Review of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) by Xavierdhjane — 28 Mar 2020

I don't want to mock anyone with my review, so I'll be transparent and give some consideration here. This is exceptionally poor quality for 100 years of film. It feels like Margot Robbie took the character a bit too far from who she is.

If you're a fan of Harley in the comics(though she was created on Batman Animated Series) and like her in Suicide Squad - don't watch this. I can deal with feminism, (even the heavy stuff) after all it was men who created this character and men who appreciate her just like Wonder Woman.

The problem lies in what seems to be Margot Robbie's ,"vision," for a female archtype anti-hero. This is just not the character to do it with. As we all know, Harley doesn't set out to be the ,"bad girl taking on bad guys.

" She becomes an excellent hero without the help of Suicide Squad, or reflection on the Joker. A true hero, and dare I say one of the greatest of all time. This film makes it about Harley having more than a series of moments where as an ordinary woman she was abused, rejected, and oppressed just because.

It makes no sense, and the flashbacks should have been cut completely. The female heroes of this film are displayed counter to their origin and their comic literature. This is nothing more than a Novella or a Lifetime movie.

I expect much better from Margot Robbie given her stellar performances so far and I respect her acting chops. The production in this film is so low bar, it feels like a high school musical with dirty closeups and unusual sexual exploitation followed up as ,"I shot you," and ,"no I shot you first," by children with a kung fu fetish.

As a man, I generally enjoy a fantasy utilizing my favorite female leads with wild female characters. This gave me uncomfortable feelings for how Margot Robbie picks and chooses when to be sexy or when to project feminine superiority.

Given a society with multiple genders being recognized, where was the inclusivity as well? There's some gay representation but no trans, queer, or queer racial. From a right wing standpoint, this movie is offensive.

From a left wing standpoint, this movie is difficult to watch, boring, misogynistic and exploitative given the #metoo and makes no attempt to rectify those shortcomings. If I was a woman and watched this, I would be offended.

This is not just cringe despite what others have said. I've seen far worse. But this is a terrible way to turn the lights off. What is this film about? Broken white girl rescue operation? I even liked Suicide Squad and was excited to see a Harley film.

This is not what I was hoping for from such a beloved example of perseverance. A beloved character that men celebrate just as much as Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman has only recently become a feminist(for some as most women disagree with her character) project and has always been coveted by men as a true hero.

To see yet another DC character just misused and given away to an actor without oversight is a pity. I feel the cast leaned too hard on the idea of being badass chicks instead of badass heroes with a soul and a purpose.

Redemption. This is just an awful film. Truly awful.