Plot Summary: After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.
Director: Cathy Yan
Writer: Christina Hodson
Runtime: 1 hour 49 mins
Main Cast:
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli / The Huntress
Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance / Black Canary
Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain
Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis
Review by: Chris F
Its been a few months since DC's self-serious Joker changed the conversation of how we view comic book movies and years since we last saw his old flame Harley Quinn on the big screen. I was impressed when I saw Margot Robbie completely lose herself in the character in Suicide Squad but I wished the film had been worth the time. Now on her own and separated or some can argue, weighed down, she leads the charge in a movie as colorful, fun, and occasional messy as she is.
Harley Quinn has finally broken up with the Joker, and she isn’t taken it well. Newly single Harley finds herself aimless while still enjoying the benefits and protections of being linked to the clown prince of crime. After making a dramatic turn and publicly announcing her new single status in an explosive way she becomes a target. One of the people with their sights on Quinn is gangster Roman Sionis played with a devilish glee by Ewan McGregor who has many reasons to want to take advantage of her singleness. Wrapped up in a hunt for a diamond Harley is stuck caring for a young thief, Cassandra Cain while being on the run from Sionis’ henchmen, a determined cop, and an assassin out for revenge, Harley and the movie, have a lot to deal with.
What I Liked:
Margot Robbie is Harley Quinn in the same way Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. I cannot imagine another actress taking on the character. Robbie embodies Quinn’s unique mix of chaos and charm without taking it into annoying territory. Even though the sometimes overused voiceover, Harley beams with an insane glee m as she speaks. I often surprised at how similar she felt to the classic animated version of the character. Even down with her fighting style, using acrobatics, hammers and bats everything about her moves felt like Harley. This extends even when she has those moments of vulnerability when she is thinking about the Joker, she shows the range of emotions of someone going through a messy breakup.
Though she carried the film well, the supporting cast did more than enough to stand out. Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary was a nice surprise, giving a unique spin on the comic character while still showing off her acting prowess. Rosie Perez bought her tough lady cop persona from Pineapple Express and hammed it up (in a good way) as a fun knock on the stereotypical movie cop. Most surprising was Ewan McGregor as the main villain Roman Sioni, also known as Black Mask. The amount of fun McGregor has with this character is intoxicating. Playing the character as a spoiled brat that can cry at betrayal but also enjoys watching people get their faces cut off, it’s tough to figure which way he will go. It leads to some surprisingly intense moments that show off his mean streak. That attitude mixed with the characters’ lavish and ridiculous attire, Black Mask was a hell of a good time whenever he was on screen. I hope they find a way to squeeze him in someone else in the DC Universe because I want more. On a smaller level, due to her limited screen time, the huntress played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead adds a really clever twist to her cliche-filled, revenge-seeking character. I don’t want to spoil her character gimmick, but she has a nice mix of funny and badass moments.
Having this fun have little to do with the continuity of the DCEU allows it not to be bogged down by unrealistic stakes. This is a world that’s fantastical but also grounded which works for its story and its action. This version of Gotham feels less like a collection of random lifeless American cities, but one that is alive and full of life while at the same time aged and haunted. The contrast between the hustle and color of the city during the day and the foggy eerieness of setting of the final act create a Gotham that Is much more interesting than it has been in a long time. That final act location calling back to both the comics and the look of the Burton films.
This mix of the fantastic and the real also makes a great impression on the action. Fight scenes are inventive and borrow some elements from the John Wick, Atomic Blonde era of action. Less CGI and more crunch and pain in its violence without relying on gore. The final set piece especially is one of the most inventive due to its location and use of the characters’ strengths. It reminded me of a smaller version of the first Avengers fight in New York in how the camera would follow each fighter before bringing back together for a great group brawl that highlights each of the women.
What I Didn’t Like:
Though a good fit for the character and themes, some of the nonliberal storytelling ruined the pacing at times. The first act is kinda a mess as the film tries to do a lot with a little time. Thankfully it’s handled with care; with many of the scenes tying into each other nearly, it didn’t always serve the story in the way I think it was intended.
Though the cast was great, the pure volume of good characters caused some people to get the short end of the stick. Characters like Black Canary, though enjoyable, had little in terms of clear defined motivation and moved basically because the plot put them there. I would’ve liked more times with the birds of prey individually but I know for the run time it wouldn’t be possible. I really hope we get a Black Canary and Huntress spin-off with the same leads.
As much as I liked the isolated nature of the film, it’s hard for me not to think “where is Batman” in all of this. It’s weird seeing a city so rooted in its hero like Gotham have a story with events so explosive that Batman isn’t even alluded to. It’s minor, but I felt that was odd considering there is a suicide squad shoutout. Just a mention would’ve made me feel better, but I’m sure there are Easter eggs in there. Also, Harley Quinn has a hyena in this movie and it only eats one guy and doesn’t have any plot significance, that is a crime. The hyena named Bruce deserved a more fleshed our arc and at least 3 more guys to eat.
8/10
Summary
It’s not easy making a movie about a character so chaotic and so tied to an icon but The Emancipation of Harley Quinn manages to tell a story true to the character while allowing that character to justify being a lead. Margot Robbie IS Harley Quinn and giving her a colorful adventure like this is a step in the right direction to continue DC’s streak of solid and fun superhero flicks. A bit too messy for its own good, much like its titular lead, moves a bit too erratically and tries to juggle too much, it wins you over with charm, some great acting, and some really solid action. Here’s hoping we get more of the Birds of Prey and I can’t wait to see more of Margot Robbie developing this version of Harley. Just thinking about this Harley meeting Poison Ivy in this universe has me way too giddy.
