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Birds Of Prey


The latest DC film, Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) is out, and it kicks ass. I seriously enjoyed the hell out of this movie. When I first saw the trailer, it didn't look too impressive. I feared it would be another loud, nonsensical mess like Suicide Squad, or generic and forgettable like Aquaman. I was wrong. 


Birds is directed by Cathy Yan, and I have to say that DC should hire more female directors, as Yan is the 2nd one to knock her film out of the park (the 1st being Patty Jenkins with Wonder Woman). The story zips by fast and is told in a non linear fashion. It could've easily fallen apart many times, but Yan keeps a tight reign on it, taking the time to slow down just enough to let the actors shine and build their characters, while also keeping the fight scenes beautifully choreographed. The final fight, with the girls banding together against an army of baddies in a funhouse, is especially fun and has so much going on that you find yourself looking left and right at everything going down on the screen.


The story begins with Harley breaking up with The Joker (more like being dumped), and learning to adjust to life on her own as a single gal. It includes LOTS of drunken binges and acting out. The problem is, now that she's no longer Joker's girl, she has no protection, and everyone who she ever fucked with has come for payback. She hangs out at the nightclub of Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), a criminal kingpin who wants to get his hands on a very pricey diamond that will make him the most powerful crime lord of the underworld. He sets about his plan with the help of his murderous sidekick Victor Zsasz  (Chris Messina) and singer turned driver Dinah Lance aka Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell). Meanwhile, detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) is trying to expose him for the criminal he is and bring him down, while a mysterious killer (Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli aka The Huntress) is going around killing many of Gotham City's crime lords. And finally, there's a kid named Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) that has mastered the art of pick pocketing to survive. Through character flashbacks and by chance, everyne's paths cross to build a series of inter-connection among them all.


Despite the sometimes complex nature of the plot, everything flows nicely together so that it doesn't become convoluted. One thing thar helps is the humor laced throughout the script. How it makes fun of police crime show cliches, Harley's frequent psychological reading of certain characters and their motivations (remember, she used to be a psychiatrist), and each character's unique personality traits deliver plenty of funny moments. One of my favorite lines is when Black Canary suddenly questions out loud how it was possible for Harley to change into a pair of Roller Skates in the middle of a fight. 


Even though Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) is clearly the star, the other actors each are given their chance to shine, and the entire cast does a fantastic job. Roman is flamboyant and crazy, making an effective villain, Dinah / Black Canary shows a lot of humanity as someone just trying to survive, Helena / Huntress is hilariously neurotic, Cassandra Cain is a cool kid who's smarter that others realize, and Renee Montoya is the tough angry cop who wants justice and is determined to get it. This movie leaves it open for a sequel, and I would LOVE to see these girls back on the big screen. They are all kick asses who just happen to be women. It's a feminist film that doesn't feel the need to hit you over the head with it. I loved that none of these women were invincible. Harley and Renee Montoya get their asses kicked a few times, yet they refuse to quit. 



The film is rated R for language and violence. While not overly gory, there is still a lot to enjoy. Several broken legs, lots of punches, kicks, stabbings. This film definitely wears it's crime drama aesthetic proudly on its sleeve. There are touches of Tarantino's brand of storytelling sprinkled throughout. Another great thing is that its a direct sequel to Suicide Squad, and even though that film was bad, I respect that they didn't feel the need to retcon that story. 


Birds Of Prey is a fun, wonderful, funny, fast-paced, violent action thriller that DC should be proud of. I had a great time and I already want to watch it again. Well played, DC, well played.

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