“Birds of Prey” Photo Courtesy of ScreenRant
Alum Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) was released in theaters this past Friday. Over the weekend, the DC film topped the weekend box office and received great reviews from top critics.
Birds of Prey is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham's most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya's paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down. Margot Robbie stars as Harley.
Forbes certified the movie fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, calling it “a very good comic book movie that you should definitely go see in theaters...it’s funny, exciting, and has great characters.” The Chicago Sun Times calls it “a bone-cracking visual feast, filled with screen-popping sets and costumes...and a fantastic ensemble cast of veteran favorites and relative newcomers.” Deadline praises Yan for “[putting] a premium on over-the-top transformation... The movie’s transformation themes don’t end at the edges of the screen. Two years ago last month, Yan was a first-time indie filmmaker celebrating her Sundance Film Festival award for Dead Pigs, a spirited and trenchant comedy filmed in China with Mandarin dialogue and a production budget smaller than Birds of Prey’s catering costs. Dead Pigs was Yan’s first film out of New York University’s film program and now, with Birds of Prey, she’s got one hell of a follow-up effort."