The second trailer debuted and my faith in this film plummeted even more.
Thinking that maybe trailer # 2 would focus on the Birds was obviously wishful thinking. It was once again the Harley Show.
**Sigh**
And Warner Bros. has done a ridiculously bad marketing job.
How can the same studio that gave us spectacularly thrilling marketing campaigns for 1-a film that ended up being so bad (
Suicide Squad) and 2- a flim that ended being so good (
Wonder Woman) fumble so badly at marketing this movie?
There was barely anything on TV, the two trailers were
meh at most and pretty much looked like rejected ideas from the Suicide Squad marketing sessions. There was never any intent of introducing the other Birds to the general public. It was evident that Warner Bros, thought that "It's Margot Robbie playing Harley Quinn!" was enough of a hook.
Oh well.
So I went to see the film today with an open mind (but at the same time skeptical as ****) and...something miraculous happened.
The film actually drew me in from the first frame.
Margot was EXCELLENT. She was not a sexy cardboard cutout like she was in SS; her personality was fleshed out and her deliriously demented psyche explored; not in a profound way, but as much as a escapist blockbuster can.
And then...something even more miraculous happened: the other Birds actually had stuff to do.
The film actually shared the screen substantially with Black Canary, Renee Montoya, Huntress, and Cassandra.
And it was awesome.
Don't get me wrong, the film is still a star vehicle for Margot Robbie...but I was surprised at how well the other ladies stories were explored.
Now, I know that it is sad that anyone would be pleasantly surprised that a film called "Birds of Prey" had the Birds of Prey actually do stuff, but come on...the way Hollywood works, I truly thought this would be 95 % the Harley show and then 5 % spread among the other 4 women.
It is not, and I am SO ****ING GLAD it is not.
And it is a GREAT film.
It is funny, it is fun, it has bone-crunching action ---often literally-- and I would say wholeheartedly that it probably has the most amount of actual action scenes versus total running time of any CBM out there.
And incredibly (despite all those action sequences)...
it actually has decent characterization (with not just broad strokes but with many tiny moments that illuminate each of these women's character).
I was ready to hate this film (because I am a huge Birds of Prey-starring-Oracle-Huntress-and-Black Canary fan and because I am NOT the biggest Harley fan in the world)...but I actually was elated at everything that happened onscreen.
I am still processing how the **** I ended up LOVING a movie that I was ready to hate.
Now this brings me to another point: I am baffled by the studio's decision to make this an R.
Harley Quinn became a huge hit with teenagers thanks to SS (she still is)...
Why limit the film's potential audience with an R? Harley is Joker-adjacent and Batman-adjacent, and we all know that Joker just grossed a billion dollars with an R rating, and Batman films are always gigantic...but Harley is no Joker or Batman.
Yes, she is popular, but she ain't that popular.
NOTHING in this film needed an R-rating.
Sure, there were some gory scenes and
the main villain's comeuppance is gruesome...
but all of that could have been conveyed without an R.
Like literally, Robbie has said that since Harley narrates the film (which is from her POV), the manic, psychopathic mindframe of Harley could only be conveyed through an R, and I call that BS.
The stylistic flourishes that director Cathy Yan chose that, in my opinion, perfectly captured what I imagine Harley's mindframe is had ZERO to do with gore or blood or F-bombs.
They were awesome stylistic flourishes in my opinion, but all of them could be made in a PG-13 movie.
I mention all this because the movie seems to be underpeforming overseas and in the US, and tracking and early numbers indicate that it will open even lower than
Shazam's opening weekend.
And yes, I know this film cost 97-ish million "only," which is a pittance by blockbuster superhero movie standards.
Obviously, this doesn't need to gross a billion dollars to be considered a success.
And I know that Shazam is considered an underperformer and is still getting a sequel.
But we all know that Hollywood has double standards for female-centric action films versus male-centric action films.
This NEEDS to be a hit.
I NEED THIS to be a hit because I am IN LOVE with this film and with how these women were portrayed, how they interacted with each other, and how they ended up kicking so much ass when joining forces.
I most certainly want a BOP 2, and the comics have such a wealth of stories they could adapt.
I'd love to see someone like Vixen intoduced in a potential BOP2, and I would love to see the Birds fight Lady Shiva and Cheshire.
Oh well, I can dream...
Edit to add:
Please go see this film.
Please.
Help that sequel happen...
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Birds of Prey-Harley Quinn
