Birds of Prey: Breakups Can be Hard
Birds of Prey begins with the breakup of Harley Quinn played by Margot Robbie and the Joker and quickly moves into something else much chaotic. It sheds any tropes of the typical superhero movie that is dominated by men in tight outfits and instead focuses on our girl Harley and her team of other DC antiheroes. Now that she is no longer under the protection of the Joker a lot of people want to take revenge on her including Roman Sionis, a Gotham crime lord. Sionis tells Quin he will spare her if she gets a diamond with mob secrets etched in it. This treasure hunt brings together Cassandra Cain, Helena Bertinelli, Dinah Lance, and Renee Montoya.
Their introductions are told through a nonlinear timeline that revolves around Harley's breakup and rewinds at key moments to explain how each is linked to the main storyline. It is supposed to help with the chaotic nature of this tale but only points out how Harley is essential to the entire story. The main stars are Harley and Sionis as they both exhibit the same amount of energy and vibrancy that the other characters seem to lack and can't keep up with.
The film quickly ditches the confusing, choppy storyline and dives into the mayhem of Gotham told through the eyes of Harley Quinn. This movie excels in the action focusing on its look instead of post-production coloring giving it the extra edge. Every fight in the movie is choreographed so beautifully and keeps viewers engaged from the pink smoke, grenade launchers with firebombs, rollerskate car chase, and a merry go round keep away. It is all done in Harley character without trying to mimic any superhero predecessors. Each character has fighting styles that match their own personality and Robbie is a star at the physical comedy that doesn't make the scenes feel too dark or graphic. Finally a superhero flick that feels modern and has a personality.
This film feels very camp and arthouse compared to how Gotham is usually portrayed as a sleek, crime-filled version of New York. We are seeing it through the eyes of someone who is not on the same level as Bruce Wayne with the loud architecture and personalities of the people. It doesn't feel stale or safe; anything can happen.
This manic energy carries the tone of Birds of Prey and proves that women can be just as entertaining and badass as their male counterparts. Superheroes can have a little fun and not all be depressed, lonely individuals as w have seen before. The movie could have done a better job on the exposition of other characters but sets it up for a future for them in DC. Even breakups are messy for Harley Quinn but she turns it into a fun adventure that is worth the watch.