Following the massive success of Joker, there is added pressure on the DC Extended Universe to step up its game, and fans are waiting to see how Birds of Prey will pan out. We’ve covered our apprehension and anticipation of this film because of Suicide Squad’s performance, but now it’s time to acknowledge the strengths of that movie.
There were definite plus points in the otherwise ill-received film, which will enable Birds of Prey to come out as a winner if expanded upon. That being said, we’re hoping never to see the worst parts of Suicide Squad either, which is why we’ve brought you this list and expect Birds of Prey to be a worthwhile watch if things turn out this way.
Want: The Colorful Filter
Suicide Squad had a brighter filter present in the movie which was meant to highlight the edgy feel the director was going for. While the story itself didn’t come across that way, the tinted filters sure did give us a different side of the DCEU.
Since Birds of Prey is looking to right some wrongs from Suicide Squad, it can add to the edgy atmosphere by bringing in the same shiny, at times over-the-top, coloring in its scenes to present a noir-like viewpoint for the presentation of the movie.
Don’t Want: Flashbacks
It’s most likely that there will be flashbacks present to fill the four-year gap between Harley’s appearance from Suicide Squad to where she is now, but that would just be unnecessary exposition that audiences don’t really care for.
The previous movie made a big mistake by adding in these scenes that only took up screen time and did nothing to help the characters be established. This film needs to have expository dialogue if it wants to bring context to the characters, not shoehorn in flashbacks that confuse the viewer.
Want: A Team-Up Fight Scene
The teaser trailer for Birds of Prey had all the characters we’re going to be seeing in a single room where they posed together in order to showcase the ensemble format of the film. It would feel like a cop out if we don’t get this in the final product.
The good parts of Suicide Squad had Task Force X working as a unit because that was the whole point, especially considering that the singular scenes came across as weighing down the theme of the film. To highlight how well the new team works, this aspect from Suicide Squad would be welcome.
Don’t Want: Villains As Anti-Heroes
Every villain in Suicide Squad could be seen in a sympathetic light which served to make it nonsensical why these characters were being termed as the bad guys if they didn’t seem that way - villains should remain as antagonists.
If we were to see Black Mask or Victor Zsasz turn out to be more anti-heroes than straight-up villains, then Birds of Prey will have failed in setting up quality foes in the DCEU since the characterization of these antagonists won’t set in. The fans already perceive them as being bad, so here’s hoping the film keeps them that way.
Want: A Small Time Frame
One can hide flaws in a movie if there’s a small span of time that covers the events, since these kinds of stories require a fast pace where there can’t be too many dialogue-based scenes. Suicide Squad would’ve been a heck of a lot worse had it been drawn out like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Birds of Prey already has a plot that pretty much requires a small time frame considering the main characters are supposed to be protecting someone, and there can be enough to go on if the movie comes across like a road film.
Don’t Want: Forced Character Bonding Moments
This film, nor Suicide Squad, aren’t meant to be Justice League, where the point of the team-up was to have superheroes feel like a family; with the theme that we have here, there only needs to be a partnership, not friendship.
In Suicide Squad, El Diablo straight up called Task Force X his family despite all of them only having known each other for a few hours at most. There were quite a few jabs taken at the expense of this forced character bonding, which is something Birds of Prey needs to avoid. In its place, the characters should come across as badasses who are forced to work together to get their own interests accomplished.
Want: A Stinger For The Next Movie
There’s no need for big sequences that have superheroes from other movies take up screen time, but Suicide Squad did display good use of the post-credits scene by having Bruce Wayne show up and signal the birth of the Justice League.
As Harley is expected to turn up in The Suicide Squad and perhaps a Gotham City Sirens movie, it would work wonders to set these movies up if the stinger scene has a big hint toward the events of these stories. You can think of Iron Man’s post-credits scene to get an idea of what we’re talking about here.
Don’t Want: The Characters Regretting Their Decisions
In one of the fantasy scenes containing Task Force X during Suicide Squad, the characters imagined how life would’ve been like had they not gone through with making the decisions that brought them there in the first place.
This undermined the point of having a band of hoodlums, which is something Birds of Prey doesn’t need because the audience will simply question why the film was made at all. The movie should be about the leading ladies making the best with what they have rather than wondering what could have been. Their experiences can also pave the way for their future appearances in separate movies.
Want: Harley Quinn’s Scene-Stealing Charisma
Harley’s always been a showstopper no matter the type of media she’s in, and Suicide Squad’s finest point was this character stealing every scene. This was due to a combination of humanizing moments and crazy mannerisms fans want to see from her.
Although we’d welcome seeing something different from Harley, that doesn’t mean we’re looking forward to having her be toned down just so Harley comes across as a protagonist, at the expense of trimming away what made her so popular to begin with. To this end, her penchant for making inappropriate comments and acting insane at the wrong time should be carried forward from the previous movie.
Don’t Want: A Villain That Wasn’t Advertised
Both Enchantress and Joker flipped the positions the fans had them placed in their minds. The Joker turned out to be a Jim Carrey wannabe, while Enchantress took the spot of the main antagonist. This was the weakest point of Suicide Squad as fans were excited to see Joker be the villain they love.
Should Birds of Prey pull a massive swerve and make both Black Mask and Victor Zsasz out to be either the good guys or red herrings, then you can be certain the film is going to go down as a complete joke. The story should play out as is being advertised and focus on making these new antagonists quality ones, not hope to bank on shock value by bringing in an entirely different villain.
