Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) | Film Review

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a brutally satisifying and intoxicatingly vibrant explosion of fun. Margot Robbie sparkles every swing of the way, giving us a massively entertaining and refreshing performance.

Harleen Quinzel has broken free of the chains from her overwhelmingly toxic relationship with the Joker (aka “Mr. J”) and she’s ready to celebrate her independence. Unfortunately for Quinn, celebrating her freedom also means zero protection from everyone in Gotham City that wants her head on a stick. When the evil crime lord, Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), puts a half a million bounty on a young, spunky girl, Quinn teams up with four unlikely badasses to take Roman down. Is this a sequel to Suicide Squad? No, that has been confirmed. However, there are moments that pull from Suicide Squad so it’s still within that world.

Birds of Prey is a film made by women for women about women, but operates in a capacity that is enjoyable for everyone. The narration and storytelling from Margot Robbie’s Quinn is a wonderful addition and encapsulates the magic of how women tell stories. Albeit an unusual way to walk the audience through the timeline, Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan magnificently takes you into the mind of Quinn and most women out there. You know what I’m talking about – when a woman starts telling a story, realizing halfway through she needs to add some backstory or gets sidetracked on a B story and then wraps it all back together, and somehow you manage to follow along and it all makes sense. That’s how the story is told, which is a beautiful way to capture the inner workings of Harley Quinn and is indicative of her bouncy personality.

Another stellar move by Yan and screenwriter Christina Hodson, is the incorporation of what every woman in the theater is thinking. For so long, we (women) have watched these killer, kick-ass action movies and thought about the actual logistics of women doing these stunts or moves. Birds of Prey delivers on our thoughts, adding raw humor that only adds to the overall setting. And a huge props to the entire team for the level of effort dedicated to incorporating food into the film’s story. Women love food. I’m a woman, I love food. And Harley Quinn loves food as much as all of us combined. A beautiful tribute to the real love of our lives: cheese.

Now, there are a number of things that make Birds of Prey enjoyable, and while it starts with Robbie, it certainly doesn’t end there. The cast leads with charismatic and seductive performances. Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary is a goosebumps-giving experience. Her entire demeanor is cool, laid back, and badass. Everything about her character and her portrayal is glorious and leaves me wanting more. And that young girl whose life is on the line? Played by Ella Jay Basco, Cassandra Cain is a gritty and fetching character you can’t help but root for, despite her thieving tendencies.

Each of these dissident females are ushered in with outstanding choreography. The fight scenes are so believable, raw, and ruthless that there are audible “oohs” and “ahhs” in unison. Only one recent franchise comes to mind that has given me the same feeling of enjoyability during a violent brawl and that’s the almighty John Wick. I was not only impressed with how fun the choreography was, but how well suited each of the actors and their stunt performers were for the task.

I will admit, the trailers left me feeling a bit lackluster, but I’m so thankful I gave Birds of Prey the chance it so obviously deserves. If you’re in need of a volatile and dazzling night out to the movies, fly your ass to the theater and buy a ticket to Birds of Prey.