BIRDS OF PREY: (2020) – My rating: 8.5/10

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is a superhero film based on the DC Comics team, Birds of Prey. It is the eighth film in the DC Extended Universe, and a follow-up to Suicide Squad (2016). It is directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson. The film follows Harley Quinn as she joins forces with three powerful females to save Cassandra Cain from Gotham City crime lord, Black Mask.  Good action hero movie!

Former psychiatrist, Suicide Squad member, and girlfriend of the Joker,  Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), is determined to redefine her life.  With no place to live, she is rescued by Doc (Dana Lee), the elderly owner of a Chinese restaurant. Still recovering from her abusive relationship, Harley cuts her hair and adopts a spotted hyena, who she names after Bruce Wayne, takes up roller derby, and blows up the Ace Chemicals plant where she once pledged herself to the Joker.

After visiting a nightclub owned by gangster Roman Sionis/Black Mask (Ewan McGregor), Harley cripples Roman’s driver and meets burlesque singer Dinah Lance/The Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), a vigilante with the metahuman ability of hypersonic screams. Later, Dinah rescues an intoxicated Harley from an attempted abduction by Roman’s goons. Impressed when he sees Dinah’s fighting skills, he appoints her as his new driver. In the meanwhile, GCPD Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) investigates a series of mob killings carried out by a crossbow-wielding vigilante named Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a vigilante who is the orphaned daughter of gangster Franco Bertinelli. Detective Montoya discovers Harley isn’t safe without the Joker’s protection.  Sweetening the pot, Roman is pursuing a diamond necklace that is worth a fortune — he sends his sadistic right-hand-man Victor Zsaszand (Chris Messina), who retrieves the diamond but falls victim to pick-pocket and professional street thief, Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), who doesn’t know the value of what she has stolen.  This is why these four powerful women (Black Canary, The Huntress, Detective Montoya, and Harley Quinn) joined forces to protect this young thief (Cassandra) from Roman and his thugs.

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn has turned out to be a good solid action hero movie.  I’m sure this version of Quinn’s recovery will be followed up with some other movie where she seeks revenge on the Joker for all the wrong he inflicted on her.  This movie reveals Quinn’s deliverance from dependence to freedom in her own right.  I loved that she recited over and over that she is smart, has a Ph.D., and is crazy enough to protect herself without help from anyone.  My only criticism is the winks she wore throughout the entire movie.  She just doesn’t have the shape for the outfit.  I hope they do better choosing her wardrobe next time around.  I’m just saying.  I found Birds of Prey… to be fun, entertaining and a refreshing idea of powerfull women taking charge.  I recommend Birds of Prey to superhero lovers and then some. The film has grossed $48.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $112.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $160.7 million.  Birds of Prey has also received praise from critics for its visual style, Yan’s direction, and the performances of Robbie and McGregor, but criticism for the screenplay. I also urge viewers to beware of the “R” rating the film received, I can’t figure why but I’m sure there’s probably a good reason! Check It Out!

 

BABY DRIVER (2017) – My rating: 8.5/10

Finally, a summer movie with a very different theme. Baby Driver is not your run-of-the-mill gangster movie flick. Instead it is a unique story about a young adult who made a mistake and put himself into a bad situation. That was the good news, the bad news is he now has to pay it off. The problem with paying off debts to bad people is you’re never done, especially if you’re good at what you do.   Baby Driver takes place in Atlanta, Georgia and tells the story of Baby, who mostly grew up as an orphan when his parents died while arguing during a car accident. Baby was strapped in the back seat and the only survivor.

As a result of the car accident that left  Miles “Baby”, (Ansel Elgort) /  Young “Baby” (Hudson Meek)  an orphan, he suffered tinnitus causing him to use music to block out the humming in his ears.  In addition, he uses music to re-record everyday conversations as remixes and gives them relative titles, which he constantly listens to while driving for his boss, Doc, (Kevin Spacey) a veteran criminal mastermind heist planner and mysterious kingpin of the rag-tag crew of  bank robbers.  A while back, Baby stole a car belonging to Doc, which had valuable equipment inside — Baby has been paying Doc off by working for him as a get away driver ever since.  Baby’s skills as a driver is unmatched as he has been 100% successful.  Each job affords Baby $10,00 which he has been saving under the floor boards in his apartment, where he lives with his handicap foster father, Joseph, (C.J. Jones) who is in a wheel chair, unable to speak.  The 2 have a loving relationship as Baby cares for Joseph, cooking for him, feeding him and watching TV together.   While discussing Baby’s future, via sign language, Baby reveals a new love interest he met, who is a waitress named Debora, (Lily James) who works at the diner he frequents.  Joseph convinces Baby to take a job delivering pizza now that he won’t be driving for Doc since he has now paid off his debt.

Doc never uses the same crew twice.  Having informed Baby that his debt is paid, Doc is without a driver.  Since Baby is the best, Doc is not about to let Baby go.  Doc has all the information about Baby and Baby’s loved ones he needs to keep him working for him.  The plot thickens from here.  The crews and the dynamics between Doc and Baby and Doc and the crews and Baby are pretty interesting and the driving is incredible.  The bank robbing crews consist of Monica “Darling” Castello (Eiza González), Jason”Buddy” Van Horn, (Jon Hamm) former Wall Street trader and Darling’s boyfriend, Griff, (Jon Bernthal) bank robber who consistently mocks Baby and Leon “Bats” Jefferson, III (Jamie Foxx), a gun slinging cohort of the bank robbing crew, to name a few.  The cast is colorful, well acted and convincing as some of the most paranoid bank robbers to come along in a while.  Baby Driver received great reviews and great scores.  I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend you check it out!  BTY:  I think Ansel Elgort has a huge future ahead of him as an extremely handsome young man and a very good actor.