As I’ve stated before, I would have loved Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey even if it was dreadful. There’s just too much to be excited about here, with women directing (Cathy Yan), writing (Christina Hodson) and producing (Margot Robbie’s own LuckyChap production company). The cast is also overflowing with incredible women like Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jurnee Smollett-Bell, so Margot Robbie doesn’t have to carry the film like she did Suicide Squad (yeah, I said it). I would have loved this movie like the mother of an ugly child, even if it had sucked…but it doesn’t.
In fact, Birds of Prey is actually pretty f**king fantastic.
It’s quirky, with a Tim Burton’s Batman aesthetic but also blisteringly funny, like Deadpool with a girl-squad. It runs at you hard and loud (I need this soundtrack), without leaving time to question it’s choices, like your favorite party-friend who is actually a horrible influence.
Birds of Prey does allow time to absorb it’s characters though, and the film’s true meat comes from the Birds themselves. Winstead’s Huntress becomes an unexpected comic relief while Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary smoulders so hard, Robbie’s allowed to release her “hot-chick” duties, for once.
I don’t want to imply that Birds of Prey is a chick-flick because that’s resoundingly not the case. There’s T&A for days and the guys sitting near me were cheering and clapping just as hard as I was.
As a woman though, I really needed Birds of Prey.
All around me, I see examples of women who work like mad but still aren’t given any respect. Even an icon like Jennifer Lopez can leave it all on the world-stage, only to be torn down the second she steps off. We’re fighting a losing battle, with members of our own gender often firing the shots, and it’s hard not to lose faith.
Then in walks Harley Quinn with a wink and a baseball bat.
The Birds of Prey don’t wait for anyone to give them anything. They simply take it and I, for one, needed to see that. (A)
PARENT REVIEW: Birds of Prey is rated R for “strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material.” There are f-bombs aplenty and some gory death-scenes, plus Harley Quinn drinks like a fish. She and the Birds make every awful thing they do look like fantastic fun, which might be a dangerous concept for younger kids. In fact, I would use a Deadpool scale for Birds of Prey. If your kids have seen either one of those films and walked away unscathed, then they will be fine with this one. If you still aren’t sure then I’d recommend seeing Birds of Prey without the kids first to decide.