Harley & Ivy

Harley & Ivy is an animated superhero buddy comedy mystery film directed by Cathy Yan from a screenplay co-written with Chesire Castro Smith and Matt Braly, and a story by Yan and Smith. An entry in the DC Animated Theatrical Universe and based on characters created by DC Comics, the film stars the voices of Genesis Rodriguez and Anna Akana as the title characters, alongside Rachael Zegler, Vincent D'Onofrio, Keith David, Brenda Song, Sarah-Nicole Robles, and Tara Strong, while Hans Zimmer composes the score.

An animated Harley Quinn-centered film was first announced duting the 2037 DC FanDome, with Yan and Rodriguez attached. The title and Akana's casting were announced in December 2037, with the rest of the cast announced in 2038. Yan wanted the film to provide commentary on dealing with criminals by having an heroic Harley befriend a villanous Poison Ivy. She would also develop the film as a mystery buddy comedy, as she felt a traditional superhero film approach "just didn't worked for the story". The film would be hand-drawn animated, as a tribute to Harley's first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series.

Harley & Ivy would be released in July 1, 2039, to critical acclaim, with particular praise going to the film's screenplay, themes, animation, direction, departures from the superhero genre, humor, and Kaling and Akana's vocal performances and chemistry. Earning 1.2 billion dollars over a budget of 160 million dollars, the film was a box office success, becoming the hightest-grossing hand-drawn animated film of all time. The film also won two Academy Awards for Best Animated Movie and Best Original Screenplay.

Plot
In her sleep, Harleen Quinzel has a dream where she has a good time with her best friend, Stephanie Brown. He dream turns into a nightmare, however, when she remembers how the Joker shot Brown, as Batgirl, in front of her, before throwing Harley into avatof chemichals, turning her into the vigilante Harley Quinn. Upon waking up, she takes on her vigilante persona and is contacted by her adoptive father, Bruce Wayne / Batman, into stopping supervillain Pamela Penelope Ivy / Poison Ivy from terrafprming Gotham City.

While the battle is succesfull, Wayne suspends Quinzel of fighting duty upon seeing her attack Ivy on a fit of PTSD-induced brutality, and gives her a book on therapy for superheroes. After a few days where Wayne departs for business on the Middle East and Quinzel took the book's steps on therapy and self-help, she and Batgirl are contacted by Commisioner James Gordon and newly-declared Officer Renee Montoya and Lieutenant Lyle Bolton to help after a minor crook is found dead. Upon localizing information tying the criminal to Ivy, Batgirl and a reclutant Harley recruit her into the investigation under the promise of a reduced sentence at the Arkham Home State for the Emotionally Troubled.

While Ivy manages to identify a potential second target, the investigation is hindered by Ivy and Harley's frequent arguements, as Ivy holds a grudge against humanity for their treatment of plants, and Harley resents her for being a criminal. Together, with Montoya, travel to the home of the potential victim, a weapons dealer Ivy made deals with, but discover him dead and his lists of contacts and rivals stolen. Meanwhile, Harley & Ivy begin to bond as the latter begins to soft her view on criminals after a brief talk with Ivy. The group eventually locates one of the dealers, Weston on a bar, where Ivy puts on a karaoke performance to save Harley. As the group takes Weston to protective custpdy, Ivy reveals the reason she prefers plants over humans is becayse her father was highly abusive to her before developing her powers and ditching her in the woods, where the plants helped her survive.

Voice cast
Additionally, James Gunn voices Weston, an arms dealer. J.K. Simmons reprises his role from the DCEU and previous films as Commissionner James Gordon. Janice Jawaye voices Viki Vale and a Sweet Justice employee alongside executice-producer Matt Braly.
 * Mimdy Kaling as Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn: An hyperactive and comedic hero from Gotham, who is also a gifted psychiatrist student and Batgirl's best friend. Kaling said that "Harley has been getting a bit more black-and-white througth the films", but that she will "change course" in the film. Director Cathy Yan, who previously helmed the DC Extended Universe Harley Quinn-led film Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Enmancipation of One Harley Quinn), said she was excited to work on the project, calling working on the DCATU version of Harley "a bit fascinating" due to her being more heroic than the DCEU version, giving Yan "a different type of story to tell" while also wanting to "keep everything that makes Harley so Harley". She was also excited to "have such a quirky character as Harley to lead a story that feels so relevant and is so emotional".
 * Anna Akana as Pamela Penelope Ivy / Poison Ivy: An eco-terrorist and misanthrope able to control plants, with whom she shares a telepatic and emotional connection. Akana called Ivy a "tortured, but kind if feisty, spirit" with "not only good arguments, but a surprinsgly personal reason" for her actions "that will reasonate with far more people than just activists". Ivy's characterization was based on her Harley Quinn incarnation, as director Cathy Yan felt "her down-to-earth personality was more fitting for the version of Ivy [the filmmakers] wanted to create", througth they also incorporated a few elements from her 2019 DC Superhero Girls incarnation.
 * Rachael Zagler as Stephanie Brown / Batgirl: A vigilante from Gotham and Batman's ward and partner, who is Harley's best friend.
 * Vincent D'Onofrio as Lyle Bolton: A self-centered Gotham City Police Department officer with a short-sighted view on criminals.
 * Keith David as Frank: sentient carnivore plant and Ivy's friend, who is rather sarcastic but friendly.
 * Brenda Song as Anne: A sentient carnivore plant and Ivy's friend, who is much more willing to talk with Ivy about her problems, while also being very energetic.
 * Sarah-Nicole Robles as Renee Montoya: A young and idealistic Gotham PD officer, who becomes disgusted with Bullock's actitude. Robles called the film "Mobtoya's origin story", saying that "while she starts off as this optimist, she ends up more like the Montoya fans know".
 * Tara Strong as Oracle, an AI system developed by Batgirl.

Animation
Wanting to honor Harley Quinn's origins in animation, director Cathy Yan choose the film to be hand-drawn animated. Animation services were provided by Dong Yang Animation, withg layouts by Spectrum Animation; both studios previously worked on said capacities in 1993's Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and both provided animation for Batman: The Animated Series, where Harley made her debut. Yan said she wanted each character's movements to represent their characteristics, while also being consistent with each other. For Harley, her animation was inspired by Popeye and Looney Tunes, as she felt the character's energetic personality made her fit for said shorts' physical comedy and movement. Ivy's movements were more realistic, in order to represent her being Harley's straight woman.

Music
Hans Zimmer would return as composer from previous DC films. In addition to reusing themes from previous DCATU films, she would also compise a theme for Poison Ivy using rustical instruments as inspiration. She would also create a "rusty and sinister theme" for Harvey Bullock to reflect his age and dark nature, as well as an "energetic and optimistic" theme for Renee Montoya that "becomes a bit more cynical" througth the course of the film.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film would earn an approval ratimg of 98%, with an average rating of 9/10, based on 233 reviews. The critical consensous woukd read, "A sincere and heartfelt departure of standard superhero stories, Harley & Ivy honors the titular duo's iconic relationship with a journey full of laughs, emotion, and surprising thematic depth, that will leave comic book fans satisfied and non-fans pleased". On Metacritic, the film would earn an score of 91 out of 100, based on 50 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Trivia

 * Anna Akana, Keith David, and Brenda Song previously worked together on tye Disney animated series Amphibia.
 * This is Cathy Yan's first animated film.
 * According to Yan, she was given more creative control than in Birds of Prey.