Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Starring Margot Robbie, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Directed by Cathy Yan

There's certain roles that seem tailor-made for the actors who have played them, and you can't imagine anyone else in that role.  Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.  Sigourney Weaver as Ripley.  Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.  Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.  The last one is the most recent, as Robbie portrayed the lovable villain in 2016's abysmal "Suicide Squad," but was never really to officially let loose and release her inner Quinn until now, and it's well worth the wait.  This is what happens when you allow a female-driven superhero team-up film to star women, be directed by a woman, written by a woman, and produced (by Robbie herself) by a woman - a fun, action-packed comedic adventure with deep characterization and unique visuals that show the film knew what it was doing the entire time: provide just what I said, but not take itself seriously.

After her split with the Joker, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) learns that the Clown Prince of Crime has been shielding her from ruthless assassins who want her dead, which is pretty much everyone in Gotham City.  The most notorious of these is nightclub owner and crime lord Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), who is also tracking down a diamond that has encoded in it the source of a mafia fortune.  Quinn agrees to get the diamond for him to spare her life, and learns it resides in teenage pickpocket Cassandra Cain's (Ella Jay Basco) hands - but Quinn isn't the only one looking for her.

Gotham PD detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) is also seeking the girl, to protect her from Sionis's grasp, along with his nightclub singer Dinah Lance (Jurnee Smollett-Bell).  Then there's the mysterious Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who's seeking vengeance for wrongs committed to her in the past, and these women finally converge in a final battle with Sionis and his army.

"Suicide Squad" was a jumbled mess of a film with terrible CGI and a lackluster script, but mostly it was neutered by its PG-13 rating.  How would you expect Gotham's most deadly, dangerous villains to act when they couldn't fully unleash their untapped potential?  Thankfully director Cathy Yan realized this and set out to make "Birds of Prey" how "Suicide Squad' should've been - R rated.  Now no longer restrained, Margot Robbie was allowed to go "full Quinn" in the film, and she delivers a wallop more powerful than a hit from her clown mallet.  The R-rated language and violence fully flow, thanks to the likes of "Logan" and especially "Deadpool" that proved you can have a R-rated superhero film and it be fully successful, which "Birds of Prey" was for me - and easily my second favorite DCEU film behind "Wonder Woman."

This is something DC has done better than Marvel in their cinematic universe: give female superheroes their just due.  Marvel held back on a solo Black Widow movie (and, up until the arrival of Wanda Maximoff in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," Widow was the only female on the Avengers lineup) until after the success of "Wonder Woman," and their release of the female-led "Captain Marvel" also came years too late in my opinion.  On the opposite end, DC wasn't afraid to lead with their strongest asset - Wonder Woman - even as an aside in "Batman v Superman," proving her small role as being the sole positive moment in the film.  They continued this trend with the full "Wonder Woman" film which broke barriers, and followed that up with Harley's introduction in "Suicide Squad."  Now she's joined by four other women in the first female-led superhero action ensemble, something Marvel has yet to accomplish.

Back to the film itself, "Birds of Prey" doesn't have a single dull moment, even if the middle prods along a bit while it introduces the new characters to the game.  Robbie's infectious personality exudes from start to finish, and you can tell Robbie absolutely adores playing the role.  Once again she totally disappears in her character, showcasing Harley as someone more than just Mr. J's little pet, but a fully developed woman who can manage to stand on her own (eventually) while proving that she doesn't have to hide behind a strong man to make it in the world.

Likewise the theme of women stepping out of the men's shadow is seen in the other female characters as well.  Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya is the smartest detective in the precinct, but is constantly overlooked when her male counterparts take the credit for her finds.  She finally get fed up with it and decides to go on her own, shedding the baggage of the male-dominated force and proving that she herself is a force to be reckoned with.  Perez might be small in stature, but her personality, grittiness, street smarts and action prowess rises among everyone.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell plays Dinah Lance (better known as Black Canary), a lounge singer for Roman Sionis who is mostly content with being in the background, until she finds her inner voice and doesn't allow herself to be pandered to and treated differently because of her gender.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress herself also has a unique backstory, and Winstead's natural offbeat eccentricity perfectly encapsulates her performance as the hard-as-nails (but socially inept) crossbow killer.  Ella Jay Basco's Cassandra Cain also has streetwise toughness but also showcases vulnerability only a kid could exhibit as she's literally hunted by every mercenary in Gotham for the jewel she stole.

Even though this is a female-oriented film, the men also have some meaty roles to play with.  Chris Messina plays Sionis's right hand man Victor Zsasz, and completely relishes his role as a deranged serial killer.  Then there's the incomparable Ewan McGregor, who has the most fun (besides Robbie) as Roman Sionis, also known as Black Mask.  He's the brutal crime lord who enjoys peeling skin off peoples' faces (or in reality having Victor do it) while he jovially watches on and prances around, remarking on his unique sense of fashion and decorum.

The cinematography is also beautiful, showcasing Gotham in a dark, gritty light while also making it almost realistic, and the final confrontation at the Fun House lives up to its name - it's total fun.  The costumes are all on point, and the action is swift but not dizzying in the sense you can't see what's going on, but you can fully see and appreciate the hard work it obviously went into making the sequences so tight and strong.  The story - again - also manages to be fresh and fun, while not taking itself seriously and even incorporating audience participation in noticing things that could've been labeled as mistakes (especially when Dinah remarks on how Harley could've had a wardrobe change in the middle of a fight).  The film is no epic masterpiece, and everyone knows it - as well as the audience, who can just sit back and have a good time letting loose.

Proving she has what it takes to make a character truly her own, Margot Robbie takes center stage in "Birds of Prey" as Harley Quinn, fully encompassing her insanity while providing a funny, action-packed antihero adventure with a strong ensemble female-led cast.

The Score: A