Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

The action-packed film “Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” directed by Cathy Yan, was released on Feb. 7. This film is essentially a sequel to “Suicide Squad” (2016) and follows Harley Quinn’s journey to antiheroism after her breakup with the Joker.

The film is based on the DC Comics team “Birds of Prey” which follows an all-female team of vigilantes around the world.

Margot Robbie nailed her performance as the quirky, tough and lovable Harley Quinn. The movie was styled in a Deadpool-esque manner. With Quinn narrating, she guides the audience through the story, having boldly colored names burst onto the screen as characters are introduced. 

The film was hilarious with a deeper meaning, working as a way to prove that women are bada– and don’t need men telling them what to do.

Quinn starts off by giving a thorough background on who she is, giving her character more depth than was provided in “Suicide Squad.” After her breakup with the Joker she is, of course, distraught, but then realizes that a lot of people in Gotham are after her now that she doesn’t have his protection.

This leads her on an epic journey where she joins forces with Huntress, Black Canary and a cop as they fight to keep a troubled child protected from the villain, Roman.

Ewan McGregor’s performance as the childish and psychotic Roman was terrifying and comedic at the same time.

Watching Quinn and the other women discover how they are independent, capable people who don’t need men taking credit or using them was inspirational.

Overall Review: With a fun soundtrack and exciting action, the film was entertaining to say the least. While the violence was intense, the message of women empowerment showed through and gave the film a strong backbone. I highly recommend this movie to anyone needing a good laugh and who likes action, independence and unstoppable women.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu