Birds of Prey review: An emancipation for comic book adaptations

Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn returns to the big screen with Birds of Prey, a film that tackles the realities of life with hilarity and action.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) is heartbroken. She’s gone through a breakup, and she isn’t taking it as well as she thought she would. Now, Harley’s spending her time in Roman Sionis’ (Ewan McGregor) club, getting drunk and in trouble. Harley hits rock bottom when she accidentally paints a target on her back and now, everyone in Gotham is out to get her. That’s how Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) begins. This story is very much about Harley Quinn, but she wouldn’t get anywhere without the soon-to-become Birds of Prey.

How Dinah Lance/ Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Helena Bertinelli / The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) get caught up in Harley’s orbit unfolds through some excellent non-linear storytelling. The common thread running through it all is Roman, aka Black Mask, one of the most powerful men in Gotham. At Roman’s side is Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina), the executor of Roman’s often pedantic whims. But the real villain in this film isn’t Roman or his army of mercenaries; it’s the patriarchy.

The writer-director combo of Christina Hodson and Cathy Yan spin a tale that is compelling, hilarious, action-packed, true to its comic book origins, but refreshing. From the very beginning of the film, the creators make it clear this film is entertainment placed firmly in reality. Yes, there’s a silly MacGuffin that everyone is after and there are plenty of hi-jinks to enjoy, yet the film often reflects the world we live in.

What makes Hodson and Yan’s execution brilliant is that the film never lacks in the entertainment department. There is plenty of action and the fight scenes are slick and tense. Interspersed with the action are laugh out loud moments that showcase the uniqueness of each character. Robbie, in particular, gets the majority of the fight scenes, and she seems to revel in it. Since Harley is so well fleshed out in this film, she’s an easy character to root for. Even when she’s doing the wrong thing.

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The entire Birds of Prey team are superb, though Winstead deserved much more screen time. Smollett-Bell is a powerhouse with her sarcasm and heart of gold. The characterization of Black Canary was heavily influenced by Gail Simone’s beloved Birds of Prey comic run. The scene-stealer, however, is Perez. First of all, the fact that a detective role is put on an even keel with the superheroes is to be applauded. Admittedly, Montoya is filling in for Oracle, who would have been in the film if Warner Bros. wasn’t still holding out hope for a Batgirl film. Despite that, Perez’s Montoya is a vibrant character whose earnest need to take down Roman is matched by her struggles with a misogynistic police department. Young Ella Jay Basco also gets to be more than just the foul-mouthed kid sidekick.

While all the ladies fill out their characters, the two male actors fall short. Chris Messina’s casting as Zsasz perturbed many because the character is known for being evil. Zsasz isn’t written as such in Birds of Prey; he’s little more than a weapon and a sycophant. Messina plays that aspect of Zsasz well but, when it comes to being menacing, he’s nowhere close.

Ewan McGregor seems completely miscast as Black Mask. It’s evident that he enjoyed himself on set, and he does justice to Roman’s more flamboyant mannerisms. But McGregor cannot do sinister, which is exactly what was needed in one of the most distressing scenes in the film. The shocking scene in the third act of the film called for McGregor to be frightening, but he looked downright uncomfortable with what his character was doing. The impact of the scene was in no way lessened, but it highlighted how out of his depth McGregor was.

As delightful as Birds of Prey is, one should note that there are several uncomfortable scenes scattered throughout the film. The film should have come with trigger warnings, which would help some audience members with the viewing experience. It’s extremely hard to watch these characters – superheroes and villains alike – in dire circumstances that far too many women will identify with. Harley being in distress is particularly difficult to watch, but the power of sisterhood saves her time and again. Replace Harley, Black Canary, Huntress, or Renee with any average woman, and several scenes of this film look like veritable news items.

The world that the Birds of Prey navigate echoes the one we live in, but with a lot more Gotham and Joker references. These are the nuances that come from giving people with relevant lived experiences the chance to tell their stories. In the hands of other creators, the film could have devolved into a male gaze-y sleaze-fest (look no further than other DC Extended Universe films, Justice League and Suicide Squad, for proof of that). But Hodson’s writing highlights the omnipresent impact of a “man’s world”, while Yan’s direction makes her characters look cool and powerful.

There is so much to enjoy about Birds of Prey, especially the numerous Easter eggs, which is expected of a comic book adaptation. The costumes and cinematography are outstanding; but if you’re looking for the impractical outfits from the comics, you will be thankfully disappointed. The soundtrack is catchy, as is Daniel Pemberton’s score.

The final scenes appear to set up a sequel, though the return of Harley is debatable. Will we see more DC Comics characters join the team next time? That depends on how well the rest of the DCEU’s roster does at the box office.

There’s no denying that the best aspect of this film is just how different it is. Birds of Prey is a breath of fresh air in an already predictable landscape of superhero fare. This film is evidence that dark and distressing subject-matter can be dealt with in a poignant manner, and without it being too on-the-nose. You need the right team to create it. While Birds of Prey might be the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, it also emancipates the bar we have set for comic book adaptations. Say bye-bye, Puddin’!