First reactions praise “fun” and “hilarious” Birds of Prey

Early reactions to Birds of Prey have arrived, and they’re mostly positive.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is off to a solid start with critics. The social media embargo has lifted, and pundits are now sharing their initial thoughts on the film. So far, the film has received positive reviews, with particular praise aimed at its cast, direction, humor and action sequences.

Margot Robbie’s leading performance as Harley Quinn is also garnering acclaim, but she’s not the only actor receiving love. Jurnee Smollett-Bell is also being singled out for her debut as Black Canary, with her alley fight scene being called a highlight. Additionally, Ewan McGregor, who plays the villainous Black Mask, has also been lauded and said to be on “another frequency.”

In terms of the action sequences, Atom Tickets’ Alisha Grauso compared the film to the John Wick franchise — with a few aesthetic changes, of course:

Humor is a key aspect of Harley Quinn’s characterization, and it appears to shine through in the film. Trailers and released footage have hinted at a style of humor similar to that of the Deadpool franchise. In his reaction, Ben Mekler referred to it as “hilarious”:

Despite the generally positive, early buzz, the film isn’t perfect. Some, who believe it is fun, also found the storytelling to be somewhat uneven:

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Birds of Prey marks the return of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn following her last cinematic appearance in Suicide Squad. This time around the antiheroine has dropped the Joker and is now joined by characters like Huntress and Black Canary. On top of this, the movie places Quinn in an R-rated setting that allows for a grittier setting and tone.

Robbie, who also served as a producer on the film, sought out an R-rating so that the film could effectively explore the darker backgrounds of some of its characters. Director Cathy Yan was also on board with this approach. Having embraced the violent nature of the characters, she’s cited Pulp Fiction as one of her inspirations for the project.

The eighth installment in the DC Extended Universe is currently tracking for a $50 million opening weekend. What effect these early reactions — and the reviews arriving on February 5 —  have on the box office numbers remains to be seen. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).