Movie Review: Birds of Prey

Breakups are never easy. Some people bury their hurt by eating ice cream or playing videogames. Some smash pictures of their exes or cry a lot. And Harley Quinn? Well, she blows up chemical factories.

“Birds of Prey” is a story told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. Birds of Prey takes place after the events in Suicide Squad. With Harley and the Joker broken up, everyone with a grievance against Harley was coming for her. Most notably, Roman Sionis aka The Black Mask. With 80% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it opened with a disappointing $33.2 million opening at the box office this weekend. That number was enough to give the film the No. 1 spot, but was less than expectations. Regardless, we are here for this fun ride. 

The Good: 

Right off the bat, Birds of Prey wastes little time to let you know the level of humor you’re going to encounter. It was a really nice and creative touch to infuse a bit of animation to really help emphasize some of the comedy. The animation wasn’t overdone to the point where you’d think you were watching Space Jam, but it was the right amount to help match the character of Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie). I think one of the funniest scenes had to be Harley Quinn’s “shanking scene” and her “Police station” scene was probably one of the most exciting to watch.

When it came to performances, the overall cast was pretty good. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (played “Huntress”) was enjoyable although I thought her role might have benefited by being less funny. I thought Jurnee Smollett-Bell (as “Black Canary”) played her role effectively thanks to having a bit more to work with in regards to her character. I can understand how some people may be more drawn to one or two moments to highlight the supporting cast members but I didn’t get the sense that any of them stole the show to speak. Margot Robbie, however, definitely led the way as the true standout in Birds of Prey.

Robbie delivered an excellent performance as “Harley Quinn”. Whatever you may have enjoyed about her in Suicide Squad was turned up a notch in this film. She was easily the brightest spot in this film. Unexpectedly, Robbie was able to show a different and more full side of her character by capturing a nice range of emotions and therefore making “Harley Quinn” a bit more relatable. I really liked how Robbie was able to switch up the different sides of her personality by being wild and funny one minute, to being vulnerable the next, to quickly tapping into her academic background to deliver a quick psych evaluation on the spot.

Warner Bros was onto something when they cast Robbie, she’s fantastic as Harley Quinn. Robbie found the perfect balance of playing a very unlikable character while simultaneously making her likable. Harley’s off-putting behavior and wild antics are a key part of the character’s personality. This film doesn’t work without her performance. Robbie’s frantic energy as Harley keeps the film moving at an entertaining pace.

Without question, I think one of the best highlights of Birds of Prey was the action. I thought that the fight scenes were done mostly well and almost gave off a bit of a John Wick type of vibe at times. While the fight choreography may not have been as tight as one would find in a John Wick fight, it did incorporate some humor and gruesome violence. Some of the bone-crunching scenes were probably the most engaging as they’ll definitely get you to cringe a bit. Whenever Harley Quinn has a weapon, just know you’re in store for a nice treat. I should also mention that the cinematography in this film really helped to enhance the fight scenes. The slow-motion effects were done in a meaningful way to help you see the full impact of certain moves. 

Birds of Prey film has the same color and vibrant looks like comic books. It’s so refreshing to see. A lot of DC’s previous films were muted. Outside of the action, nothing onscreen felt like a comic book. Birds of Prey is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, they’ll put more films on the screen that look and feel like comics.

The Bad: 

There aren’t really any major things wrong with this film, but there are a couple of minor issues to mention. Birds of Prey is perhaps a little too messy and unfocused in terms of narrative, which affects the movie’s pacing and rhythm. One of those nitpicks would be that little musical number that was included in the film. I didn’t think it added any real value and it felt like a bonus scene that would’ve been better suited for the deleted scenes section on the Blu-Ray. Thankfully, the scene was short and brief. The structure and the flow of the story is a bit out of sorts when it comes to its direction. It begins with a focus on Harley, but then jumps around to other characters, and comes together in what feels like a clumsy way. However, in all fairness, this story is being narrated by a mentally unstable Harley Quinn so there’s some wiggle room to be given.

When it came to the characters, I think one of the weaker ones was that of Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask character. I just wasn’t a fan of how he was portrayed. The character isn’t that deep, and he’s really just a typical gang leader with anger issues. However, in this film, it almost seemed like they played him off as being bipolar when he would go through a range of emotions that just were off-putting. While again this is minor, it just felt like Birds of Prey was forcing his character to be more of a match for Harley Quinn rather than allowing him to be the basic crime boss that he’s typically been. Plus it would’ve been nice had he actually worn the Black Mask more because we only got a few minutes of that in the whole movie. Now, despite all of that, he was still entertaining.

The Verdict: 

Birds of Prey is a wildly fun and violent entry into the DC comic book movie lineup. It’s basically a softer version of Deadpool with its narration, humor, and violence. The only real difference is that it’s less bloody. Nevertheless, Birds of Prey portrayed both a tone and direction that perfectly matched the personality of Harley Quinn. While the film may not be a perfect home run, it’s still an entertaining watch with a rock-solid female-led cast. I think a major accomplishment for this movie was the fact that it was able to stand on its own without the need of a more prominent figure like Batman, although the Joker is referenced a lot (and not seen) in the movie. 

Birds of Prey is a fun ride. It’s wildly entertaining and violent at times. It’s a film that’s written by a woman (Christina Hodson), directed by a woman, and stars a group of awesome female characters. I don’t know if this will be the start of a big change in comic book films, but it’s very cool to see. It’s impossible to ignore how different the film feels. It’s an r-rated comic book movie shown through a new lens, told by a talented writer, and executed by an almost all-female cast. Sign me up for a sequel. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

Parents note this movie does contain lots of violence and bad language. I only recommend it for teens and above.