Director Cathy Yan
Genre Action | Adventure | Crime
Cast Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Rating R
Release Date February 7th, 2020
“After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.”
From director Cathy Yan, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn finally brings the sociopathic head-turner to the forefront. After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.
It is no secret that DC has struggled to introduce films that have satisfied fans at even half the level of what Marvel has been churning out time and time again, but they have gotten lucky a few times with Wonder Woman and the Oscar darling Joker starring Joquin Phoenix, or even to a less extent Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman. I might be in the minority but I actually enjoyed Suicide Squad, but do agree that they cut the film down too much to get that damn PG-13 rating which was absolutely a mistake. Nonetheless, Birds of Prey is more or less a sequel to Suicide Squad following Harley Quinn’s character after her split with Mr. J, as she calls Joker. Margot Robbie is a legit actress, that is a fact, so locking her in for this role was a huge move on DC’s part and all the reason I needed to plant my behind in a comfy theater seat on opening night. But was it worth the price of admission?
Let me just ease your concerns right out of the gate and say yes, yes it was. Birds of Prey was actually better than I hoped it would be, going in sort of expecting Harley Quinn’s ridiculous accent to wear on me after awhile, but I am pleased to report it was actually the opposite. The film got better during the just under 2 hours, laying one heck of a foundation for this band of misfits out to make the world a better place or just get rich, depending on who you focus on. The balance of action and comedy is about as good as you could hope, the stunts are extremely impressive, and even though some of the CGI is admittedly over the top (we all saw the Hyena in the bathtub in the trailer), it still worked. I will point out that Birds of Prey absolutely stole a few tricks from Deadpool, but to say that films are made on a foundation of originality this day and age would be a comment as ridiculous as well, a Hyena in a bathtub. From the soundtrack, to the cinematography, right down to the ever so important smooth and never boring pacing, this is a film that understands what fans want.
The cast is absolutely fantastic, and I really can’t say enough about the performances of Ewan McGregor and Chris Messina, the primary antagonists in the film. With your usual run-of-the-mill good guys vs bad guys movies (which I know this blurs the lines as Harley Quinn isn’t really a good guy/girl), you tend to have the fun parts of the movie followed by a scene with the bad guy that is supposed to build him or her up as scary or dangerous or whatever. I know I’m simplifying things but you get what I mean. Instead, I couldn’t wait for the scenes involving McGregor’s Roman Sionis (the Batman villain Black Mask) and his right hand man Messina, as Victor Zsasz. These two were so absolutely ridiculous and hilarious together, I’m pretty sure I laughed during every scene they were in - which I will note made me feel a little strange as they had a few pretty dark moments together in the film as well. Whether it was the chemistry they had together or their mannerisms, they were a blast. I actually barely recognized Messina, who most will remember from The Mindy Project, as he looks completely different in this role.
Margot Robbie was great as expected with top-notch comedic delivery and just an absolute immersion into her character, although I will say that they made the crazy hot balance closer to 70/30 this time around, with hot getting the short end of things. She’s much more attractive in Suicide Squad, but this is post-breakup so I guess it makes sense. Either way, I plan to re-watch The Wolf of Wall Street ASAP to balance out the universe. I really enjoyed Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, but no matter what when I see her on-screen I always think of her role in White Men Can’t Jump even though that movie came out nearly 30 years ago - I just keep hearing that very distinct voice of hers yelling at Woody Harrelson to get his act together and stop getting hustled on the basketball court. Jurnee Smollett-Bell was great as Black Canary, and she tipped the hot scale in the right direction thankfully. I will say that I was probably least pleased with Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s role as The Huntress, but I also understand what they were trying to go for as far as the character dynamic. Either way, kudos to the casting team behind Birds of Prey because they crushed it.
Birds of Prey is exactly what I hoped it would be and more - an over-the-top R-rated vulgar language and violence infused two-hours of escapism in Gotham City. This is why we go to the movies in the first place folks, to be entertained. Harley Quinn steps outside the shadow of The Joker and proves “she don’t need no man”. Birds of Prey is the perfect example of balancing an R-rating with still somewhat of a light “don’t take yourself too seriously” mood that is prevalent throughout the film, and it really works. I’m hoping to check this out at least once more in theaters, and I will absolutely be snagging the 4K-UHD Blu-ray version when it releases for the inevitable extended edition of the film. Highly recommended.
