The Birds and the Bats
BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN). That's a mouthful of a subtitle. Not only does it introduce the factitious adjective 'fantabulous', it evokes aspirations of freedom with 'emancipation'. President Lincoln freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. Precocious teenagers gain independence from their parents through emancipation. The tease of an emancipated Harley Quinn is so enticing.
Margot Robbie deftly stole every scene in she appeared in as titular Harley Quinn in SUICIDE SQUAD (2016). Her return as everyone's favorite psycho chick is poised to be the first Female-strong blockbuster of the new decade. And Robbie has taken charge, emancipating and parlaying Harley into an anti-heroine that’s a banner-woman for the Female-strong movement. Not only did Margot recapture the role, she produced BIRDS OF PREY, positioning women in key roles: Cathy Yan as director and Christina Hodson as screenwriter. In the wake of DC's critically-acclaimed JOKER (2019), BIRDS OF PREY is also sporting an R rating and is poised to be another groundbreaker for a comic-to-movie franchise. However, everyone knows the Joker. He's one of the most iconic comic book villains of all. And most know Harley now, thanks to Robbie’s previous performance. Who knows the Birds of Prey?
First published in December of 1995, the Birds of Prey is a relatively new comic property to be adapted for the big screen. However, the debut mini-series originally titled Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey featured comic characters that go way back in DC comics history. Black Canary first saw print in 1947 (in Flash Comics #86) while the character Oracle is better known as Batgirl. Barbara Gordon, the librarian-turned-crime fighter was first portrayed by Yvonne Craig the BATMAN TV series of the sixties before seeing print in Detective Comics #359 (January 1967).
By 1995, Barbara Gordon was confined to a wheelchair, as a result of the events of Alan Moore & Brian Boland’s brutal graphic novel The Killing Joke (March 1988). It’s this same comic which informed the comedic aspirations of Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal in last year’s JOKER. Like the film, that story existed out of continuity from the main comic universe for a time. Other cinematic equivalents would be how the events of Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN trilogy (2002, 2004 & 2007) and Christopher Nolan’s DARK KNIGHT trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012) relate to SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019) and JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017) respectively.
Once it was decided that Barbara Gordon should remain paraplegic, she was given the codename Oracle and the status of mission control, first for Black Canary and then later for a rotating cast of other female comic characters. Among them were The Huntress, Helena Bertinelli, a sort of mob-related female Punisher who uses a crossbow; the code-name for this character was originally used for the alternate universe daughter of Batman and Catwoman. Bertinelli was also Batgirl for a time. The other one-time batgirl, Cassandra Cain, starred in her own eponymous comic series from 2000 to 2006. Cain has fought crime as a member of a half-dozen other superhero teams under a handful of different codenames. Of the three Batgirls (there have been about six) Barbara Gordon will not be appearing in the BIRDS OF PREY movie. She remains in development limbo, waiting for the right creative team to bring her to the screen.
Completing the cinematic BIRDS OF PREY bevy are two other female characters who originally appeared on television before making the leap onto the comics page. The most renowned of the two is, of course, Harley Quinn. The obvious highlight of David Ayer’s scatter-shot SUICIDE SQUAD, Margot Robbie’s reprisal of her role as the hard-hitting harlequin, completes her character’s transformation from villainous arm candy to hammer-wielding heroine, or at least, anti-heroine.
Finally, Renee Montoya, as portrayed by Rosie Perez, also made her debut on TV. Like Harley Quinn herself, it was in the Bruce Timm & Paul Dini BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES (1992-1995) which gave Gotham City this Latinx Detective. Once a recurring character within various Batman comics, her life was complicated by alcoholism, a proposal by Batman villain Two-Face, a lesbian love affair with Batwoman (now appearing on the CW TV show), and ultimately a masked crime-fighting persona of her own. That’s comics for you.
Cathy Yan’s adaptation updates these characters with humor and sass. Her second feature-length film takes the best elements of Ayer’s SQUAD and dismisses all pretenses of superhero costumes or tactical gear, instead infusing it with a colorful pawnshop glitz. Campy in the most modern sort of way, BIRDS OF PREY is clearly eager to act as successor to the BATMAN TV series of old, falling short only in the lack of “POW” “BIFF” and “ZAP” exclamation bubbles during the fight scenes. While not nearly as stabby as other R-rated comic adaptations like LOGAN (2017) or DEADPOOL (2016), its rating allows for plenty of F-bombs, painful knee-capping and kilos of drug-fueled humor. Harley’s penchant for breaking the fourth wall may inspire comparisons with Marvel’s R-rated entry, the red clad Merc-with-a-mouth, but the humor in BIRD OF PREY is not nearly as self-referential.
Bats and Hammers
Harley favors blunt weapons like hammers and bats. Her signature arm is a giant mallet, teased when she is first sprung in SUICIDE SQUAD as her possessions are returned to her. It’s an Easter egg, one that also includes her red and black costume from the animated series (SUICIDE SQUAD drew controversy about the shortness of Harley’s short shorts, an issue that is rectified in BIRDS OF PREY with Harley’s fantabulously eye-popping fashion choices that are still sexy but much more fun; Robbie allegedly had a lot of power in costume design). Harley’s hammer is the cartoonish sort that might be used to ring a bell in one of those sketchy 'feats of strength' carnival games. It's an unusual choice. Hammers are uncommon weapons and because of their caricature brutality, they are seldom wielded by women. Quite the opposite, huge blunt polearms are the cinematic weapons of giants. There was the maul-wielding giant Kannuki, played by 6' 8" Namigoro Rashomon in Akira Kurosawa's classic YOJIMBO (1961). At 7' 1", ex-NBA star Wilt Chamberlain played used a giant spiked (and beaked) mace when he played Bombaata in CONAN THE DESTROYER (1984). For a modern CGI-based example, there were also the giants in HELLBOY (2019). A massive hammer seems unwieldy for 5' 6" Margot. Perhaps it's a sign of the times now, a tip of the harlequin hat to Harley's emancipation, but the hammer-hitting Harley now joins another recently celebrated female fighter, Hammer Girl, also known as Alicia played sanguineously by Julie Estelle in the ultraviolent martial cult film, THE RAID 2 (2014), although she used regular-sized hammers.
Chinese martial artists fight with everything, exemplified by the imaginative choreography of Jackie Chan. There are actually two Chinese weapons called hammers but neither really fits within that category. It's the result of some awkward translations that stuck. The Meteor Hammer isn't a hammer at all. It's more like a Rope Dart, a small projectile swung on long cord, although instead of being dart-shaped, it's more like a goose egg. The Chinese term is Liuxing Chui (流星錘). Liu means 'flow' or 'drift' and xing means 'star' but combined it means 'meteor'. Chui literally means 'hammer' but can also refer to a weight used for measuring scales. So the the translation as 'meteor hammer' is justifiable, but perhaps it's the measure weight that's the reference. The other Chinese hammer weapon is the Melon Hammer. These are categorized among the paired or twin weapons in Chinese martial arts, almost always wielded in pairs. They are closer to maces than hammers, although unlike Bombaata's weapon, they aren't spiked. They are round like melons. The Chinese term is Jin Gua Shuang Chui (金瓜双锤) which literally means 'Golden Melon Twin Hammers'. Actual historic examples of these weapons have small, manuevable heads about the size of oranges. Contemporary interpretations have much larger heads, closer to the size of cantaloupes. Traditional versions are solid so very heavy, used more for training than for fighting, akin to Indian clubs. Modern versions are hollow, so not heavy at all. They are closer to opera props. Melon Hammers are reminiscent of Indian Gada. The Gada was the weapon of India's Monkey King, Hanuman. It is a giant mace, which has also become caricature in its grossly heavy size. After all, it is the weapon of a Hindu deity, and just like Lord Guan's Guandao, the massive weight was a testament to its legendary wielder.
The hammer, specifically the sledgehammer, became a Chinese martial arts weapon under Communists. There was a short period during the reformation of Modern Wushu when common tools replaced the time-honored Kung Fu weapons. This was described in January+February 2017 cover story, Kung Fu, Wushu and the Cultural Revolution:
“Other commonplace objects replaced traditional weapons as an arsenal of new forms were created that cannibalized methods from traditional forms. Staffs became carrying yokes; single-edged swords became butcher knives; shields became pot lids. Sadly, few of these forms survived. When the Cultural Revolution subsided, martial arts competitions were formalized under what evolved to become Modern Wushu. For a very short time, sledgehammer remained in Modern Wushu. It was a popular weapon for duilian (literally "opposition practice" but refers specifically to pre-choreographed routines of two or more persons in combat 对练). The unwieldiness of sledgehammer made for a good comic fight, although the techniques deployed, like choking up on the hammerhead, were viable if it was ever necessary to actually use a sledgehammer on the street.”
Most notable about this was how to effectively use an unwieldy hammer – choke up on the grip. Even within modern Melon Hammer routines, choking up on the handle is a common method. However, it’s seldom if ever seen in film fight choreography because the whole point of a huge maul is its dramatic power. That being said, despite the oversight, the fight scenes in BIRDS OF PREY are fantabulously furious and fun. When Harley acquires her hammer, tasty ultraviolence ensues. And when she finds a bat, that fight scene goes off the rails in many ways.
Fight Coordinator Jon Valera is no stranger to super-fights, having spent the first ten years on his career working stunts on such projects as the MORTAL KOMBAT: CONQUEST TV Series (1998-1999), ULTRAVIOLET (20006), PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END (2007) and BALLS OF FURY (2007) before first getting to choreograph fights for STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI (2009). In the time since, Valera has coordinated fights for such KFM-friendly films as NINJA ASSASSIN (2009), THE EXPENDABLES (2010) HAYWIRE (2011), MAN OF TAI CHI (2013), THE WOLVERINE (2013), THOR: RAGNAROK (2017; when we interviewed him), BLACK PANTHER (2018), DEADPOOL 2 (2018) AQUAMAN (2018) and most importantly both JOHN WICK (2014) & JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (2019). Also notable is veteran action choreographer Jonathan Eusebio, who not only serves as Stunt Coordinator for BIRDS OF PREY, he secured a prominent credit as Second Unit Director. Eusebio and Valera are frequent collaborators, both of whom have received a lot of attention in KungFuMagazine’s fight-focused reviews over the years. Eusebio also worked on all three installments of the WICK trilogy, DEADPOOL 2 (2018), BLACK PANTHER, HAYWIRE, THE WOLVERINE as well as DOCTOR STRANGE (2016), TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (2014 & 2016) and many more. It’s good to see how Valera and Eusebio have progressed over the years, tailoring their choreographic skills to each project in unique ways.
Badass Broads
What really makes BIRDS OF PREY work is Robbie. She has proven time and time again that she’s an actress to be reckoned with, earning Best Actress nominations from the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG. This year, she’s been nominated for an Oscar for her work in last year’s BOMBSHELL, and yet despite the emotional complexity of her depiction of Harley, it seems unlikely that she’ll get the same recognition as Joaquin Phoenix has for JOKER. Phoenix has swept three of the four aforementioned awards for that performance, with the Oscars pending. While Robbie’s Harley is not as broodingly dramatic as Phoenix’s Mr. J, she’s psychologically complicated. Her emancipation from the Folie Deux she suffered from the Joker carries a dysfunctional undercurrent that is very relatable, and Robbie delivers some heartfelt moments that spotlight her sensational acting chops. It’s just overshadowed by Harley’s overt sexiness and wicked sense of humor.
Nevertheless, BIRDS OF PREY succeeds on several female-strong levels. Beyond the blatant beat-downs that the heroines rain down on oppressive men, the soundtrack is keenly attuned to powerful female voices including Heart, Joan Jett, and Pat Benatar, along with some rising divas like K. Flay and Sofi Tukker. There’s a sharp fashion sense, something that last year’s female-strong flop CHARLIE’S ANGELS attempted to capitalize upon with signature clothing lines but failed. BIRDS OF PREY fashion is way too outrageous for casual wear, however the opportunities for merchandising are staggering, and Harley Quinn cosplay will likely fantabulously dominate this year’s Halloween and Comic-cons, even more so than it did in the wake of SUICIDE SQUAD. Ultimately, it’s the womance of the Harley and the Birds of Prey that is the most satisfying, if not symbolic, so much so that the possibility of BIRDS OF PREY 2 has more appeal than Harley’s return in next year’s sequel to SUICIDE SQUAD.
BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) opens on February 7, 2020.
