Goofy and funny, fast-paced and fun, Bird of Prey leans into its R-rating harder than expected. All for his benefit.
By Brent McKnight | Published
Even the most die-hard fans generally concede. Suicide Squad is a mess. This makes sense when, after the fact, we hear stories of major studio interference, multiple edits, and all kinds of meddling. Still, a high point is that it introduced us to Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn incarnation.
A frenzied explosion of chaotic energy as part of an ensemble, she returns to try her hand at directing a film herself in director Cathy Yan’s film. Birds of Prey: And the Glorious Freedom of a Harley Quinn. It’s a good time. Silly and funny, fast paced and fun, Birds of prey Leaning harder than expected in its R-rating. All for his benefit.
“Silly and funny, fast-paced and fun, it bends harder than expected in its R rating. All to its advantage.”
– Brent McKnight, GFR
Harley Quinn needs to fix herself.
In the wake of earlier events, Harley Quinn needs to right herself. A big part of that means cutting ties with his longtime beloved Joker. Let’s just say, maybe he’s not emotionally equipped to deal with a breakup in a rational, healthy way, and his way of dealing with self-doubt and being disappointed and dismissed is surprisingly complex. Off the rails.
One of the main drawbacks of this freedom is that Harley no longer has the protection that her association with Mr. Jay afforded her. As a result, the many, many, many congregations he’s been plagued with for years come out of the woodwork for a place to return. Chief among them are crime boss Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), also known as Black Mask, and his happily sadistic sidekick/life partner Viktor Zaszcz (Chris Messina).
Formation of birds of prey
Through a complicated series of events and a desire to protect herself, Harley forms an uneasy alliance with the rest of the female crew, including Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Deanna Lance (Jerney Smollett- Bell) are included. known as Black Canary, and young pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella J. Bosco).
The plot of Birds of prey Basically a rotating mass works to push these women together. Each has been disadvantaged and marginalized in its own way. No one thinks of Harley as anything but a sidekick to endure. Montoya starts out as a cop, only to have his ideas repeatedly ignored or stolen by the men around him for promotion, and never seen as an equal. . A foster child lost and forgotten by the system, Cassandra does what she has to to survive. Stuck in a thankless job, Dinah’s bosses use her for whatever they can. Huntress has her reasons for seeking revenge and people take it seriously.
A great performance worth watching
Their chemistry is both antagonistic and sibling as they realize in the process. Birds of prey That they need to work together. Harley is rambunctious and crazy, but also incredibly sincere and heartfelt, with an undying love for breakfast sandwiches. Ruby has an absolute blast on the photo front.
Montoya is a tough, cliché-souting detective, but Perez brings to the surface a subtle world-weariness and palpable desperation at the glass ceiling. Bosco and Smollett Bull are tough and funny. Everyone gets enough to do, and no one feels lacking or flat.
As great as the others are, however, Winstead gets the MVP trophy. The Huntress may be a leather-clad badass tearing around town on a riding motorcycle, but she’s also dealing with a deep trauma that has left her angry and emotionally stunted. He’s extremely awkward, and his social ineptitude leads to some of the film’s best bits.
McGregor and Messina are the perfect baddies and foils, managing to be both comic book and authentically terrifying at the same time. McGregor dives headfirst into the scene-chewing villain, both over-the-top flamboyant and blood-curdling. Messina Zsasz’s character is almost as depressing as Harley — he’ll peel your face off and giggle with childish glee the whole time. This duo has a fantastic dynamic, power hungry and vicious, but also charming and romantic.
Where Bird Hunting Goes Wrong
Birds of prey There are some narrative hiccups. Often early on, Christina Hudson’s script pulls the “just a minute, let’s rewind” trick to introduce key players. A bit clunky initially though, which thankfully fades away after the first act.
From there, the film does a solid job of balancing the various threads and arcs—we never lose sight of anyone for any significant length of time. Even the speed bumps are relatively minor, and acceleration and acceleration take us through without stumbling.
A John Wick-level fight scene?
Action in Bird of prey is strong and coherent, better than most superhero movies with a fraction of the budget of its counterparts. Because the movie doesn’t usually deal with powerful people, it’s also the most grounded and realistic of the DC movies.
Ian was brought to the team from 87Eleven Action Design, the company founded by Chad Stelsky and David Leach. John Wickamong many other standout action movies — and it shows. As a result, the elaborate fight sequences are carefully staged and tightly choreographed.
Because it’s a more realistic type of action, these scenes never devolve into muddy, CGI-heavy fights where bodies flip around and look like videogame cutscenes—a problem that many superheroes have. Affects movies. Even when a climactic chase takes things to bonkers levels, there remains an edge of realism and practicality that sells them in the mundane world. Birds of prey Even more than that
R-rated and proud
Thanks for the R rating, Birds of prey Never refrain from violence or obscenity. Yan and company balance a bubble-gum pop aesthetic with raw, visual brutality. They certainly aren’t afraid to break a few bones or crack a dirty joke, which only adds to the party.
Not every film needs to follow the same template or play out like the next chapter in a larger story. There is scope for darkness and strings, eg Batman v SupermanAs well as the spectacle of insects and nuts Aquaman. We can wash gray one time and have an amazing burst of Day-Glo the next day, and each has its place with stories that play to the strengths of the property.
This is what bird hunting does best, knowing what it’s all about and going for it. Harley is grumpy and violent but also has a PhD, a duality that shines through. It’s a story of broken hearts and broken bones, of women’s friendship and bonding through shared struggles, of crazy action and sincere connection. Most of all, it’s a good time.
Birds of prey Review the score.
Birds of prey Available to stream for free on Max for subscribers and available to rent on other streaming platforms.
