Movie Review: Birds of Prey - How Harley Got Her Groove Back

Many would agree that one of the best parts of the 2016 Suicide Squad movie was Margot Robbie's performance as Harley Quinn. It was only a question of when we would see her reprise her character. Enter "Birds of Prey". In the comics, the Birds of Prey are a group of female vigilantes based in Gotham. Despite the film using the team name, the marketing for the movie focused heavily on Harley, so much so that it made me worry that the rest of the team members were going to get shortchanged. A "Harley and friends" movie isn't a bad idea, but at least have the title match the contents. Thankfully I was worried for nothing, as the main protagonists all get a significant amount of screen time in a suprisingly wild ride of a film that's hardcore fun.

First and foremost, Margot Robbie outdoes her performance in "Suicide Squad" and brings new energy to her character. After her break-up with the Joker, Harley is trying to find a purpose and place as she sets out on her own, and it leads to a lot of crazy and fun antics that have consequences to the same degree. What's great about her journey in the film is that it doesn't change who she is deep down; she's only out for her own self-interest and those who get in her good graces, whether they want to be or not. Still a villain, close to anti-hero, but in no way a straight-up hero.
In recent years, Harley Quinn has been seen as DC's equivalent to Deadpool: a comedic red and black wearing reference making fourth-wall breaker. Bearing that in mind, one could see some Deadpool influence in the film, with Harley narrating most of the story (including flashbacks when needed), fantasy sequences and adding in some cartoony drawings from time to time.

The fight choreography is pretty damn amazing. In a more grounded story, there's less reliance on CGI and more abundance of real stunt work. Coupled with an R rating allows the film to get real brutal, and it kept surprising me with how much they didn't hold back.

While Harley is the majority focus, the film does a good job at showcasing the other characters in a way that feels natural to the story and warrants the movie being named after the team. Let's talk about each "Bird" in order of my favorites:
* Jumee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance/Black Canary: Next to Harley, Dinah's character has the most connections to others in the film. It's fun to watch her navigate her way through it all as she tries to figure out the right thing to do. There's also hints of an interesting backstory that could be explored in a future film.
* Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya: Perez gives a decent performance as a hard-as-nails veteran detective. The only downside to her character is that life seems to keep finding a way to shit on her for actually doing her job.
* Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli/Huntress: In terms of focus, this character unfortunately drew the short straw. It reminds me of Drax in the first Guardians film: a good character with entertaining moments, but doesn't seem to get as much spotlight as the other protagonists (plus, both characters are out to avenge their families). Hell, she doesn't even get to meet the others until the third act. It's honestly a shame, because I think Mary Elizabeth Winstead is probably the third most recognizable star in this film given her own filmography (Sky High, Final Destination 3, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 10 Cloverfield Lane). Hopefully like Drax, Huntress will get a little more attention in a future film.
* Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain: The young actress turns in a good performance as a charge that ends up befriending Harley. My only problem is how different this portrayal of the character is from the comics. I honestly don't mind her not being the daughter of assassins (as far as we know), but you know what would have been interesting? If they kept her mute. Just imagine Harley and the others having to act off a character who couldn't talk back to them. It certainly would have been different from the troubled foster kid in an abusive home we've seen many times before.

Then you have the villains. As soon as Ewan McGregor was cast as Roman Sionis/Black Mask, I was totally on board with the idea. His performance is pretty entertaining; he's a person who likes to have fun, both in a conventional sense and in a sadist kind of way. There's one scene in the film that gets down right unsettling, highlighting how unhinged his character is. It was also great to see him wearing the comic accurate mask for the film's climax, adding significance to it as he seems to wear it when it's time to get down to dirty business.
There's also Sionis' right hand man, Victor Zsasz, played by Chris Messina. He's shown to be just as deranged as his boss, and in keeping to the comics, we see that he scars his body with tally marks for each person that he's killed. Honestly though, I kind of wish he got a little more screen time, as I felt a little more fear towards Sionis, while it probably should have been the other way around.

My nitpicks aside, "Birds of Prey" is a damn fun film that doesn't pull any punches. Whether you're a Harley fan, an action movie watcher, or just want a good girl power adventure, this film is worth a view.

My DC Extended Universe Film Rankings:
1. Aquaman
2. Wonder Woman
3. Shazam!
4. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
5. Man of Steel
6. Birds of Prey
7. Justice League
8. Suicide Squad