It's less than two weeks until the release of the R-rated Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Directed by Cathy Yan, written by Christina Hodson and starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, the film is promoted as the liberation of the Clown Princess, as she steps out of the Joker's shadow once and for all. The thing is, DC Universe's Harley Quinn animated show has already done that, and in an R-rated format, too.
In all fairness, not enough people are aware of the series due to the regional limitations of the DC Universe streaming service. While it boasts an all-star voice cast, superb animation and a terrific writers' room, the adult animation hasn't received as much attention as the likes of Titans, Swamp Thing and Young Justice: Outsiders.
The lack of marketing aside, there's no denying Harley Quinn is one of the freshest and smartest DC shows in a long time. The show understands that Harley's journey to unshackle herself from the chains of Joker's abuse and find out about herself will have its ups and downs. Through its humor, Harley Quinn explores the types of struggles a person experiences after a break-up -- such as relationships with mutual friends, the one-upmanship, the need to forge a new identity and the temptation to reignite the old flames.
While the show's core focus is Harley, the DC Universe series doesn't ignore its supporting characters either. In fact, the series reinvents its characters in the best possible way. From Clayface's diva-like persona to Doctor Psycho's over-the-top aggression, this motley crew of personalities color each episode with their charm and hilarity. You tune in for Harley, but you stay for the undeniable chemistry between characters.
Similarly, Birds of Prey hopes to do the same thing. The trailer hints at how violent the break-up between Harley and Joker will be, while her new look shows that she's ready to move past anything associated with Mr. J and his ties to the Gathering of the Juggalos.
Like the animation, Birds of Prey also boasts a talented supporting cast; however, it's fair to say that many characters don't resemble their comic book counterparts at all. While comic book accuracy isn't the be-all and end-all -- nor does it indicate if a film is good or bad -- it has divided the fanbase. Unlike Harley Quinn's changes to its characters that have been received positively from the get-go, Birds of Prey's appear to be aesthetic choices more than anything else.
Naturally, it's too early to tell if Birds of Prey will win over its doubters and become a smash-hit (both critically and financially). After all, no one expected Harley Quinn to be as good as it is when its first trailer and images dropped. Perhaps the film will complement the series and become yet another example of why 2020 might truly be the Year of Harley? And even if it isn't, that's OK because Harley Quinn is already the picture-perfect emancipation of the Clown Princess of Crime.
Harley Quinn stars the voices of Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Tony Hale, Diedrich Bader, Ron Funches and J.B. Smoove. It is available on DC Universe.
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, Ella Jay Basco, Steven Williams, Derek Wilson, Dana Lee, Francois Chau, Charlene Amoia, Chris Messina and Matthew Willig. The film opens Feb. 7.