Birds of Prey - Review

Birds try to fly high after ditching tasteless Joker; gives boost to struggling DCEU catalog

WB

Director: Cathy Yan

Writers: Christina Hodson

Starring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Parez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Ewan McGredor, Chris Messina, Ali Wong

Info: R 1hr 49min Action/Adventure, Comic Book Warner Bros. Feb. 7, 2020

Birds of Prey comes rampaging out the gate with a giant “girl-power” granade-launcher and blasts every super-hero movie Warner Bros. has put out since Wonder Woman (and most of what came before)—and the DCEU is better off for it. Birds flies high above most other entries in the extended universe.

Warner Bros.

Margot Robbie has mastered the playing Harley Quinn, truly making the character her own. When she’s done with the DCEU, whenever that is, people will be remembering her as Harley like they did Micheal Keaton as Batman. She keeps it funny and is the main driving force for moving the action forward. Robbie deserves a lot of credit for keeping that energy throughout.

Harley and Joker have called it quits and Harley is dealing with the up and down emotions of a breakup in her own especially insane way. She joins up with superheros, The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett) to form The Birds of Prey and take down Roman Sionis/Blackmask (Ewan McGregor).

Trimming back the dark, edgy tone of Batman vs. Superman and Suicide Squad and playing up the funny banter and a more fun, light-hearted spirit elevates the experience. Cathy Yan has a good sense of what works and play to the strengths of the characters and the story and doesn’t force the shift in tone but makes room for it.

Sure, there are some plot holes but look at what we forgive from the MCU. And I get it; it’s not Endgame, or even Wonder Woman, but it’s a lot closer and shows there still hope for DCEU after a pretty rocky relationship with quality.