Title: Birds of Prey

Director: Cathy Yan

Released: February 7, 2020

Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes

Watched via: Streaming on HBOMAX

IMDb synopsis: After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroines Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.

I remember seeing Birds of Prey when it first came to streaming. The general consensus seemed to be that it was a lower-tier DC film. I disagreed then and disagree even more so after rewatching it for the first time. Margot proved in Suicide Squad that she could carry her own in the role of Harley Quinn, so I was excited to see her get her own movie.

Birds of Prey is bright, flashy, and a lot of fun. Not only do we get a story that helps to establish Harley Quinn as a main player in the DCEU, but she’s also surrounded by a cast that elevates her while carrying their own as well.

Jurnee Smollett as Black Canary made me want to see a Black Canary film. In what might be my favorite role of hers since Ramona Flowers, we get Mary Elizabeth Winstead as The Huntress. Rosie Perez and Chris Messina turn in great performances as well, but Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis fully commits to the over-the-top persona of the role and does his best to try and steal the show.

Margot Robbie really grabs the role of Harley Quinn by the horns here and just has fun with it. The humor mixed and action sequences mixed with Robbie’s ability to go through the full range of Harley’s emotions helped to make Birds of Prey an upper tier DC film that gets bonus points for trying something different and taking chances.

But, what about you? What are your thoughts on Birds of Prey (2020)? Let me know in the comments below or you can tell me on social media!

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So, what are we doing next? Well, I think this will be the last Margot Robbie filmography watch through installment of 2022. I’ll pick it back up in January and will decide in late December what the film will be.

Between now and then though, I’ll be giving updates of my progress in the yearlong T&BA scavenger hunt challenge, I’ll give a review of one of my recent non-Margot Robbie watches, and December will kick-off with a Top 10 of favorite holiday movies.

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Title: Suicide Squad

Director: David Ayer

Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes

Watched via: HBOMAX

IMDb synopsis: A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.

If you came here and expected me to bring a fresh take with this one, I apologize in advance. Everything that one could possibly say about this movie has already been said, both the good and the bad.

I will say though, even after a rewatch, I don’t think this is anywhere near as bad as some claim it to be. Is it a mess? Absolutely. But, it is a fun mess. Could we have done without Boomerang (Jai Courtney) and benefited from a larger focus on Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)? One thousand percent, yes. There is plenty to enjoy about this movie though.

Jared Leto is an incredibly polarizing actor. There seems to be no one who says, “Yeah, he isn’t bad.”. I tend to fall into the camp who enjoys his work but can also call a dud a dud (looking at you, Paolo Gucci). While the portrayal of Joker he gives us is over the top in a bizarre way, isn’t that what the Joker is supposed to be? I’m not saying he should have won awards, but credit for trying something different with it.

Will Smith as Deadshot did a fair amount of heavy lifting throughout this movie. Say what you will about him after “the slap”, but the guy can act. The wit that he brings to the character helps save a fair number of the scenes he’s in. And when he needs to come across as the caring father, he flips a switch and goes full The Pursuit of Happyness.

But who are we kidding? The real MVP of Suicide Squad (2016) is the one and only Margot Robbie. As we have been working our way through her filmography, she has had a few somewhat prominent roles. However, none of them come close to her performance here. Talk about a coming out party. She is easily one of the best comic book to silver screen adaptations. You could sit and fantasy recast a lot of characters in the DC universe but you would be hard pressed to come up with someone better to play the role of Harley Quinn. Whether she loves it or hates it, Margot Robbie will always be known for this role.

Yes, there is a supposed Ayer cut of the film that exists. Would I watch it if it were ever released? I absolutely would. But you won’t catch me being all toxic cultish fanbase about it. If it comes out, great. If it doesn’t, hey at least we found positives in this one.

Where do you stand on Suicide Squad (2016)? Do you love it? Can’t stand it? Let me know what you think in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

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So what is up next? Well, next up in the Margot Robbie filmography watch through will be 2017’s I, Tonya. Currently, I, Tonya is available to stream on Hulu.

But that’s not all. Since we are now in October, that means it is prime time for all things scary. I am going to try my best to bring a weekly review of a recent horror movie I have watched starting this week. This will most likely begin with the new Hellraiser. I will also be keeping you updated on my progress in the #150DaysOfHorror challenge as we approach the finish line.

Do you have any favorites that you plan to rewatch for Halloween this month? Is there anything new coming out that you are excited to see?

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Before I dive into the trailer, a quick crash course on who the Black Adam character (created by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck) is. Once known as “Mighty Adam”, he became corrupted by his own powers and is now an archenemy of Shazam. A more in-depth backstory directly from DC’s website:

“One of the world’s foremost wielders of magic, Black Adam has been both hero and villain over a life that’s spanned thousands of years. Thousands of years before Billy Batson became a magically empowered hero, the wizard Shazam selected another champion. Teth-Adam or “Mighty Adam” began as a hero of humanity, but then allowed his power to corrupt his ideals and desires. Now labeled Black Adam, he was exiled by Shazam, but returned in the modern day. A frequent enemy to Earth’s heroes, Black Adam believes he is the right person to lead humanity and any action he takes is necessary for the greater good.”

Now let’s dive into the trailer…

We open with Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan) pointing out to Adam (Dwayne Johnson) that his powers have brought him nothing but heartache. From there, Adam gives us a brief history of his past and how he got to where he is. The rest of the trailer is multiple scenes of Adam not putting up with anything from anyone. Dr. Fate reminds Adam that he can be either the destroyer or savior of this world…but which will he choose?

Yes, on the surface it looks like another run of the mill superhero move. While superhero fatigue is easy to succumb to, “lesser known” characters getting their time to shine goes a long way to keep said fatigue at bay. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson seems like a good fit for this role and I am curious to see how he handles a darker character such as Adam.

Overall, the trailer seemed to show a lot while not revealing too much of what is to come. But it did do enough to pique my interest even more so than the DC FanDome reveal back in 2021.

Black Adam will also feature Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Hawkman (Aldis Hodge). Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Black Adam is scheduled to soar into theaters October 21st.

What were your thoughts after seeing the first trailer? Did it hype you up for the film? Did it have the opposite affect? Let me know in the comments below or on social media!

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