Suicide Squad (2016 film)
2016
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Feb 6, 2020 · A lively and vibrant action film starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and other female superheroes in Gotham City. The film celebrates feminine strength, humor and style, but drags in the middle with too much exposition.
Feb 7, 2020 · A movie about Harley Quinn and her new friends fighting against Black Mask and his gang. See critics' and audience's opinions, watch trailers, and find streaming options on Rotten Tomatoes.
- (446)
- Cathy Yan
- R
- Margot Robbie
Feb 5, 2020 · Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)79%. Critics Consensus: With a fresh perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of...
- 21 min
- 2020
- Christopher Campbell
Feb 7, 2020 · Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 59 Critic Reviews. 60. User Score Generally Unfavorable Based on 3,213 User Ratings. 3.2. My Score. Hover and click to give a rating. Add My Review. Where to Watch. Max (Subscription required) All Watch Options. View All. Margot Robbie. Harley Quinn. Rosie Perez. Renee Montoya. Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
- (59)
- Cathy Yan
- R
- Beat, Prey, Love: Harley Quinn's return is a joyride.
- Birds of Prey: Comparing the Characters' Looks Through the Years
- Every Modern DC Movie Review
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- Birds of Prey Review
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By Laura Prudom
Updated: Apr 28, 2020 10:22 pm
Posted: Feb 5, 2020 5:00 pm
This is a spoiler-free review of Birds of Prey, now in theaters. For more, check out the evolution of Harley Quinn, Black Canary, and Huntress's costumes over the years, see how Birds of Prey's box office performance ranks against the other recent DC movies, and find out how Birds of Prey handles Batman.
Much like its central character, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a riot - an anarchic glitterbomb of lunacy that boasts some of the most inventive fight sequences ever seen in a comic book movie, even if it often has a tendency to undermine its momentum just when it’s kicking into high gear. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel - especially in the wake of the fourth-wall breaking Deadpool franchise and the swagger of Guardians of the Galaxy - but it’s still a ballsy, biting blast that feels like a two-hour sugar high without the crash.
After being underwhelmed by the initial trailers, and frustrated by the muddled mess of Suicide Squad (which squandered one of the most entertaining and bonkers concepts in DC’s canon), I worried that Birds of Prey would end up falling into the same trap as the likes of Elektra and Catwoman, slapping a pandering “girl power” narrative onto a paper-thin plot and trusting that skintight costumes would distract from how hollow it all felt.
Birds of Prey has a deliberate stream-of-consciousness quality thanks to Harley’s breakneck voiceover, which is woven throughout - first introduced via an energetic animated prologue stuffed full of easter eggs, which seems designed to get her complicated history with the Joker out of the way up front without actually showing him. (There are also a few direct nods to Suicide Squad, lest you try to forget that the two are set in the same universe, but the movie zips along fine without feeling the need to get bogged down by too much backstory.)
The plot swerves, skids, and doubles back on itself as Harley recounts the unlikely tale of her emancipation and the women who inadvertently become tangled up in it, overcomplicating a fairly straightforward story in which various factions are on the hunt for a stolen diamond… or on the hunt for those who are hunting it. Thankfully, Yan’s stylish direction and keen sense of comedic timing keep things lively even when the story starts to strain under the weight of so many competing storylines.
Although “Mistah J” is often namedropped - and serves as the catalyst for much of Harley’s growth here - his presence isn’t missed, since Birds of Prey serves up two villains who are somehow even more unpredictable than either Jared Leto or Joaquin Phoenix’s recent takes on the Joker.
Ewan McGregor is clearly having the time of his life as Roman Sionis (aka Black Mask), a mercurial and sadistic crime lord with a penchant for carving people’s faces off and wearing pajamas adorned with his own image. (Sidenote: the costuming choices in this movie are spectacular across the board, and just begging for cosplay -- it’s no coincidence you can buy most of Harley’s clothes at Hot Topic already.) His cruel volatility, coupled with his control-freak tendencies, make him the perfect funhouse mirror reflection of Harley’s more benign brand of chaos - there’s no malice in her casual disregard for others, whereas Black Mask makes a game out of toying with his foes. McGregor chews the scenery with such commitment that it’s hard not to be charmed by his charisma, but just when it feels like the audience might be enjoying Roman’s antics a little too much, Yan expertly flips the switch, forcing us to be unwilling witnesses for his most discomfiting acts, just to remind us that it’s all fun and games until somebody loses a face.
Roman’s theatrics are made all the more chilling because he has the dead-eyed Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina) as his unflappable enforcer. Although the knife-wielding serial killer is an iconic member of Batman’s rogues gallery in his own right, Victor’s obsessive desire to please his boss and Roman’s unchecked narcissism combine to create a dynamic duo who are pure nightmare fuel.
If it sounds like we’re spending a lot of time on the villains, that’s because the movie does too. Birds of Prey has a lot of masters to serve between emancipating Harley, setting up her antagonists, and establishing the other women crammed into that very long title, and unfortunately, the Birds of Prey are the ones who get shortchanged by the ambitious scope of this tale.
Hodson’s script does a good job of tying the women’s disparate plot threads together and giving all of them believable reasons to hate Black Mask (along with some tantalizing hints of each reluctant hero’s backstory), and when they do eventually team up, it’s definitely worth the wait, culminating in a dazzling action setpiece. But the delayed gratification calls to mind Netflix and Marvel’s Defenders miniseries, which took three episodes to get the titular heroes fighting together, and even longer for them to all acknowledge that they were, in fact, a team. There’s certainly plenty of scope for a sequel, but it feels like a more streamlined story might’ve left more room for character development, even if the movie had to sacrifice some sass to accomplish it.
One area of the movie that perfectly balances character and sass is in its many elaborate fight sequences. In terms of pure, blood-splattered action, Birds of Prey has far more in common with the John Wick franchise than any recent superhero film, which makes a lot of sense when you realize that Chad Stahelski (director of all three John Wick movies) was reportedly brought on to help punch up the brawls. The fight scenes in Birds of Prey are jaw-dropping and more than earn the movie’s R-rating - utilizing all manner of props (from baseball bats to bags of cocaine), satisfyingly squelchy sound editing, and a deranged sense of humor to create something truly thrilling. And, thanks to an emphasis on practical stunts and well-choreographed camera movements, the smackdowns have a tangible, bone-crunching quality that sets them apart from the overly CGIed slugfests found in many other superhero movies lately.
In terms of sheer fun, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) delivers in spades. Its zany energy, visceral fight sequences, and focus on one of DC’s most fascinating characters ensure that it continues Warner Bros.’ winning streak of big, bombastic comic book adaptations that are unafraid to embrace their inherent ridiculousness. While its emphasis on Harley Quinn doesn’t leave much room for the Birds of Prey (though each scores a standout moment), the movie is a stunning showcase for Margot Robbie, who commands the screen and gives her damaged protagonist all the dimension she deserves. And although we’d have preferred to see a true team-up with fewer narrative detours, Birds of Prey provides a perfect setup for a host of other intriguing spinoffs in the DC cinematic universe - can we request Poison Ivy next?
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Review scoring
great
Birds of Prey is a madcap joyride that puts Harley in the driver's seat, but sometimes leaves her cohorts in the dust.
Laura Prudom
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Read critics' and audience's opinions on the 2020 superhero film starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Find out the pros and cons of the action, comedy, and female empowerment in this R-rated movie.
Feb 5, 2020 · ‘Birds of Prey’: Film Review. Margot Robbie reprises the role of Harley Quinn in 'Birds of Prey,' Cathy Yan's film about a group of DC Comics women who are forced to fight together....
