The full title of this DC Extended Universe movie is actually "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). It is a sequel and spin-off to critically-panned "Suicide Squad" (2016), where the character of Harley Quinn (as portrayed by Margot Robbie) was the most memorable. I thought of myself as a DC fan, but apart from Harley Quinn and Dinah Lance, I only discovered the other characters here. This new film is remarkable for having a female (and Asian) director (Cathy Yan), a female screen writer (Christina Hodson), and an all-female kick-ass ensemble lead cast.
Harley Quinn was unceremoniously dumped by the Joker, and she formally announced it to the world by blowing up the Ace Chemicals factory where she became his girlfriend. Meanwhile, teenage pickpocket Cassandra Cain gained possession of a multi-million dollar diamond owned by crime lord Roman Sionis aka Black Mask (Ewan McGregor), so all sorts of characters were going after her. Aside from Quinn, also at Cain's heels were: Sionis's driver and star singer at his nightclub Dinah Lance; and under-appreciated GCPD detective Renee Montoya, who was also investigating a hooded woman who was going around town using a crossbow to kill gangsters.
Margot Robbie was truly the star of this film with a smashing performance again as the inimitable Harley Quinn. Quinn was a ruthless and dangerous lunatic yes, but she was also given to weird quirks like having a spotted hyena as a pet and talking to her stuffed beaver, and Robbie looked like she was having a lot of fun playing this distinctive character. She also displayed her athletic skills in bump and brawl scenes of roller derby, as well as those acrobatically-choreographed fight scenes with her favorite weapons of bat and mallet.
It was great to see 90s actress Rosie Perez (so funny as "Jeopardy!" wannabe Gloria in "White Men Can't Jump") again as the frustrated cop Renee Montoya. Former child actress Junree Smollett-Bell makes a solid impression as the Dinah Lance, a.k.a. Black Canary, with her high-kicking fighting style (in tight pants!) and her sonic scream. Horror film scream queen Mary Eliizabeth Winstead got to don the black cloak and wield the crossbow of the Huntress, and we get to learn her backstory as well. 13 year-old Ella Jay Basco, who played Cassandra Cain, is of Korean-Filipino parentage, in her feature film debut, and she confidently held her own beside her experienced co-stars.
If you're up for a bit of stylish, crazy violence from a group of distaff vigilantes, then "Birds of Prey" is the film for you. Despite all the characters involved, even those you never knew before, the story was easy to follow. But of course, the hi-octane explosive stunt action and fight scenes remain to be the main draw of this film. This story of emancipation was told with tongue-fully-in-cheek. It did not take itself too seriously, despite some pretty disgusting scenes like peeling off the facial skin like a mask. The cinematographer kept its images slick and colorful while the musical choices also added to the fun level. Robbie and company kept the energy levels high with a palpable sense of humor underlying its violence. 7/10.
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