At first glance, it seems strange that Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) exists at all. As most are well aware, the DC Extended Universe has had quite the rocky journey since its official inception in 2013. Widely considered the franchise’s low point, 2016’s Suicide Squad marks Harley Quinn’s first appearance in the film franchise, though inarguably is the one beacon of light in an otherwise neon-muddled mess. It wasn’t until Wonder Woman, released the following year, did it seem like DC was capable of making a good superhero film, let alone a good superhero film that portrayed and celebrated a female hero. Lucky for us, Birds of Prey – the first ever comic book movie written, directed, and produced by women, and also features mostly a cast of women – can proudly carry the torch passed off by its female predecessor.
Only five minutes into Birds of Prey, I couldn’t help but ask myself, Is there anything Margot Robbie can’t do? In the last six months alone, Robbie appeared on screen as the effervescent Sharon Tate in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, a Floridian millennial conservative in Bombshell, and now everyone’s favorite Brooklynite firecracker, Harley Quinn. It’s almost staggering to witness an actor have so much range in such wildly different projects in so little time, yet Robbie makes it look easy. None of which speaks to how her own production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, took the reins to bring Birds of Prey to life. Needless to say, both Robbie and her company succeeded.
Unlike Marvel’s female-led Captain Marvel in 2019, Birds of Prey immediately sets a consistent tone, aesthetic, and character arc for its protagonist. Keeping true to the character’s portrayal in the comics yet adding a bit more feminist love, the film presents Harley Quinn as the lovable yet chaotic, unreliable narrator of her own story. While the film’s first act is a little bogged down by a twisting and turning narrative that sets up a web-like plot and introduces us to the titular birds, the story finds its footing once the audience becomes aware of who everyone is and what exactly they want. Harley is at once immediately familiar as the character we met in Suicide Squad, but is now in a movie that feels fresh, new, and unlike anything Marvel or DC has done before.
Comic fans will be delighted by Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s slightly dorky but tough take on the Huntress and Jurnee Smollet-Bell’s total ass-kicking as Black Canary. Veteran actress Rosie Perez brings a complex authenticity to Renee Montoya, who is finally given her time to shine outside of the comic book pages. Thirteen-year-old newcomer Ella Jay Basco is practically pitch perfect as Cassandra Cain, who’s not at all playing the Batgirl most fans would recognize from the comics, but instead is a sly Ocean’s 11-type pickpocket who can certainly hold her own alongside the stellar cast. Each of the women feels real, fully formed, and possesses a unique motivation that would otherwise be glossed over in similar films with a male hero at the forefront.
While Harley Quinn’s infamous ex the Joker is (thankfully) never seen though frequently mentioned, Ewan McGregor’s Roman Sionis aka the Black Mask is an instant-classic villain that adds rich texture to the wide range of Batman antagonists. He’s flamboyant and terrifying yet cool and neurotic, and gives one of the movie’s best performances. Victor Zsasz, played by Chris Messina, is an equally chilling presence on screen, constantly upping the stakes of every scene he’s in. The terror they incite, as well as Harley’s own games of cat-and-mouse, make the movie much more violent than to be expected, but no less fun.
Overall, a film like Birds of Prey not only greatly improves the current DCEU but raises the stakes of the whole pantheon of superhero films. Sure, the movie’s frame narration led by Harley can occasionally swerve off into chaotic and confusing territories, but the film’s perfect characterization supersedes its imperfect execution. It makes sense that Harley’s character would focus on her own struggles first, then backtrack half a dozen times to have the audience catch up with everyone else. At times, the movie feels like a more tongue-in-cheek Kill Bill, and other times it’s reminiscent of the musical helter skelter of Moulin Rouge. There’s glitter, smeared lipstick, a pet hyena, more than one musical number, and a climax that is fully dependent upon on a pair of roller skates – and it’s a total blast.
The film is not perfect, but one thing for certain is that Margot Robbie embodies Harley Quinn better than anyone else possibly could; she provides the character with true humanity, absolutely fun-loving and killer outfits that will no doubt be cosplayed until the end of time, and a fulfilling character arc. Harley starts out pretty unequivocally chaotically evil, but Robbie expertly brings her into chaotic neutral and even chaotic good territories without the audience even noticing. The attention to detail and love put into Harley and this film is undeniable, and that makes it heroic in my book.
