Birds of Prey (DVD)

MY DAUGHTERS FAVORITE MOVIE THANK YOU

Great movie!

I love this movie, and I don't think I can express how delighted it makes me.As one of many who was immensely disappointed in the 2016 movie Suicide Squad, Harley getting her own movie was a redemption I was thrilled for (without Jarred Letto, thank goodness! No offense to him as an actor, but if I never see him in the role of Joker again, my life will be better for it. Though I can't say it was necessarily an enjoyable movie, Joaquin Phoneix was a fantastic cast in the genuinely excellent 2019 Joker film).It's fun, it's punky, and it'll full of that uniquely Harley Quinn energy that we love so much from the comics. I loved the colors, I loved the music, and god, I loved those action scenes.I made the mistake of re-watching this not even a day prior to watching Wonder Woman 1984 (would not recommend it). If you thought DC's tendency to make their battle scenes overly floaty and awkward with CGI was already bad, boy, will it hit you in the face again after the great breath of fresh air that was the energy and natural, fluid motion in Birds of Prey.I'll avoid spoilers, but there's a particular scene near the end involving roller skates that's just great fun to witness.This movie is a fantastic break from DC's usual disappointments (I love DC as much as the next person, and as someone who loves DC, I know that you know it has plenty of problems both on the big screen and in comics). Harley deserved a better go of it than the previous Suicide Squad movie gave her, and with this movie, she got it.Notable Downsides:(For the film)Okay, Cassandra Cain, my favorite Black Bat... She did get something of a retcon for this movie. I didn't even realize the girl Ella Jay Basco played was, in fact, the Batfam's own Cass until my second re-watch.But you know what, Ella still did a good job, and Cass as her own character in this movie was perfectly fine. It's only disappointing in the way it usually is when characters you love are changed up entirely - but like Hawkeye in the Marvel films, it's not poorly done.(For the product)As you can see in my attached photos, this DVD arrived pretty busted up. It arrived several days late AND damaged - one corner cracked almost completely off, and scuffs along the edges...The disks themselves appear fine, so it's not worth the hassle of returning, and my love for the film itself is what prevents me from knocking more than one star off this rating.Fair warning, though. If you're buying this DVD for a collection rather than just the want to have the movie on hand, you should probably buy it elsewhere. A damaged DVD case doesn't look too great on the mantle, you know?TLDR;- Movie is great. Buy it, watch it, love it.- DVD case arrived broken, but disks seem fine.

Cathy Yan’s 2020 film, “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn),” is the eighth film in the DC Extended Universe and a pseudo-sequel to 2016’s “Suicide Squad.” Harley Quinn (played again by Margot Robbie) acts as the film’s narrator, with the story beginning after her breakup from the Joker. She had been spending time in Roman Sionis/Black Mask’s (Ewan McGregor) club, where the psychotic crime boss ran his criminal empire. Quinn continually aggravated him, but her connection to the Joker kept her safe. Once the breakup is public, he decides to eliminate Harley. Meanwhile, though, he seeks a diamond belonging to the Bertinelli crime family that has bank account information laser-engraved on it. The only surviving Bertinelli, Helena (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), has been targeting Black Mask’s empire in her guise as The Huntress. Unfortunately, Cassanda Cain (Ella Jay Basco) stole the diamond, making her another target for Black Mask. Quinn tries to save the girl, retrieve the diamond, and save herself in the process. Black Mask’s singer, Dinah Lance/Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) similarly finds herself caught between her conscience and Black Mask, as she tries to inform the police while keeping as safe as possible. All four cross paths due to homicide detective Renee Montoya’s (Rosie Perez) investigation, eventually leading them to team up.Christina Hodson’s screenplay faithfully adapts some elements of Renee Montoya, Helena Bertinelli, and Black Mask’s stories, though the film primarily serves as a vehicle for Robbie’s Quinn. Though the DC Extended Universe films play fast and loose with comic book continuity, Hodson and Yan’s approach and overall effect both works for this film and keeps enough true-to-character to please most comic book fans. McGregor makes for a brilliant villain in a film full of characters with dubious moral compasses, chewing the scenes he’s in and recalling the best bombastic comic book villains. The other characters have just the right mix of humor and bravado to work as heroes and play off each other well while having distinct identities. Where David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad” tended to indulge in showing abuse, this film centers its protagonists without making the audience complicit or reveling in character’s abuse. It also manages to avoid directly showing Jared Leto’s Joker while still making clear the damage he’s done. Yan’s film also has a great sleek and stylized look that celebrates its comic book origins, matches Harley’s narration, and shows that the DC Extended Universe series is on secure footing after a rocky start. The action is great and the humor is superb, with a lot of heart under the surface. Hodson’s previous screenplay was for “Bumblebee,” further demonstrating her comic book movie writing skills. It will be interesting to see how Robbie’s Quinn builds on these events in James Gunn’s forthcoming follow-up, “The Suicide Squad.”The Blu-ray includes bonus features including an alternative visual look for the film that includes more of director Yan’s stylized elements. There’s also a gag reel, a making-of, a look at the fashion that helps define the look of the film, a behind-the-scenes look at the CGI for Harley’s hyena, a look at production design, an examination of villain Black Mask, and a look at Quinn’s use of roller derby to process her relationship with the Joker. It’s a fantastic film for Harley fans as well as being another excellent addition to the DC Extended Universe.