Source: themarysue.com

2. The Ugly: This Movie Has Serious Issues with Women

The comments on this just got about a thousand times more fun, huh?

Look, I get it. I’m the least “get offended by a movie” dude out there. But this movie has an undercurrent of violence and objectification of women that is unignorable and inexcusable. Let’s break it down.

First, let’s tackle the small stuff and we’ll build to the big one. There are two separate instances in this film of women being straight-up punched in the face as comedic beats. One, you can totally have, criticism-free. If you want Batman punching Harley, take it, that one works. But you can’t also have the moment in which Slipknot (who in an earlier draft was stated to be a serial rapist) punches a lady in the face for legit no reason. And I could ignore that, if it was the only grossness in the film. But it isn’t.

El Diablo’s flashback also includes him smacking his wife on the ass, an action Deadshot instructs Flag to do to Enchantress to “get her under control”. Funny on its own, sure, but it adds to the pattern of horribleness weaved throughout this movie.

And then we have the big bad one. The Harley/Joker relationship in this film is absolutely unforgivable. It’s an abusive relationship that the film makes no attempt to address. No character comments on it, Harley runs back to her beau at the end and it’s played like a happy finale. When Harley thinks the Joker is dead, this should be a happy moment for the audience, even if not for the character. But it isn’t played that way. Harley’s scene is mournful and solemn and played as a sad moment. The film finds this moment sad, which legitimately disgusts me.

To quote comic book writer Nick Spencer: “The issue is not showing an abusive relationship, it’s trying to package it as a good thing.” If you have a scene in which the Joker offers Harley as a sexual object to Common (the rapper), and then expect me to be happy that they’re reunited at the end? You’re just gonna get an upturned middle finger in response. Maybe two.

And don’t pretend the female characters we got were “strong” or “well-written”. Viola Davis was good, I’ll give you that, but Enchantress was a nonentity, and let’s be honest here, I’m pretty sure the finished film has more shots of Harley’s ass than Katana’s face.