Birds Of Prey Movie Review: Everything Pales In Comparison To Margot Robbie's Class Act As The Vibrant Harley Quinn, Even Her Girl Gang

If you have watched Suicide Squad you know precisely the level of crazy to expect on Harley Quinn’s return in Birds of Prey. The film that screams girl power from the minute go is all about great performances and but scatters when it comes to being the story of a super troop. For starters being based on the perspective of one Harley Quinn who controls the narrative of the events as they occur leaves little or no time to be able to build characters other than her (and might I add characters of great potential).

The story follows the events post Harley’s breakup with the Gotham baddie Joker . Being the girl of the biggest super villain in town has a certain immunity that the former psychiatrist recognizes and is not yet willing to let go off. However, when the word gets out that the crazy couple has broken up for good it puts a target on her back. Being chased down by cops and practically anyone with a grievance, Quinn’s fight is to survive and find her own place in the big bad world.

Harley announces her breakup in the only way she can which is by blowing up the chemical factory where it all started and it sets the ball rolling for the events to follow. Renee Montoya an underappreciated Gotham cop trying to preventing baddie Roman Sionis from taking over the city is behind Harely, while Roman himself has a bone or two to pick with her.

On the other hand, ‘the crossbow killer’ Helena Bertinelli and a club singer Dinah Lance have their own battles to fight. All their narratives cross paths when Roman gets behind a kid Cassandra Cain. The Birds of Prey finally form an unlikely alliance to not just save the kid but all also to get rid of the targets on their back.

While all is good, it is the climax that might make Birds of Prey a mild disappointment. The coming together of the girl troop is promising with their instant girly bonding. As a big gang of all Gotham bad guys hunts them down, the girls funnily detail their appearances as they arm themselves. From correcting eye shadows, to looking for hair ties and appropriate costumes for the fight it is these details that add to the quirks and bonding. When it comes to fighting they are downright brutal but the time the girls share together on screen is rather brief and nowhere close to would what satisfy you.

Birds of Prey is spunky, quirky and colorful with great action choreography. Margot Robbie ’s flexibility might wow you over everything else and she certainly doesn’t miss a beat. There is not any minute of it that will make you feel bored but the beginning could get slightly confusing as the background is laid out. The dialogues deserve a special mention as the film throws some epic one liners that keep it quirky and raw and could rival Iron Man in an Avengers movie or even Deadpool in all his glory. The music elevates the narrative and the entertainment value.

The burden to entertain falls entirely on the shoulders of Margot Robbie who is living every minute as crazy Quinn. The film has been point blank in laying out the fact that Harley Quinn is all about business and survival and so to see her fight for not just herself is quite something. While sparks of potential are there in Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress and Ewan McGregor ’s villain Black Mask they remain starkly underexplored.

With a rather underwhelming climax, Birds Of Prey could be much more as an all girl super troop movie but in whatever it has to offer it is wholeheartly entertaining. The film belongs to Margot Robbie and her Harley Quinn. If you’re not a fan of her yet, you’ll walk out of the theatre wanting more of them both.