After months of teasers and set photos, the first full-length trailer for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) delivers the first real sense of the look and tone of the Warner Bros. film, which sees Margot Robbie reprise her breakout role from 2016's Suicide Squad.
Clocking in at two minutes, the footage is filled with action and humor, to say nothing of a cast of characters that includes not only the titular Birds of Prey, but also the primary antagonists, at least one furry friend, and the long shadow of the Joker. Let's break it all down.
A NEW LOOK AT HARLEY QUINN
As the trailer opens, Harley Quinn shares a drink with Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) as she solemnly remarks that a harlequin's role is to serve. "Joker and I broke up," Harley says in voiceover in a subsequent scene, and punctuates the statement by throwing a knife at a hand-drawn portrait of the Clown Prince of Crime. Through shots like the one of Harley cutting her hair in front of the mirror, it appears the film will take a deeper look inside the mind of Harley Quinn than Suicide Squad, showcasing her pain, anger, and eventual healing.
However, while Harley appears to go through her fair share of hardships, she's ultimately still the bubbly, upbeat character she's always been. Her childlike sense of fun is certainly intact -- as is her pension to be quite "vexing" to her teammates.
MUSICAL NUMBERS?
Harley Quinn debuted on Batman: The Animated Series, where she was an instant favorite, among the producers and fans alike. One of her most iconic episodes is "Harlequinade," in which Harley helps Batman track down the Joker before he can release an enormous bomb on an unsuspecting Gotham City. During this episode, there's a famous sequence where Harley performs "Say That We're Sweethearts Again" to distract the villains in a bar. During the much-maligned Batman and Harley Quinn movie, co-creator Bruce Timm attempted to recreate that scene by having Harley perform Blondie's "Hanging On the Telephone." Several comics have featured Harley singing to herself as well.
So, although she isn't particularly known for music, such musical numbers have become somewhat of a staple for her character over the years. Several shots appear to feature Quinn on a stage, performing a number inspired by 1950s-era musicals, including this re-creation of Marilyn Monroe's legendary "Diamonds Are a Girl's Friend," from Some Like It Hot. It looks like it could be a dreamscape sequence because of the sheer tonal dissonance between that and the rest of the movie, but soon, Ewan McGregor's Black Mask appears, indicating he plays a part in the importance of the sequence.
BLACK CANARY
The only original Bird of Prey from the comics to be featured in the movie, Black Canary is shown in early shots performing a concert, playing off the DC Rebirth version of the character, who's the lead singer of a band.
There is also a shot of Black Canary roundhouse-kicking someone (or something). In the comics, Dinah Lance is one of the DC Universe's most highly skilled fighters, trained by Ted Grant from childhood. Over the years, she has earned the respect of DC's greatest fighters, including Batman and Lady Shiva.
Black Canary is also known for her sonic scream, or "canary cry," which appears to be represented in the trailer by the shot of the trembling martini as she sings.
HUNTRESS
Huntress is the only other character in the film who was actually a member of the Birds of Prey in the original comic. Played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Huntress is the crossbow-wielding badass of the group.
Like her comics counterpart, Helena Bertinelli has a motorcycle in the trailer. However, it's noticeably less purple (and so is Helena's costume, for that matter). Her no-nonsense personality seems to be intact, however, as it's Helena who says, "You've gotta be kidding me" when Harley proposes they work together.
RENEE MONTOYA
Renee Montoya has gained popularity in recent years for assuming the mantle of The Question in the comics. Although she isn't an official Bird of Prey, she has helped the team on occasion. Most significantly, she partnered with Huntress from time to time.
Before she was the Question, she was one of Gotham City's few honest cops. Portrayed by Rosie Perez, Montoya will be in that same role in the film, as there are a couple of scenes in which Renee appears to be in GCPD headquarters.
CASSANDRA CAIN
In the comics, Cassandra Cain is the daughter of trained assassins Lady Shiva and David Cain. From birth, Cass was trained to become the perfect warrior. Her father deprived her of speech so that she would learn movement as her first language. During the "No Man's Land" event, Batman adopted her and Cassandra Cain became the new Batgirl.
Played by Ella Jay Basco, Cass appears in the trailer as a timid girl, seemingly targeted by Black Mask. As she appears to have no problem speaking in full sentences, it seems as though her origins will be tweaked heavily.
BLACK MASK
Ewan McGregor's Black Mask appears to be a new take on the eccentric villain. In the comics, Roman Sionis wore a black skull mask made from the wood of his father's casket. In the film, he instead wears black leather gloves.
Somehow, all of the characters in the film have crossed paths with Black Mask. Harley declares that he is after all of them and the only way they will make it out alive is by joining forces. That appears to be the driving force behind the Birds of Prey's formation.
Black Mask also seems to have a particular fixation with Harley Quinn. He announces "Miss Quinn? She belongs to me," and tells her, "You need me."
Victor Szasz
Introduced in 1992 to Batman's colorful rogues gallery, Victor Zsasz is a particularly brutal serial killer who carves a tally mark on his skin to represent each of his victim. Played in Birds of Prey by Chris Messina, Zsasz appears to be Black Mask's henchman, rather than a solo operator. But note the scars on his face.
Harley's 'Babies'
We knew from the teaser released last month in theaters with It: Chapter Two that Harley would acquire her pet hyenas, named Bud and Lou in comics and in animation -- and in the trailer, we see at least one of them. (If Birds of Prey follows tradition, that's Lou in the pink collar; Bud wears a purple one.)
Judging by the footage, Harley acquires at least one of the hyenas from an exotic animal dealer, only to then unleash it upon him. Although the hyenas debuted in 1993 on Batman: The Animated Series, they didn't receive their names -- a tribute to the classic comedy team of Abbott and Costello -- until the 1998 episode of The New Batman Adventures, "Joker's Millions."
Directed by Cathy Yan from a script by Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) stars Margot Robbie, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor, Steven Williams, Derek Wilson, Dana Lee, Francois Chau, Charlene Amoia, Chris Messina and Matthew Willig. The film is scheduled for release on Feb. 7, 2020.