You’d have to think about it minutes (or hours) after Cathy Yan’s “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” before it dawns on you (at least for me) that it’s more than the typical women empowerment-themed flicks wrapped in a fun, sexy package.
It’s actually a cunning way of addressing long-held misconceptions and norms without resorting to black-and-white discussions about what women can and can’t do and how they should and should not be treated.
I guess the premise that puts into spotlight a band of anti-heroines serves as the perfect platform for this kind of conversation.
In one scene, we see the recently single Harley Quin (the fantabulous Margot Robbie) dancing her agony away on a ledge when a man in a suit shouted at her “dumb blonde (or slut?)” which clearly annoyed the hell out of the former psychiatrist.
She then jumps onto the guy’s outstretched legs with full force, audibly breaking them both, and the walking away as if it’s the most normal thing to do while muttering the words “I have an MBA” under her breath. It’s funny and interesting how she was clearly more concerned about the fact that this guy didn’t think she had a degree and questioned her cognitive capacity, insulted not by the usual derogatory box society puts beautiful, carefree ladies.
Harley didn’t really care about whether the guy thought of her as a slut. She wanted him to know that she is anything but dumb. And that was a pretty powerful statement sewn into a scene where there’s too much going on. Christina Hodson made sure that the script has this little thought-provoking nuggets and that they were not overshadowed by tall the color bombs, fights, explosions, and funny antics.
It’s interesting how DC seems to really do well with movies that put into the limelight characters we’re ideally not rooting for. It proved effective with 2016’s “Suicide Squad” which is now an Oscar winner and the critically acclaimed “Joker” and now, as the studio turns its attention to the women, it feels like they’re realizing that their strength could be in the anti-hero arena.
Right from the get-go, “Birds of Prey” has made it clear that it won’t give a f*ck about the conventions. It starts with an animated narration of Harley’s background, setting up the movie’s storyline. It’s reminiscent of Deadpool in some ways, in how it talks to the audience at certain moments and in the main character’s willingness to unapologetically self-deprecate. But it doesn’t really matter. “Birds of Prey” is one highly entertaining watch.
Despite what it’s trying to say, the movie didn’t forget to give us the right amount of action we need. The fight scenes were choreographed well and so were the car chase scenes. Exploding plants and buildings aside, the violence here is merely a tool to reinforce each of the character’s developing arcs.
While Harley dominates most of the screen time, which is great for us because Robbie is so entertaining, the rest of the crew had enough airtime so we can get to know them: Helena Bertinelli or Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Dinah Lance or Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco).
The quirks and nuances of each crew member are also integral to the movie’s appeal. They’re fierce and sassy but also hilarious at certain moments. And the good thing is they don’t feel much of a put-on.
Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis or Black Mask was also a delight.
Don’t get me wrong. The script is thin story-wise, but it was compensated by its vigor. It’s lively and colorful. And, as mentioned earlier, gives us a glimpse of some important themes.
In the end, it’s carried by the animated and very good performances especially from Robbie and McGregor.
