“Birds of Prey” Movie Review

    Harley Quinn was without a doubt the breakout character of “Suicide Squad” so it seemed like a no brainer for Warner Bros. to bring her back for another adventure.  As it turns out, Warner Bros. had several Harley Quinn projects in development with “Birds of Prey” just being the one to be made first.  With a more female driven film overall, would the film be able to find success with a different audience?

    The film takes place after the events of “Suicide Squad” and tells the story of Harley Quinn after the Joker breaks up with her.  A lot of people want to see Harley dead and without the Joker’s protection, a good chunk of Gotham aims to take her out, top of that list is Roman Sionis aka the Black Mask.  Black Mask has made some enemies of his own however in the form of Gotham City Detective Renee Montoya and trained assassin The Huntress.  After a young girl named Cassandra Cain steals a diamond from Roman and he places a price on her head, Roman’s driver Dinah Lance aka Black Canary warns Detective Montoya and ends up angering Black Mask as well.  With no choice but to join forces, Harley Quinn, The Huntress, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain must face down Black Mask and his gang once and for all.

    The first thing you should know is that “Birds of Prey” is more of a Harley Quinn movie as opposed to an adaptation of the Birds of Prey comic books.  Yes, the Huntress and Black Canary are present in the film (though we will get to that in a bit) but the key member of the Oracle is replaced with Harley Quinn.  I enjoy Harley Quinn but wish she wasn’t the main focus of a Birds of Prey movie.

    So, on the subject of Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie was once again fantastic in the role.  Robbie seems to have had more fun in the role this time around, no doubt due to the fact that she is more comfortable and confident in the role.  Robbie is so perfectly cast as ‘Mr. J’s Pudding’ that it would be hard to see anyone else in the role.  Unfortunately, even though Robbie leads a ‘female driven cast’, Robbie is the only actress whose character is given any development thus making her the only memorable character of the group.

    The supporting cast (and members of the Birds of Prey) is made up primarily of Mary Elisabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, and Ella Jay Basco.  Winstead is completely wasted as the Huntress.  Winstead is a great actress and the character of the Huntress is interesting in the comics but this film fails to capitalize on the actress or character.  Smollett-Bell does a good job as Black Canary but, like Winstead, isn’t given much to do to shine.  Rosie Perez has a few moments of levity but fails to steal any scenes.  The real breakout of the supporting cast is the young actress Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain.  Basco is funny and holds her own against her more seasoned co-stars.

    Although the cast is primarily female, the main villain of the film is played by a male.  Ewan McGregor once again delivers an excellent performance as Black Mask.  I left the film wishing his character had been given more screen time and development.  While I personally didn’t have a problem with it, I do wonder if making all the males in the movie evil and all the females ‘good’ might send the wrong message to the film’s primary demographic.

    The film had some surprisingly good action sequences.  Many of the action scenes are on par with the “John Wick” franchise (which isn’t a surprise since John Wick’s director Chad Stahelski helped choreograph and film parts of this film’s action shots).  Aside from the excellent fight scenes, the film was also legitimately funny at times and I found myself laughing out loud more than a few times.  Director Cathy Yan managed to craft a very unique, if sometimes uneven, film with a little something for everyone.

    “Birds of Prey” or “Birds of Prey (and the Fabtabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” as it’s officially titled isn’t a perfect movie but it is enjoyable and a must see for any Harley Quinn or Margot Robbie fans.  I appreciate the fact that this film takes some risks and is a different overall tone than “Suicide Squad” was.  While this isn’t the best film of the DCEU so far, it’s a fun side adventure until we see Harley Quinn return next year in James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad”.

Grade: B-

“Joker” Movie Review

    When “Joker” was first announced, I sort of wondered what the reasoning behind green lighting this film before other DC property was.  After reading that it was separate from the new DCEU and after watching the trailer, I understood “Joker” was envisioned as DC Comic’s prestige picture.  My suspicion was quickly verified when the film premiered at film festivals to praise and awards.  It seemed like critics were all going to love this film upon it’s release.  Things didn’t turn out so clear cut though.  While many critics still praised the film, some decided to take issue with the reflection it takes on society.  You can’t please everyone but with more and more critics (and some audience members) raising this criticism, I wondered how I would feel when I finally watched “Joker”.

    The film revolves around a man named Arthur Fleck who has multiple serious mental illnesses and is struggling to get by in Gotham City.  Arthur lives with his mother and dreams of making it as a standup comic but his crippling laughing disorder makes it impossible for him to succeed.  Arthur slowly descends into madness more and more as he tries to discover the truth about his father and his past in general.  As Arthur is pushed more and more, he is reborn into the iconic Joker we are all aware of.

    I sort of loved this movie far more than I expected I might, especially the third act, and I was pleasantly surprised by how sympathetic the film made the Joker seem.  What makes this film feel different is the realistic approach the filmmakers took in telling the story of a man suffering from a mental breakdown. Arthur Fleck’s descent into madness is both tragic and frightening.  It should also be noted that this film does not follow the comic books, since Joker has no official origin, but draws a lot of inspiration from “The Killing Joke” and “The Dark Knight Returns” graphic novels.

    I enjoyed the many themes of the film including class warfare and the importance of helping those suffering from mental illnesses and how issues like those can become intertwined.  The class warfare aspect seems especially timely in today’s troubled economic times.  I also appreciate how they approached the struggles of mental illness and how seriously they treated the subject matter.

    Of course a lot of the strength of the film came from the amazing performance of Joaquin Phoenix.  Phoenix elevates an already strong script into something akin to high art.  While I personally still feel Heath Ledger was the best Joker, Phoenix plays a different version of the character that is equally strong and definitely gives the late Ledger a run for his money. Phoenix is just fascinating to watch on screen.  I would be completely shocked if Joaquin Phoenix isn’t nominated for an Oscar for this role.

    As good as Phoenix was, he also had some great supporting actors around him.  Robert De Niro actually gave a great performance as Murray Franklin, a Johnny Carson like late night television host who Arthur sees as almost like a father figure.  De Niro’s addition to the cast was also perfect since much of the film was inspired by “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy” which both starred De Niro.  I really liked Frances Conroy as Arthur’s mother Penny.  Conroy gave a more restrained unhinged performance that is getting largely overlooked but I loved it.  I do want to mention that I liked Brett Cullen as Thomas Wayne but I think the original actor cast, Alec Baldwin, would have owned the role a little more.  Baldwin ended up passing on the role because he thought the role was too similar to his Donald Trump character on “Saturday Night Live”.

    I was surprised by how well Todd Phillips managed to craft this movie and I was completely blown away by his directing choices.  I was never a big fan of “The Hangover” films (although I have a soft spot in my heart for his “Starsky & Hutch” remake) so I didn’t expect a lot.  True to the influence, Phillips invokes Martin Scorsese unlike any one else I have seen recently.  I also liked the gritty feel of the film which reminded me of the Christopher Nolan “Dark Knight” trilogy.

    The film itself looked amazing with the cinematography and score being a highlight.  The film was beautifully shot and the string music gave it a slightly off putting feel.  All the foreshadowing and Easter eggs made the film extra special for fans of the Batman comic books.

    As a film lover, I enjoyed that the theater at the end was playing the movies “Excalibur” and “Zorro: The Gay Blade”.  “Zorro: The Gay Blade” is a nod to “The Mark of Zorro” which is the film young Bruce Wayne was watching with his parents the night his parents were killed.  It was also a comedic take on Zorro which seems fitting with this take on the Joker origin.  Lastly, “Excalibur” was the film featured in the opening credits of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”.  It could also be a reference to King Arthur seeing as the main character was Arthur and became the new king of crime by the time the film ends.

    “Joker” is a masterpiece and will likely change the way superhero or super villain films are told for years to come.  I can not recommend this movie more.  This film is the definition of ‘must see’.

Grade: A+

"Wonder Woman" Movie Review

    The DCEU has had a rough time with critics and audiences as a whole since it’s conception with “Man of Steel”.  While I very much enjoy the films of the DCEU and I think critics have been too hard on them compared to the films of Marvel, it’s clear these films are very polarizing and not everyone’s cup of tea.  It seems like the first exception to this came in the form of “Wonder Woman”.

    The adaptation of the popular comic book takes place in World War I as opposed to World War II as often depicted in the comic book character’s origin.  When an American pilot happens to crash off the shores of Themyscira, an island consisting of only women, Princess Diana rescues the young man named Steve Trevor and learns of the troubles going on outside of their island.  After being told to stay out of man’s conflicts, Diana decides she must do something and goes with Steve to help put an end to the war.  Diana ends up becoming the superhero Wonder Woman and kicks a lot of butt along the way.

    I know you are all wondering what my thoughts on the film were, or at least I humor myself thinking you do, and it’s probably what you would guess.  I really enjoyed the movie and felt it showcased a female led superhero movie in a positive and progressive way unlike other attempts before while still being entertaining.  “Elektra” and “Catwoman” weren’t exactly game changers.  Although the MCU has managed to stay one step ahead of DC for the most part on the movie front, “Wonder Woman” is the rare win and manages to beat their “Captain Marvel” movie out the gates in wonderful fashion.

    The film stars Gal Gadot reprising her role of Wonder Woman from “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and she makes her mark on the role.  While Gadot isn’t the first person to play Wonder Woman and she certainly won’t be the last, she manages to take the role down a more serious route than the likes of Lynda Carter.  Chris Pine manages to be among one of the bright spots of the film.  As Steve Trevor, Pine carries many of the film’s more emotional scenes and his arc manages to pull at the heart strings by the end.  The rest of the supporting cast also shine through most of their scenes.

    “Wonder Woman” is beautifully shot and many scenes will remain iconic for years to come.  It’s almost hard to believe the film wasn’t shot during World War I at times because it is so captivating and realistic.  The score for the film is also captivating and serves as a great companion piece to the cinematography.

    With all the praise I have given this film, I will say that I wish the film had a stronger villain.  The villain of the film is revealed to be that of Ares, the God of War.  Ares in the comic book is Wonder Woman’s main arch nemesis but comes off a bit weak in the film as opposed to a serious threat.

    Being the fourth film in the DCEU, “Wonder Woman” certainly proves to be a bit of a course correction and proves DC could be a serious rival to Marvel given some time.  With a strong female lead and a solid story, “Wonder Woman” is an absolute wonder!

Grade: A-

“Shazam!” Movie Review

    When this project was first announced, I was very excited about “Shazam!” because I knew how amazing it could be.  The comic book featuring the character is original and heartwarming.  Plus the prospect of DC expanding their film brand outside of proven commodities like Superman and Batman was a refreshing sign of faith in their own properties.

    The film follows a young foster child named Billy Batson who keeps running away from his foster homes in an attempt to find his biological mother.  After defending his current foster brother from bullies at school, Billy is teleported to a magical realm where a wizard named Shazam transfers his power to him.  The primary job of the wizard is to keep the seven deadly sins imprisoned.  Billy is challenged from the get go by Thaddeus Sivana.  As it turns out, Sivana was actually rejected by the wizard Shazam to be his champion which led Sivana on a quest to release the seven deadly sins.  Can Billy Batson stop him now that he is the new Shazam?  No spoilers from me.

    Now I can finally discuss my thoughts on the movie and I loved it!  It was everything I hoped it would be and more.  The film was both hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt at times.  “Shazam!” isn’t your typical superhero movie and works largely because of that.  At it’s core, “Shazam!” delivers pure wish fulfillment, which is why comic books were made in the first place.  What kid doesn’t dream of becoming a superhero?

    “Shazam!” has an interesting comic book history.  Before Marvel released their “Captain Marvel”, there was Fawcett Comics’ own Captain Marvel, the character later renamed “Shazam!”.  In the original comics, Shazam was the name of the wizard who provided Billy Batson with his powers by saying his name (like in the film).  This may be hard to believe now, but at one time, the comics featuring Shazam outsold the likes of Superman.

    This isn’t the first film adaptation of “Shazam!” made to the surprise of some.  In 1941, “Adventures of Captain Marvel” serial hit the silver screen and delighted audiences.  A few decades later, the tv show “Shazam” ran from 1974-1976 and was about as corny as corny could get.  Speaking of films, this modern “Shazam!” also references many other films in fun ways.  The best reference to me was the “Big” reference, seeing as “Shazam!” is basically “Big” crossed with “Superman: The Movie”.  I also enjoyed the several nods to “Rocky” since the film was also set in Philadelphia.

    A large part of the success of “Shazam!” comes from the cast.  Zachary Levi does an amazing job as Shazam and channels his inner kid amazingly.  Asher Angel is also a great find as Billy Batson.  Angel and Levi do such a good job channeling each other that it seems perfectly feasible that Billy Batson and Shazam are one in the same.  I thought Jack Dylan Grazer did a phenomenal job as Freddy Freeman, Billy Batson’s foster brother.  Mark Strong did a good job capturing the tragedy behind Sivana and his evil doing.  Director David F. Sandberg delivers a special superhero movie that really separates itself from the pack.

    The movie is a treat for all ages.  It features many amazing special effects and imaginative visual gags that will delight the entire family.  It is also full of surprises, from cameos to nods of things to come.  Much like “Iron Man 3” and “Batman Returns”, this film also makes for a fun new non-traditional Christmas film.  Be sure to stay after the credits for a treat, but don’t get your hopes up that Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam will appear.

    “Shazam!” marks yet another success for the DCEU as it tries to course correct after “Justice League”.  At this rate, the DCEU might just become the juggernaut of a franchise the MCU has become.  So, if you are looking for a great movie, just say the word.

Grade: A-