Film: Birds Of Prey
Starring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth, Jurnee Smollett-Smith, Ella Jay Basco, Ewan McGregor.
Director: Cathy Yan
Written by: Christina Hodson
Cinematography: Matthew Libatique
Production: DC Films
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Review: Klep Napier
Rating: 3.5X’s out of 5X’s
Last seen in 2017’s Suicide Squad (Margot Robbie) reprises her role as Harley Quinn, the mischievous sidekick and girlfriend/sidekick of The Joker. Only this time she and "The Clown Prince" have officially broken up. Leaving Harley dramatically picking up the pieces of herself, and dodging the likes of every bad guy in Gotham City who now know she’s no longer under the Jokers protection. Harley makes friends with three of the most unlikely women in order to kick butt and set the bad boys of Gotham straight. If she can only stay on the right side of the law long enough she may actually pull off this hero gig.
Birds Of Prey is the DC comic adaptation you never thought you needed. This film wins simply because it's story is told through the eyes of Harley Quinn. Let me explain. Although "The Birds" helm a few popular badass DC heroines like Black Canary (Jurnee Smollette-Smith) and The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth), they’re easily forgettable throughout the meat of the story. Harley Quinn steals the show as she did in Suicide Squad. And with her narration wheeling you through paired with the amazing fight sequence choreography, stylish colorization and bad ass renditions of girl power tunes, this film packs a punch. It's fun and energetic in a way that Harley Quinn is meant to be portrayed. Comic book accuracy is there. Great iterations of Black Canary and Cassandra Caine but not enough Huntress in my opinion. Which leads me into our losses.
Unfortunately where it wins is also easily the one thing that fails this film. Without Harley Quinn there is no "Birds Of Prey" film. My thought about this is that it should’ve either been a Harley Quinn solo film or maybe DC should announce this as stories told through the eyes of Ms. Harley Quinn. There’s no reason to call a film something that it isn't just to get butts in seats. Simply call it what it is. “Harley Quinn meets The Birds Of Prey”. The film is also very aware of itself coming off campy at times. Even Ewan McGregors villainous "Black Mask" will get a laugh or two from you all while butchering someone before your eyes.
Overall Birds Of Prey is rated R with a bit of charm which plays like a gender switch of Deadpool 2 providing loads of bad girl trying to go anti-heroine, trying to protect a foul mouth annoying kid. And with the help of the Birds, our anti-heroine struggles to find the heart to think of someone other than herself. Oh and it works. We recommend giving this a viewing if you’re looking to see something different in the comic book film genre.