BIRDS OF PREY & THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN
Birds Of Prey & The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn released February 7th 2020 Directed by Cathy Yan & written by Christina Hodson Starring Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Jernee Smollett-Bell, Ella Jay Basco, Ewan McGregor
“You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.”
Birds Of Prey may not bring anything new to the table, but it’s undoubtedly an entertaining and fresh approach to the DC Extended Universe told by the wildly chaotic Harley Quinn herself. It captures her anarchic nature and once again showcases Margot Robbie’s talent in a way that Suicide Squad did not: Harley Quinn is set free and she takes us on a roller-coaster ride.
Where Birds Of Prey falls short in terms of pacing and plot, it makes up for it through it’s playful, colourful vision full of personality, style and mayhem.
From explosions of glitter to bold (and amazing) outfits, its aesthetic vision creates an entertaining spectacle that will be sure to put a smile on your face.
Birds Of Prey kicks off with a non-linear narrative structure which unfortunately fails to generate the dynamism it was hoping for, resulting in a slow, unevenly paced 1st half. Newly single, Harley Quinn is no longer under the protection of the Joker which means that every one of her foes and victims is after her. Harley flees and evades capture for some time, until eventually she crosses paths with the other heroines through the evil crime lord Roman Sionis. Once the pieces eventually fall into place and the character’s paths merge, Birds Of Prey delivers a wildly fun showdown. The ensemble of characters is strong enough to carry the film through its weaker moments: each one has their time to shine, whether it be a kick-ass action scene or a more personal flash-back.
It’s only when these heroines finally come together that Birds Of Prey takes flight, it’s just a shame it didn’t happen sooner.
Ewan McGregor’s evil crime lord Roman Sionis is equally as good, an amalgamation of campy melodramatic boss and terrifying misogynistic villain. Don’t be fooled by his comedic presence, he can be utterly terrifying when it suits him: there’s a distressing scene where he forces a woman to undress and dance on a table in the middle of a crowded club, simply because he was irritated by her laugh. Dinah Lance looks on helplessly, a tear falling down her face. Solidarity is the strongest underlying theme in the film, and the solidarity between the women feels authentic. Harley Quinn, Dinah Lance, Helena Bertinelli and Renee Montaya have each been exploited or overlooked, dismissed or underappreciated by their (male) peers. Birds Of Prey references this rather subtly, after all the film isn’t necessarily painted as a revenge against men story (except for Helena Bertinelli AKA The Huntress, definitely a revenge story for her) but more of a personal triumph for each heroine.
Birds Of Prey is R-Rated with lots of exhilarating, well choreographed hand-to-hand combat scenes, so expect a lot of leg-snapping-bone-crunching moments. It is violent despite its colourful palette, but it’s careful not to glorify its main protagonists’ actions: Harley Quinn shoots cops with confetti and glitter filled cannons, making her antics seem more like a nuisance than an onslaught. The same can’t be said for Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress though (and that’s okay!).
The climax of the film takes place in a Carnival fun house, an aesthetically pleasing eye-popping set which is the perfect playground for the visceral and super exhilarating action scene that follows. It’s mind-boggling that this is only the 2nd time ever that we see a group of women fight side by side in such a way, a reminder of how far the superhero cinematic worlds have yet to go. Unlike the rest of the DCEU, there are no excessive CGI explosions (well, apart from the one at the beginning of the film) and no skyscrapers are destroyed: it’s a refreshing and welcome change to the often dark and sombre landscapes we usually see in this cinematic universe. Fear not though, Gotham is still a gritty and dangerous place to be.
Birds Of Prey and The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn is a glittery fun, action-filled ride that will be sure to entertain you. It’s packed with exhilarating fight scenes led by a diverse group of unapologetic women, anchored by the truly fabulous Harley Quinn - heroines who are finally free from the dominating lens of the male-gaze. Although the plot is relatively thin at times, it finds redemption through the colourful production, awesome costumes, music and characters. Go see it, you’ll have a wild time.