Perhaps the most curious element of Warner Bros. Picture’s newest DC Comics superhero flick is that as a sequel to 2016’s maligned “Suicide Squad,” the movie surpasses its predecessor in terms of storytelling and quality, mostly on the strength of Margot Robbie’s reprisal of Harley Quinn, created specifically for the 90s “Batman the Animated Series” TV show, and a break out character ever since, due to her relationship with Batman’s most famous adversary, the Joker. Yet, the filmmakers chose to brand the film as “Birds of Prey” a moniker well known to comics fans, but one whose history is a lot more commercially checkered than that of other comic book related properties.
Make no mistake about it, despite its suggestion that it is a superhero/villain team movie, this is Harley (Robbie’s) film and the actress delves into elements which made her initial take on the character fun, while she ratchets up her portrayal of the hyper zaniness of the lead. The end result is a fun outing which has made “Birds of Prey” DC’s best film since “Shazam,” although that isn’t saying a whole lot given how recently that film scored points with audiences and comic book fans alike, especially compared to “Batman V. Superman” (2016) and 2018’s “Justice League.”
Sure, the film fails to offer entirely original and fresh narrative outlets, relying heavily on fight sequences which feel colorfully orchestrated and which are punctuated by thematically appropriate numbers from the soundtrack, and granted it does rely on a well established macguffin to advance the plot, but it’s fun to follow Harley Quinn’s journey and her eventual team-up with the other members of the titular team.
The film begins with Harley despondent over her most recent breakup with Joker and focuses on her new single life. Because she no longer enjoys the immunity from the rest of Gotham City’s criminal element she previously enjoyed being Joker’s girl, she quickly finds she has become a target from both law enforcement and enemies she has previously made when she and “Mr J” were still an item. Screenwriter Christina Hodson (“Bumblebee”) uses quick shots introducing both Harley’s adversaries, their grievances, and the other characters which enter her life throughout the film, to great efficacy. In fact, the movie benefits from a less disjointed narrative structure and style than “Suicide Squad.”
This isn’t to say there aren’t problems with the narrative, one of the main ones being the motivations given for each of the members of the supporting cast. For example, Huntress played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Checking Out,” “Sky High”) is no longer the daughter of Batman and Catwoman as in the golden age comics. The movie instead chooses the Helena Bertinelli version of the character who was born into one of Gotham’s prominent crime families and whose persona is one of a vigilante, choosing to avenge the murder of her family. This selection is in service of the plot of course, but not having a direct connection with Batman, even in a film which does not directly involve him, but which is set in his universe, dilutes her character motivation to one of revenge, akin to Marvel’s “Punisher” and countless others, leading to a slightly less interesting, less fleshed out character.
In fact, I am not sure why the “Birds of Prey” roster was so radically revamped for this film, it’s almost as though the film makers were afraid to associate their project with the traditional team already known to comics fans: Oracle has been replaced by Renee Montoya, (Rosie Perez) a former Gotham Police Department detective in the comics, but a full-fledged member of the police force in the film. Black Canary has also changed. In the short lived 2002-03 TV series, the character was an amalgamation of two characters, a teenager named Dinah Lance and her mother Carolyn who, similar to X-Men’s Banshee, possesses a sonic scream as her main super power. In the movie she becomes a songstress in the main villain’s club, presumably to make use of the double entendre inherent in the name. She’s a singer but also a member of an avian themed team of morally corrupt characters.
Yet I wondered why her possession of this power was not utilized earlier in the movie, instead it’s reserved for a pivotal point in the script and movie. I surmise that had she used it earlier, the film would have been robbed of one of the earlier fight sequences which showcases each members’ collaboration to the team.
Of course, if you are not a comic book fan none of this really matters, you don’t need to know who Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) is or that his henchman Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina) has scars all over his body signaling “every birdie” he has taken out of this world. These are nice nods to the fans, but not integral to understanding or enjoying the film which progresses nicely despite the familiar narrative device of building up to a climactic showdown between the main characters and the heavy, similar to the final boss fight in most modern video games. Though visually colorful and arresting, it’s also puzzling why an R-rated film makes little use of violence in a sequence where Harley shoots her way through the GCPD, but at least the movie makes better use of its visuals than the movie which inspired it. I suppose Joker also made occasional use of non lethal devices, but it was usually the punchline, not part of his standard repertoire.
“Birds of Prey” is rated R and is currently playing in Lakeport’s Cinema 5, Clearlake’s Stadium Cinema and Regal theater in Ukiah.
