Retro-Reviews: Birds of Prey (SPOILERS)

It's oh so quiet...

It's been an interesting time for DC. After a series of mishaps in their plans for the DCEU, the execs have taken a step back and done a bit of course correction. To put it simply, they are now letting directors do their own thing and tell their own stories. The best thing about that is that some have chosen to take what was great about the DCEU beforehand and run with it. In this case, Harley Quinn. Easily one of, the not the very best, thing about Suicide Squad, it's nice that Margot Robbie can continue to shine in the role of this iconic character, and even better that it's in a self-contained story that allows us to enjoy the vision of what a look into Harley's world would look like. Still, as fun and cool as Birds of Prey is, there are some flaws that bring it down quite a bit for me. Let's get into all of that right now:

UPS

1. Margot Robbie. I loved her take on this character, and she shines just as bright here as she did in Suicide Squad. Her fun, quirky, infectious personality is matched perfectly with a sheer unhinged ferocity that compliments this character well. Having her break off from the Joker also allows the character to take new directions which make her come into her own and make her be one we can appreciate following. What I think I like most is that even though she's our protagonist, that still didn't make her a hero, and it's nice to see that they didn't try to force that change when it really wasn't necessary. Really, having films that follow these morally ambiguous characters with infinite shades of grey make for interesting stories, especially when it comes to comic book films, where most of the conflicts are black and white. Of course, we still needed a villain to compliment our "hero," and we've thankfully got a great one with...
2. Ewan McGregor's Black Mask. The DCEU has had some dud villains (take your pick between Steppenwolf and Enchatress) but it's also not without its exceptions. Thankfully, Black Mask falls within the latter. It's nice to see this villain come into the spotlight after being relatively obscure from the mainstream, with McGregor making this take wildly fun, creative, and unique. Some have their issues with how different he is from usual interpretations, but I think it makes him more compelling, because while he is wacky, eccentric, and over the top, he also proves to be brutal, vicious, and menacing. Alas, since he's killed off at the end, we'll never see more of him :(
3. Cathy Yan. In order for this movie to work, it needed to be fun, unique, and energetic. While the story doesn't do much in service of that, Yan's direction manages to pull it forward. This film is vibrantly filmed, with every detail and choice being used to the fullest extent possible. Yan took a simple story and made it her own. Because of her direction, this film is able to stand on its own despite its familiarity.

DOWNS

1. The overall story, or at least how its structured. While Yan manages to still inject this film with a vibrant life, I don't think the plot is that well put together. For one, this film relies heavily on flashbacks, all with Harley's narration. After a while, it gets tedious and overplayed, which even writer Christina Hodson seems to acknowledge since she decides to rush through one flashback towards the end. The downside? It's the backstory of one of our central characters! Which brings me to my next point...
2. All the other characters aside from Harley feel sidelined. Of course, they are all played well by their actors, but a good performance can only go so far when the script doesn't utilize them to their full potential. I've already covered Black Mask, but I find that even though I enjoyed watching these characters unfold, I felt like I needed more time with them. The most egregious example of this has to be Huntress, whose aforementioned backstory is the one they decided to rush through. It's such a shame, because I could imagine her being one of my favorite characters in the film if we just gotten more screentime from her. 
3. As fun as all the action was, I felt this film didn't take full advantage of its R-Rating. Sure, it doesn't need to be an all out splatter fest, but it all just felt rather tame for a movie that could've really put the petal to the metal with the freedom that they had. There were some standout moments, like Bruce the Hyena munching on that poor sap's leg, but these moments are few and far in between. 

OVERALL

Birds of Prey (or whichever title you choose to call it) is another win for DC, even if it isn't as strong as other recent offerings. I hope we see more of these characters and look forward to seeing Harley return in James Gunn's Suicide Squad. 

And that's it for this post, guys! Tune in for more coming your way and take care till then :)