Birds of Prey: and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

a Cathy Yan film

Plot (Spoiler Alert)

Harley Quinn has just gone through a break up recently, with the Joker. Harley has caused nothing but trouble since she and the clown became a couple. Everyone either wants her dead or locked up. Harley was apart of a team once, the Suicide Squad. She manages to find herself being apart of a new group, an all girls group.



Blaine: When filmmaker David Ayer started putting together “Suicide Squad” he already knew who he wanted to play Harley Quinn and that was Margot Robbie. Margot never had to audition for the part, it was just given to her like that. I believe the reason is because Margot Robbie’s looks have the right quality to Harley Quinn in live action. Harley Quinn was a stranger to Margot Robbie in the beginning. She didn’t know a thing about Harley, other than she was a character in the DC comic books. After Margot got the job, she spent a lot of time getting to know the character by reading the Harley Quinn comic books. The more comic books Margot read the more she knew about who Harley Quinn is. Now Margot Robbie is a Harley Quinn expert. Another thing Margot Robbie didn’t know was that Harley Quinn was a popular character. It wasn’t until she was promoting “Suicide Squad” at Comic-Con and seeing fans dressed up as Harley Quinn that Margot realized that this character was iconic. Margot managed to succeed in bringing a traditional Harley Quinn through her performance. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn stole the show in “Suicide Squad”.

Margot is a huge fan of action movies with a female group, like “Charlie’s Angels”, and she couldn’t understand why there wasn’t more films like that. While Margot was doing her research on Harley Quinn, she also came across the “Birds of Prey” comic books and they were about a team of women who can fight and Margot fell in love with them just as much as she fell in love with Harley. Margot thought she could use Harley to get one of her dream projects.

While “Suicide Squad” was filming, Margot went to the executives at Warner Bros. suggesting they do “Birds of Prey” next and they were okay with that. Harley Quinn became very popular when “Suicide Squad” was released and became one of the highlights of Margot’s career. Warner Bros. really wanted to make “Birds of Prey” now that fans were screaming for more Harley Quinn. Margot was already on top of things before “Suicide Squad” was released. Margot met a screenwriter named Christina Hodson and she thought Christina was the perfect screenwriter for “Birds of Prey”. The two of them became buddies and did everything together as the script was in works. Like Margot, Christina was no comic book expert in the beginning. Christina went through tons and tons of Harley Quinn and “Birds of Prey” comic books with Margot. Margot would tell Christina what she wanted to see in “Birds of Prey”. Margot was thinking like a fan on that one.

Margot Robbie and Warner Bros. spent so much time in finding the right director. Cathy Yan came in to be interviewed for the director’s job. Cathy started off as a journalist, she wanted to be in the film business and she said it took a while for her to believe she could be a director. Cathy made a few short films and an independent film and now she is moving up to big budget blockbusters after being hired to direct “Birds of Prey”. It’s a huge responsibility to be directing a movie that cost millions just to get made, especially when it’s your first time doing it. Cathy Yan managed to get some tips about directing a big action movie from Patty Jenkins, director of “Wonder Woman”. Patty told Cathy to just be confident, remind yourself that you’re in charge and you can do anything in your own creative way. Cathy also couldn’t do this alone without the help of the stunt coordinator to explain how the action sequences should work. Cathy also got a lot of support from Margot Robbie. Margot saw something unique in Cathy, which is why she thought she was best for the job. Another thing about being involved in directing “Birds of Prey” was being apart of a tribe that shows females can direct. The actresses wanted to do this movie so they could work with a female director. So Cathy was standing for something.

Margot Robbie wanted there to be a lot more action in “Birds of Prey” compared to “Suicide Squad” because they were slow in that movie. Margot thought the best way to do that was have “Birds of Prey” be rated R because if you want extreme action an R rating is the best way to do that at times. There’s a lot stunt work that was put into “Birds of Prey” and as you are watching the movie you are really seeing those women kick serious ass. The actresses did six or eight months of stunt training and by the time principal photography began they were ready to do anything. They did a lot of their own stunt work. Their stunt coordinator was a great guide in teaching them all these useful fighting moves. Harley would just swing a bat around in “Suicide Squad”. Harley is really showing what she is made of in “Birds of Prey”. It’s almost like she’s in “The Matrix”. Harley is moving all over the place when it comes to the action sequences. She’s big on breaking legs.



The women of “Birds of Prey” are brought together through a connection and Harley Quinn explains the details as she narrates the story. Harley makes sure everyone is caught up with what’s happening and who the other women are. As you are focussed on one thing, Harley will stop things unexpectedly just to explain something that was missing. Harley makes sure the audience understands what’s going on and makes sure they are caught up with things.

Having a rough life is what makes you the bad guy in the first place and Harley has had things rough in her life, even before she became a villain. But look at the bright side, it’s the things in life that have made Harley the bad ass she is now. I mean the woman is able to take on several cops in a police station by herself. She’s like the Terminator in that scene. Harley Quinn always brightens up because even though things are miserable for her, she is full of life and sees things in a fun way. Same goes for the rest of the women in “Birds of Prey”. Life hasn’t been fare to them, but they’ve managed to stay strong and find solutions for their problems.

Harley Quinn was obsessed with the Joker because he was the love of her life. The breakup wasn’t easy on Harley, but if there is one thing Harley loves just as much as the Joker, it’s an egg sandwich. It helps take her mind off all her troubles. But when someone messes with her egg sandwich then there’s nothing to take the pain away. Screenwriter Christina Hodson and Margot Robbie would share a lot of meals together while the script was in works and they would discuss with each other what to eat each time. Christine would ask what Harley’s favorite food should be and Christine remembered when she was living in New York, she would always have a two dollar egg sandwich that she loved so much. So Christine put a piece of herself into Harley Quinn. Christine even explained how an egg sandwich is truly made in the script because she payed attention to every step that sandwich was being made.

Everyone is after a young lady, Cassandra, and the reason is because she has stolen a priceless jewel from Black Mask. Everyone is after Harley as well because she has done a lot of things that have pissed people off. She has broken a record for doing bad things to people. No one would lay a finger on Harley before because she was with the Joker, which made her his most prized possession. And if you mess with a mob boss’ girl, you are in for it. But now that they have broken up, she’s on her own and is worth nothing. But she can still be untouchable as long as she can fight. Harley’s no quitter. She manages to figure out a way to get herself out of whatever situation. She’s also very observant. Harley also has a few tricks up her sleeves.

What Harley and Cassandra have in common is family issues. Harley was abandoned twice in her life. She explains in the beginning how her father sold her to someone, and that guy gave her to the church. Harley really thought she found happiness when she met the Joker, but even he wasn’t perfect. Cassandra, she hangs around the streets taking stuff that doesn’t belong to her, including the diamond. She’s really fast and sneaky with her hangs. Harley sees something in Cassandra that she doesn’t see in anyone else. Of course, Harley sees a lot of things in certain people, but each in a different way. I mean she has worked with a lot of people who have certain and interesting skills or abilities. But anyway, Cassandra reminds Harley of herself when she was her age. They’re both misfits.

Black Canary and Huntress have had family problems too, only for them it’s loss. Everyone knows Cassandra and she’s what brings these women together, except for Huntress. What brings Huntress to the team is different. Huntress lost her entire family after a mob boss had them killed. Huntress devoted her life to revenge. She went after every single guy who shot her family dead, starting with the mob boss. Black Mask’s top man was one of the men responsible for the murder of Huntress’ family and he goes after Casandra, and that’s how Huntress is brought in.

Renee has no family issues. All she has in life is her job and she devotes herself to being on the force. She does so much and works harder than any other cop on the force. Renee is after Harley after causing an explosion, but Harley keeps slipping her way through Renee. It’s like a Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd thing where Renee is Elmer Fudd and Harley is Bugs Bunny. As much as it bothers Renee that Harley keeps getting away, still she is not her number one target. Renee has been wanting to take down Black Mask for a while and she is doing everything she can to find a way to do that. Renee may not have any family, but even she can develop relationships with certain people. Renee and Black Canary know each other pretty well, almost like a family thing. Renee knew Black Canary’s mother and she was a crime fighter. Jurnee Smollett-Bell, the actress who plays Black Canary, said she takes after her mom, but she is trying to be her own person and not follow in anyone else’s footsteps. Black Canary does have heart though and she is working as Renee’s undercover rat inside Black Mask’s gang. So they’re close.

Black Canary has a talent and that is screaming so loud it would cause a lot of damage like a twister would. You could also go depth if you stand too close to her when she screams. But Black Canary doesn’t need a secret weapon to take anyone down all time, only for emergencies. She can kick ass, so she doesn’t need powers to protect herself. As a matter of fact, Black Canary is the only one in the group who is a super powered being. The rest are just human. But everyone has a special talent. Huntress has a good aim, Renee keeps pulling herself back up after going down and Cassandra is good with her hands. There is something these women have in common and that is they all know how to fight.

Harley Quinn has two pet hyaenas in the comics, but they only could afford one for “Birds of Prey”, and that’s not a real hyaena, it’s a visual effect. It’s amazing because that hyaena is so life like, it doesn’t look like an effect at all. I guess the technology that was put into the animal effects in the live action version of “The Lion King” helped the hyaena effect for “Birds of Prey”. The hyaena may be fake, but it takes more than one person to give that thing life, which is why it cost so much just to have one in the film. Tons of digital artists put a lot of work into creating a hyaena and applying several details to it. “Birds of Prey” is more about the stunt work than the visual effects, but that hyaena effect is really impressive. If there’s going to be another “Birds of Prey” movie, Margot hopes they can afford two hyaenas.



The villain is male, and it’s better for the girls to go up against a guy because “Birds of Prey” is about women coming together and showing team work. A lot of them despise men. Joker is the biggest crime lord in Gotham, and the villain of “Birds of Prey”, Black Mask, is a crime lord too and Black Mask and Joker have had a few issues with each other. Of course there are two things they have in common, being dangerous and insane, only with Joker it’s humor and Black Mask is the serious type. Black Mask has an army of his men go up against five women, but they are in Harley’s house now and these women are unstoppable.

A lot of men have treated Harley poorly and the last one she trusted sold her off. He was very kind to Harley and he was the last man who proved that not all men are jerks, but now Harley sees the truth, that all men are the same.

Now that they are putting their differences aside and working as a team, Harley treats Renee as a friend. Harley even saves Renee’s life by giving her a bullet proof vest. At one point, while the team is showing what girl is all about, Huntress makes sure Cassandra doesn’t see too much of the violence like she did when her family was killed right in front of her eyes. Huntress is all about violence, but when it comes to kids she likes to be protective. Renee and Black Canary do the same with Cassandra. The women who surround Cassandra fight for her and they’re not going down that easy. Harley almost sold Cassandra off. Everyone was making things worse for Harley than they already are. They destroyed her sanctuary and she became sick and tired of everyone making her life a living hell. Harley just wants some peace and she’ll do anything to get it, even if she has to give up the person she has developed a bond with. I said Harley Quinn is no quitter, but she did almost quit at one point. But all is forgiven when Harley goes through so much to get Cassandra back after being taken by Black Mask. Black Mask goes out with a bang, literally. And Harley learns to never turn her back on friends again, otherwise she will be no different from the people who treated her like she was nothing.

Renee’s case is finished now that Black Mask is no more, but no one at the police station knows what incredible things Renee did. Of course Renee doesn’t care whether they know or not because she had never felt more alive when she fought side by side with a group who treats her with respect. Renee rather work with them than a bunch of douchebags who don’t recognize or appreciate her.

Harley goes her separate ways from the rest of the gang and takes Cassandra with her. Being involved in an all girls group was nice for Harley, but I guess she still thinks of herself as an outsider, plus she’ll be rejoining the Suicide Squad team in “The Suicide Squad”, written and directed by James Gunn. She also has Cassandra to look after like she’s her little sister.

There’s something at the very end, after the end credits are over, but only for seven seconds. Harley Quinn finishes her narration by revealing she knows who Batman really is, but gets caught off before getting a chance to say the name. “Birds of Prey” became everything Margot Robbie had hoped to be. It was also great for the other women to be working with each other on a project that involved a lot of women, from the director, to the screenwriter, to the ensemble.

My rating on “Birds of Prey” is five out of five stars.