Movie Review: 'Birds of Prey'

Opened: 7 February 2020
Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor
Director: Cathy Yan
Producers: Margot Robbie, Bryan Unkeless, Sue Kroll
Rating: ★★★

By far the most intriguing character the DCU has produced has to be that of Harley Quinn. A brilliant psychologist who succumbs into madness after being enamoured with one of her patients (The Joker), and a twisted, troubled, criminal mastermind with psychopathic tendencies, often better known as the Clown Prince Of Crime’s aide, it’s a surprise that studio bosses have never really brought her to life until recently.

“The movie is as much about girl power as it is about the bad guys (mostly men, mind) getting their asses kicked.”

First seen in the so-so box office flop Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie’s portrayal of the demented diva was probably the movie’s highlight, so it was only a matter of time until she eventually got a movie of her own. Hopping on to the feminist bandwagon, and probably hoping to undo the sexist overtones of Suicide Squad (where Jared Leto’s Joker pretty much abuses and torments Quinn), Warner Bros changed its title at the last minute to Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) – smart choice because the movie is as much about feminism and girl power as it is about the bad guys (mostly men, mind) getting their asses kicked.

The movie has a few quirks and clever touches

A twisted and hap-hazard tale recounted by Harley herself, the movie kicks off after The Joker unceremoniously dumps her, subsequently spiralling her foray into depression and self-destruction, until she inevitably pulls herself together when she comes to blows with a narcissistic nightclub owner, Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) and his cronies headed up by Zsasz (Chris Messina). Sionis places a target on a young orphan named Cassandra (Ella Jay Basco) and unleashes mayhem on Gotham until Harley enlists the help of four unlikely women; The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and a disgruntled cop (Rosie Perez), so that they can bring him down for good.

Unlike Warner Bros’ previous DC ensemble outings, there’s a lot to like in Birds Of Prey. The women take centre stage and there are some clever touches here, like Quinn’s unlikely choice of pet (a hyena!), and some spectacularly quirky and imaginatively staged action sequences and set pieces.

Inevitably though, Robbie’s rendition of Quinn is again the best thing about Birds Of Prey. She’s kooky and crazy and throws herself into the part, and if it wasn’t for her the movie would have fallen down like a pack of The Joker’s cards, because even though the other women all get their respective arcs, they aren’t entirely convincing nor are they very engaging and it’s when the movie focuses on them, that it begins to falter. Similarly, McGregor’s antagonist plays to all the comic book villain stereotypes, and even though it looks like he’s enjoying himself, the way in which his character has been written appears a little contrived and weak. In contrast, Messina (a far cry from his good natured gynaecologist, Daniel Castellano, in The Mindy Project) as his wily henchman, is a tad more convincing and would have made for a more formidable nemesis.

Margot Robbie holds the film together even in its weaker portions

And while director Cathy Yan, a relative unknown, uses a clever amalgamation of comic book shtick and live action interspersing with witty dialogue about female empowerment, the end result doesn’t quite come together as well as it was probably envisaged on paper. So yes, you appreciate the innovative and non-linear use of going back and forth in timelines as Harley tells her version of events (probably to reflect her unsettled state of mind), but it all gets a little tedious and begins to wear thin, especially if you’re completely new to the material and have no knowledge of the character or her respective backstory.

“Loaded with enough personality, humour and visuals, even if the end result isn’t entirely satisfying.”

Still, there’s enough personality, humour and visuals here and while it isn’t entirely satisfying, it’s a much better outing overall than say Justice League and Dawn Of Justice, even if it doesn’t come even a fraction as close to the gold that was Wonder Woman. Is it because DC’s female characters are just that much more interesting than their male counterparts? That’s open to debate, but either way a movie about badass, wisecracking women is almost always more fun to watch than a group of burly macho men doing the same thing, because let’s face it, why should boys have all the fun?