After being the only thing worth our time in 2016’s Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn finally gets her own movie and the lead role in ‘Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)’ – which is a marked improvement over the film that featured Margot Robbie’s first go at the role.

That is literally the only thing good about the film – giving the actress a free rein to develop a supporting character and turning her into the lovable lead of her own film. So what makes the movie so bad that it’s not worth our time?

It lacks a good storyline – bouncing through scenes as if on a pogo stick so that you sometimes have to stop and ask ‘where did she come from?’ Its characters are weak and apart from a few laughs, you leave not remembering what you watched for the past two hours.

Sure, Birds of Prey is a step up from its failed predecessor but it ranks in equal value with 2019’s rendition of Charlie’s Angels. The movie features Black Canary (Jur-nee Smollett-Bell), the Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and ex-detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) along with the Joker’s now ex-girlfriend Harley Quinn. This means that we basically get a bunch of angry and hurt women, all wronged by the men in their lives in some way or the other. They ultimately join forces to bring down one particular man who is symbolic of all the other men before him (Freud would roll his eyes at the cliché).

That particularly unfortunate role goes to one of my beloved actors Ewan McGregor. And apart from squealing excitedly when he first appears as the hotshot club owner Roman Sionis (or the infamous Black Mask, to comic lovers), his god-awful lines left me cringing and at times, squirming uncomfortably in my seat at his sorry performance.

The only thing I can applaud in the movie as a whole is Margot Robbie. As in Suicide Squad, she brings in the crazy we truly love but at the same time, shows viewers a different side to Harley.

Gone are the days when she was left dependent on ‘Mistah J.’ No, Harley takes matters into her own hands and ultimately lets everyone know what she’s capable of when she blows Roman to smithereens.

Margot Robbie essentially carries the weight of the entire film on her shoulders. This is evident from the very first time we hear her narrate the story.

Character growth is the only good story that’s told but the idea that this movie offers comic book enthusiasts a look at the female ensemble of the DC universe is not executed. This is sad because patrons who walk in hoping to catch a glimpse of the real life rendition of their favourite comic book character will leave rather disappointed.

Perhaps Warner Bros. needs to take a step down from trying to make a mark in the comic book world… and maybe Disney should rescue DC?