Rating of
3/4
Fun but not fantabulous.
Indyfreak - wrote on 02/13/20
Margot Robbie shines as the maniacal DC villainess Harley Quinn in her spinoff. Make no mistake, this is a Harley Quinn movie through and through. The characters associated with the title team are present but as supporting players.
Margot Robbie remains pitch perfect casting for Harley Quinn. She’s unhinged, manic, and as zany as expected. Her charisma carries the movie through the more conventional sections of the film.
Rosie Perez is a solid fit for Batman comics mainstay Renée Montoya. Huntress is more of a figure than an actual character in the story but Mary Elizabeth Winstead conveys a presence that switches from steely to socially awkward that’s amusing. Jurnee Smollet-Bell is only adequate for Black Canary. She’s good looking while fighting in skintight pants at least.
Ewan McGregor is clearly having a blast as Black Mask, the Gotham gangster whose vile machinations unintentionally bring all the major characters together. He plays the camp and crazy scenes with relish, enjoying fine art and cutting people’s faces off in equal measure.
The story is again mostly about Harley Quinn. Otherwise without going into huge detail it’s about this missing diamond plot which admittedly is pretty basic. But Cathy Yan directs the action scenes surprisingly well for her first big budget movie. The final battle in an abandoned carnival is especially good. The sets and costumes are pretty colorful and stand out from other recent comic book movies. The setup and characters are fun but the story could have pushed the envelope further into wackier territory.
Did the world really require a Birds of Prey movie that’s really about Harley Quinn? Perhaps not but it’s an enjoyable girl-power action film for the Deadpool crowd.
