn! McGregor is a riot as Black Mask and while he may not be 100 percent comic book accurate, it is easily looked past as he is so much fun in the role.
One character I could not look past was Victor Zsasz who was played by Chris Messina. Zsasz in this movie is one of the worst comic book to live-action transitions I have ever experienced. His portrayal is just freaking horrible and by far the thing I hated most about this movie. We already had an awesome Zsasz in the TV show Gotham as well as the Arkham video games.
The other main characters are Detective Montoya played by Rosie Perez, Huntress played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Black Canary played by Jurnee Smollett these ladies eventually make up the “Birds of Prey. When the casting was announced I thought that Winstead was a great choice as Huntress, but they changed and tinkered too much and I was left a tad disappointed.
Many people are split down the middle on this movie, you either love it or hate it. I do not think it is as bad as many people make out, but it is not exactly an amazing movie either. The movie has a few funny moments, but the story is just kind of all over the place. I get that Harley as a character can be all over the place, but it is like something is missing.
I do think that this is a movie worth watching. Just go into it with low expectations and think of it as a popcorn movie and nothing more. Getting to see Margot Robbie as Harley is once again fun, but I much preferred the way she was in Suicide Squad over this. So give it a watch, but do not expect to be blown away.
