How “Suicide Squad” May Have Ruined the DC Extended Universe’s Take on Harley Quinn

There are no surprises when it comes to Box Office numbers whenever a comic book inspired film is released. Suicide Squad, the third installment in the revamped DC Extended Universe, Warner Brother’s answer to the hugely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, was guaranteed to have a record breaking weekend before it had been bombarded with negative reviews from critics. The film took the Fandango Presale for August record from rival Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, securing an opening weekend gross of $135 million.

The film has been panned by critics, but it’s entertaining. It’s fun. It may not be the best ride at the amusement park, but it’s one you’d probably ride again. I thought that the story itself was bland, but then again, if you’ve read DC Comic’s New 52 Suicide Squad series, you’ll know that the stories tended to be rushed. It would start with the mission objective, the team getting together, some fighting between the members, some comic relief and ultimately the team returning back to Belle Reve. It didn’t feel like a real solid long term story, but it was the beginning of Harley becoming an anti-hero as opposed to the Joker’s sidekick, but we’ll get back to that later.

There were other stories this film could have based on, but they chose to go the route they did, and that’s what we’ve got. If it’s the first of more to come, then it makes sense you wouldn’t want to play your aces right away. But the Enchantress plotline definitely had moments of severe lameness, including her legion of possessed creatures. It felt like a desperate effort to find opponents for the squad to battle, as well as being extremely reminiscent to the Chitauri aliens of The Avengers.

But despite the shortcomings of the plotline, there’s no denying the box-office power of movies like this. As a fan, to see characters you’ve grown up reading come to life on the big screen is what fuels our desire to shell out our money and see these movies. For me, Harley Quinn certainly held that magic feeling going into Suicide Squad. After years of waiting to see a real live-action version of Harley, it was finally happening! We had been teased in the past. The short lived CW series Birds of Prey pitted Dr. Harleen Quinzel, played by Mia Sara against Batgirl, Huntress and Black Canary, while the network’s breakout hit Arrow featured a minute, faceless cameo in a Squad-themed episode. But this was the real deal!

Margot Robbie was only 2 years old when Harley Quinn was introduced to the world via Fox Kids’ Batman: The Animated Series. I was 12, so I definitely feel old. Arleen Sorkin’s thick Jersey accent was a trademark of the character and many fans were extremely upset that Robbie’s voice didn’t match. I didn’t mind that as much. I think Robbie nailed the character. She’s fun, sexy, kooky with a sense that there’s a really smart woman underneath all the damage. But THAT is exactly what’s missing! The damage!

The biggest problem with this movie is what little it showed of the relationship between Joker and Harley, portrayed it in an incorrect light. It makes the two look like a couple in love, but that’s just it, Joker has never loved Harley. He’s spent the duration of their relationship using her. He takes advantage of her case of hybristophilia and then proceeded to use and abuse her(both physically and mentally) for years.

But the scenes in the film between the two, made them look like a couple of emo-punks in puppy love with each other. There were times The Joker looked genuinely concerned for Harley’s safety. That is just not right, and it completely negates everything that the books have worked over the years to create with her.

Warner Brothers and DC have a golden opportunity with this character. With the success of Deadpool, who is a very similar style anti-hero like the one Harley has become in recent stories, the way has been paved for a Harley Quinn solo movie, and it’s been rumored that one is already in the works. The problem is Suicide Squad paints Harley in a way that is completely accurate to feminists protests. She’s just trashy, even skanky, eye candy, only onscreen to make men drool. Warner Brothers and DC have proven them all right, instead of proving them wrong by showing what she really is.

If these people knew what she really stood for and what her stories are really about, they’d probably stand behind her, and they’d be just as frustrated as I am with this current version. Harley Quinn is a compelling female character, who isn’t just sexy or kooky, but intelligent and strong. While the violent psychopathic side of Harley may not be the best influence for a younger girl, the fact that Harley has moved past her blind infatuation with the Joker and spends her time trying to make up for the past and to help others. She’s emerged from the horrors that she endured, a strong independent woman instead of a whimpering victim.

One can only hope that the solo film that’s been rumored will feature the darker side of their love affair and help to push the DC Extended Universe version of Harley further into a deeper, more developed character.