2019 was quite the year for DC and Warner Bros. In April 2019, the studio released Shazam! which ranks as one of the best-reviewed films DC has released since the inception of their DC Universe. Shazam! took DC back to its campy but compelling roots. The film set in motion the incredible year DC would have that ended with a smile.
Eleven-time Academy Award-nominated Joker provided it. A film that threw the rule books out the window and reinvented a character that is beloved by the masses and stripped him down to a character study of a man forgotten by society and struggling with mental illness. Joker grossed over a billion dollars at the box office and became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. Safe to say, the release of Birds of Prey (and The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) was just as crucial for DC. I am happy to report that Birds of Prey not only continues DC’s streak but cements Harley Quinn as one of DC’s top tier characters and anti-heroes.
What works so well in the film is its protagonist. With Harley Quinn, gone is the cliché Wonder Woman with its paint by numbers good girl persona. In this film, we are revisited by a multi-layered flawed woman who is attempting to find her self-worth while dealing with the men that are trying to ruin her life. Credit to its execution falls on the hands of Margot Robbie, Cathy Yan’s direction, and Christina Hodson’s screenplay. Birds of Prey not only provides a different perspective on the genre with its flawed lead but can deal with trauma and abuse through the lens of a comic book film in a respectful fashion.
Harley Quinn Shines Bright
Speaking of Robbie, she is nothing short of miraculous. With every scene, you can tell Robbie was having the time of her life playing the role. She transforms Harley from Mr. J’s jester to DC’s loveable outcast, who commands everyone’s attention with every word that comes out of her mouth.
While Harley leads the charge, let’s not forget that the Birds of Prey play a considerable role in the film. Unlike Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey doesn’t gloss over Black Canary, Helena Bertinelli, and Renee Montoya. Instead, Yan gives each of these women a backstory that allows those watching to fully grasp why they make the choices they do throughout the film. The backstories pay off when the women join forces in one of the film’s high points. Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Rosie Perez are all on top of their game, and thanks to Winstead, I realize how much I wanted Huntress to introduce herself on repeat.
Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask is both extravagant and vicious. As seen in his work in 2019’s Doctor Sleep, McGregor continues to show that he is one of Hollywood’s most underrated actors. Similarly, to Robbie, McGregor embraces the idea of being a villain and has the time of his life. His scenes jump from menacing to laugh out loud, funny, and I loved it.
The two characters that may be viewed as secondary are Victor Zsasz and Cassandra Cain. Unlike Cain, who can hold her own with Harley and the Birds of Prey, Zsasz struggles to bring to life the Zsasz from the pages of DC comics. While Chris Messina’s performance is just excellent, the page to screen adaptation didn’t do it for me.
The production design and action sequences in the film are top-notch. From roller derby to sequences that splash from the page to the screen, to its colorful sets make us feel that we’re in a comic book, and not in a Batman and Robin kind of way. The film pulls no punches in delivering some of the best action sequences we may see all year. Who needs John Wick when we have these badass females to take care of all the baddies?
Joker showed that DC is not afraid to take risks. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn) continues that trend and pushes more boundaries. At long last, DC has learned that being an alternative to Marvel was always better than attempting to be Marvel.
