A fun, enjoyable film led by an animated Margot Robbie in a role that seemed tailor-made for her, not surprising given that she is also a producer. She seemed to be having fun throughout which translated through the screen, although the same could not be said for most of the supporting cast, other than Ewan McGregor who was gloriously campy and hammy.
Directed and written by women, Cathy Yan and Christina Hodson respectively, this film had a decidedly female voice and gaze which was great and refreshing. Yan really showed that she can handle the big budget action/comic-book genre as well as any of the boys (or even better). Most of her action choreography were excellent, especially the ones centered on Robbie. They had a fluid acrobatic/balletic beauty that felt appropriate for Harley Quinn. However, they did tend to get repetitive and she had an over-reliance on slo-mo.
On the other hand, her large action sequences were less successful. They were messier and less coherent. The disjointedness kind of broke the adrenaline-pumping excitement.
Hodson's script may have eschewed male-norms, but the plotting itself was simplistically thin and bare. And if you really think about it, after 109 minutes, which felt more like two hours - another issue of inconsistent pacing there by Yan - none of the characters, not even Harley Quinn, had much of a character development or growth of any sorts.
Quinn in the end was an anti-villain more than an anti-hero, not someone whom you readily support despite the bad things they did. But nontheless, Robbie inhabited this role with lots of glee and passion, and it is hard to see another actress play Harley Quinn now. Although we did once said that about Heath Ledger's Joker, and then Joaquin Phoenix came along. Though Phoenix's and Ledger's iteration were different, so perhaps someone else can play Harley Quinn a bit less maniac?
Robbie's maniac was infectious and it helped to sell the kinetic, high-energy, comic-book vibe that Yan tried to achieve. Although Yan and Hodson failed to allow her to act beyond that - after all, Robbie is a two-time Oscar nominee now - which was a shame, but that too highlight the main weakness of the film.
Ewan McGregor played the villain and boy, he looked like he was having loads of fun just camping and hamming his way along. His scenes were fun to watch. Now, only if Yan and Hodson had leaned into his ho-yay relationship with his right-hand man played by Chris Messina against type. That would have really flipped the script on the typical male-gaze of comic book movies/genre.
The other Birds of Prey played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Rosie Perez really were just there in name. They each had some cool scenes, a back story, but their characters were one-dimensional and broadly sketched, and utterly cliched. Their bantering just did not work.
Then we have Ella Jay Basco who started off rather dull but warmed up in the end when they paired her off with Robbie. Perhaps this could have fared better as an odd couple sorta buddy comedy. Shrugs.
Daniel Pemberton scored the film, but I think Yan's female-led pop music song choices may have overshadowed him. Oscar nominee Matthew Libatique may have lensed this film, but other than some club scenes, nothing really stood out.
Birds of Prey was a good spring time, pre-Oscar distraction, and definitely way better than the mess that was Suicide Squad. DC may have a new franchise on hand, but if they cannot find a way to deepen Harley Quinn as a character, this may not have legs.
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