**WARNING: Some Spoilers Ahead** 

Last Wednesday, February 19th, SAB (Student Activities Board) hosted their monthly Midnight Movie event. Buena Vista University students had the opportunity to see one of the three movies that were being shown in the local Vista 3 theatre. Those being, Just Mercy, Sonic the Hedgehog as well as Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. All three movies had a wonderful turn out of students who attended this event, however one movie in particular was a BV favorite.  

Estimated hitting at least $84,500,000 in the box office, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn hit theaters Feb. 9th, 2020. DC fans have been excited to see this film since the trailer came out. Being the first standalone movie, the character Harley Quinn has been in without the Joker made fans anticipate the movie even more so.  

“She was the main reason people liked Suicide Squad, also she’s a really interesting character,” Brandon Foster expressed.  

Being a fan favorite in the movie The Suicide Squad, it is no surprise the character Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, would receive her own standalone movie. The show begins by Harley telling her story from the start through a very animated intro. As a child, her deadbeat dad tried to get rid of her until he lastly left her at a Catholic girls school. She got educated and earned a PhD, becoming a psychologist even though she had always been somewhat of a trouble maker. Her career led her to meeting The Joker, they quickly fell in love and she changed her life for him. However, they have recently broken up and the film follows how Gotham takes to Harley Quinn declaring ‘open season’ on herself.  

The movie centers around Harley escaping and dealing with Gotham’s criminals who want her dead. One specific criminal being a club owner named Roman Sionis aka Black Mask, played by Ewan McGregor who is famously known for playing Obi-Wan in Star Wars. Eventually Harley gets captured by Roman’s goons and is held prisoner. With the intent to kill her, Roman gets convinced to allow Harley to be the one to retrieve the Bertinelli Diamond, which contains codes to an old mafia family’s massive fortune. It had been in Roman’s possession before a young pick pocket, Cass who is played by Ella Jay Basco, stole it from his men without him noticing before it was too late. 

Cass gets apprehended by the police and is taken in to the station where they confiscate the possessions she has stolen. All except the Bertinelli Diamond because she swallowed it. Harley breaks Cass out and takes her to get laxatives in order to retrieve the diamond. The two bond over cereal and cartoons before Harley’s apartment goes under attack from Roman’s hooligans. The two manage to escape and Harley contacts Roman to offer to exchange Cass for immunity. He agrees to her request and plans for the exchange are made.  

Harley has Roman meet her at an amusement park in a spot called the Booby Trap where she used to hide with Joker. Cass learns about the betrayal as Harley confines her to a toilet so she can pass the diamond. With the police on their tail and an angry Roman the situation turns inevitably crazy. Despite her terms she made, Harley can’t stand to trade Cass and decides to save her instead. An unlikely reliance is formed between characters and together they defeat Roman aka Black Mask.  

DC fans, normal movie goers and BVU students alike all enjoyed this movie. The action and fight scenes were the best parts of the movie besides the enjoyable plot twists.  

“My favorite part of the movie was when Harley got tackled by Montoya right before she ate her sandwich. It was tragically hilarious!,” Foster said.  

Overall the 8th film in the DC Extended Universe was action packed and filled with plenty of relatable content and adventure. Scoring 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, some critics thought this film showcased too much ‘girl power’. However, can there ever be too much girl power? If you’re a fan of action and want to know what happens to Gotham’s perfect egg sandwich, Birds of Prey is still in theatres and Harley freakin’ Quinn is waiting for you!