Birds of Prey

It's really hard for me to give Suicide Squad much credit for anything. I've been doing Rath's Reviews for almost 10 years now and it's still the film that aggravates me the most -- probably the most disappointing one I've seen from where my expectations were (and the film we were all but promised) and the film we got. 

It had some of the worst action ever in a superhero film, a nonsense story with a horrendous villain, awful editing, and was just overall garbage that gets progressively worse the more you let it fester. In my mind, it's the low point of the DCEU. 

But, if I were to pick one point of the film that works out well - and almost seemed destined for more greatness - it was Margot Robbie's spot-on take of Harley Quinn. Within the movie she was given, there were hints of potential. 

And yeah, the DCEU is really confusing right now (and probably worth a case study or future Rath Write-Up) because they've abandoned really any continuity after Justice League's "failure", but it has also allowed them to find their groove. Aquaman, Shazam!, Wonder Woman, and the now multiple-Oscar-nominated Joker are all examples of DC saying "F**k it! Let's let directors make the movies they want and rather than engineering their talents from a boardroom to try and compete with Marvel, let's let them play in these worlds."

Birds of Prey (which I'll be referring to it as because I think the rest of the title is just excessive), is another example of this and - it's almost not even shocking at this point - represents another "win" for DC movies. Is it the best one yet? Not for me, no (I still hold Joker and Wonder Woman as the best thus far), but it offers a lot and is probably the most improved "sequel" maybe...ever?...because of how awful the film that birthed it was. 

This is the story of how Harley Quinn broke out on her own, away from "Mr J." or, in other words, how the DC Universe ensures that she's still a usable/salvageable character after butchering most of them in Suicide Squad. It is weird to have Harley mention the Joker so many times in this film (probably upwards of 20-30) without him ever making an appearance, but given how hated Leto's Joker is - and the fact that there's a different Joker competing at the moment - I guess it's not surprising. The story is fine and on paper is very simple: everyone is after Harley now that she doesn't have protection, but is "over complicated" by the randomness in which Harley tells it. It's a funny shtick because it fits with the character, but after one or two instances I found it a bit annoying. That said, it very much adds to the light and breezy vibe of this film and this character, and in a lot of ways this film reminded me of Deadpool. Yes, the R-rating is part of that, but more precisely: it's a character-focused film of someone with a very distinct personality that does a stellar job at capturing what you'd expect. Violence, zaniness, color, seediness, etc. Birds of Prey's biggest achievement is capturing the essence of this beloved character. And speaking of that R-rating; it's ultimately for language which, if I'm being honest becomes poorly written/excessive at times. Birds of Prey is better for having chosen that route, but it also doesn't feel like it takes advantage of it in the way that Deadpool did (i.e. soft vs. hard R). 

Has some rage issues...

The new Disney+ Obi Wan show
is revealing his mid-life-crisis fashion sense

Throughout the film, Quinn meets some companions and additional characters, which is really where the fun parts come in and each one is impressive in their own right. Renee Montoya is a cop down on her luck and, while a nice character, probably the least entertaining in comparison. Cassandra Cain is the little girl who gets wrapped up in all of this mayhem and - while I wasn't head over heels for her - she does add the heart to the film. Black Canary is a character I'm sure most of us would want to see more of, as well as The Huntress (played with great effect by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and the film probably should have had more of her in it. And while those characters are all fine/great - the two stars of the show are Ewan McGregor's Roman Sionis and Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. McGregor is having a damn blast as the villain and adds some hilarious quirks to him (e.g. "Ew!") while making him appropriately menacing and short-tempered. And Robbie continues to be perfect comic book casting as the lively, sometimes a bit annoying, but funny Harley Quinn. It may be a lot of small moments, but there's some great acting on display here beneath all the typical Harley Quinn behavior. 

Birds of Prey also gets top marks for just being stylish AF (as the kids say these days). The action hits hard and ranges from fine (some early chases) to awesome (police station break out) to impressive (roller blade chase). That police station segment, while separated due to storytelling style, is probably bound to be some of the more impressive action of the year and is literally better and cooler than every single thing Suicide Squad did...combined...and multiplied by 10 (can you tell how much I hated that film's action?!?). During each of these action sequences we're treated to lots of color - Harley even fires glitter bombs from a potato gun at a few points - and a bangin soundtrack (again, what the kids are saying, right?). As I watched it, I realized that one should be somewhat familiar with this character and her off-brand style of doing things or else a lot of this, I'm sure, seems like rubbish. But, again, much like Deadpool, this is a film that was designed from the ground up to reflect the character at its center. 

Gurrllllllzzzzzz niiiiiiightt!!

As much as I really enjoyed Birds of Prey, my only lasting concern with it is that I think it'll fade with time. I could see it becoming a fan favorite (and will likely do just fine at the box office) or a popular female party film, but it also lacks some of the substance we've gotten from previous comic book movies as of late. That's fine; not every film has to be heavy, memorable, and significant, but even this morning as I write this review, I can already feel the style vs. substance debate playing in my head. Regardless, Birds of Prey is the film Harley Quinn aficionados wanted and it plays full out in this world, continuing to mark a decided and wise change for DC films. And as a semi-sequel to their absolute lowest point, it strangely almost acts as the final, full-circle statement in the brand's resurrection. 

CONS

• Story telling approach gets a bit old
• Not all characters are equally great (Renee Montoya feels unnecessary by the end)
• Could have used more Huntress
• Awkward amount of mentioning the Joker without him actually ever showing up
• Suffers a tad from style over substance

PROS

• Captures the spirit and essence of this character nearly-perfectly
• R-rating was a good decision
• Huntress and Black Canary are awesome
• Ewan McGregor rocks as Black Mask and gets some huge laughs
• Pretty funny overall
• Margot Robbie was born to play Harley Quinn and does some wonderful acting here as she plays full out
• Yay for awesome action!!
• Double yay for awesome action with a loud, fun soundtrack!
• Yay for a varied color palette and vibrant settings!
• Fun, violent, and zany - Birds of Prey is exactly what you were hoping for

Rath's Review Score | 8/10