GRADE: C-
THIS FILM IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A disappointing superhero movie that is big, loud, and garish but no fun, despite Margot Robbie's valiant efforts.
JIM'S REVIEW: Most superhero movies either take themselves too seriously or are so tongue-firmly-in-cheek that they lose sight of the plot as they distract with the violent action. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), a long title for an even longer film, falls into the latter category. The film is a spin-off to the successful Suicide Squad (2016), only this time it focuses on its most enduring character, that crazed kewpie doll killer babe, Harley Quinn, who has been ceremoniously dumped by her beau, Joker. That she is again played by the talented Margot Robbie is the movie's greatest asset.
It sure isn't its disjointed screenplay by Christina Hodson. While the film is directed with assurance by Cathy Yan, the story is a mess, as it volleys back and forth with enough confusing flashbacks, flash-forwards, and freeze frames that one becomes quite giddy from all of the weak storytelling and fancy editing. The narrative structure is comprised of an overabundance of voiceovers and non-stop exposition and so little character development. Their backstories literally stop much of the action and pop up unexpectedly to fill in some bio details, but those personal dramas come off as big chunks of information that upend the logical flow of the plot and interfere with the many random combat sequences. (At times, I began to think that some scenes in the film were missing as Harley is captured one moment and totally free to do mayhem in the very next scene.) A film does not need to be this chaotic to show its own chaos, but Birds of Prey is at least true to itself.
The plot involves a battle over a rare diamond as the MacGuffin, but it is more of a showcase for women empowerment as the female class continually beats the crap outta the male gender. The movie is loaded with highly choreographed fights that are so cartoonish that the movie become unintentionally laughable. One expects Wily E. Coyote to join in the fun. Of course, that never happens...although we do get to see Bruce the Hyena. In all this ruckus, one never feels any semblance of real danger. It's all manufactured violence and exaggerated dance moves. The director seems obsessed with slo-mo techniques and moments of enhanced speed which only serve to show the foolishness of this whole venture. Dare I say the pacing is indeed off.
The actors do persevere. Ms. Robbie is again fine in her signature role, although she has no moments to show any vulnerability as she did in the original source. Here, it's all fists of blood and slapstick comedy. She is joined by her all-girls club which includes the Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, a teenage pickpocket whose fast slight of hand causes an unfortunate chain of events. The primary villains, Ewan McGregor as Gotham City's latest megalomaniac Roman Sionis aka Black Mask and an unrecognizable Chris Messina as his henchman, Victor Zsasz, try to whip up some evil, but they are undone by the contrived and silly script.
Still the movie has a nice look to it. Ms. Yan does know how to create a dysfunctional world, even if the inhabitants are one dimensional figures lost in this DC universe. Kudos go out to Matthew Libatique' atmospheric photography and K.K. Barrett's set design. (I particularly like the funhouse fight sequence.)
Birds of Prey is a failed attempt to mix action or comedy. Just as the mixed-up movie haphazardly stitches together its fragmented set pieces into a frenzied patchwork of ineptitude, it only seems befitting that I conclude this review in the same manner with my final words: may wanna Girls fun have. ain't it (freeze) This.
THIS FILM IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A disappointing superhero movie that is big, loud, and garish but no fun, despite Margot Robbie's valiant efforts.
JIM'S REVIEW: Most superhero movies either take themselves too seriously or are so tongue-firmly-in-cheek that they lose sight of the plot as they distract with the violent action. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), a long title for an even longer film, falls into the latter category. The film is a spin-off to the successful Suicide Squad (2016), only this time it focuses on its most enduring character, that crazed kewpie doll killer babe, Harley Quinn, who has been ceremoniously dumped by her beau, Joker. That she is again played by the talented Margot Robbie is the movie's greatest asset.
It sure isn't its disjointed screenplay by Christina Hodson. While the film is directed with assurance by Cathy Yan, the story is a mess, as it volleys back and forth with enough confusing flashbacks, flash-forwards, and freeze frames that one becomes quite giddy from all of the weak storytelling and fancy editing. The narrative structure is comprised of an overabundance of voiceovers and non-stop exposition and so little character development. Their backstories literally stop much of the action and pop up unexpectedly to fill in some bio details, but those personal dramas come off as big chunks of information that upend the logical flow of the plot and interfere with the many random combat sequences. (At times, I began to think that some scenes in the film were missing as Harley is captured one moment and totally free to do mayhem in the very next scene.) A film does not need to be this chaotic to show its own chaos, but Birds of Prey is at least true to itself.
The plot involves a battle over a rare diamond as the MacGuffin, but it is more of a showcase for women empowerment as the female class continually beats the crap outta the male gender. The movie is loaded with highly choreographed fights that are so cartoonish that the movie become unintentionally laughable. One expects Wily E. Coyote to join in the fun. Of course, that never happens...although we do get to see Bruce the Hyena. In all this ruckus, one never feels any semblance of real danger. It's all manufactured violence and exaggerated dance moves. The director seems obsessed with slo-mo techniques and moments of enhanced speed which only serve to show the foolishness of this whole venture. Dare I say the pacing is indeed off.
The actors do persevere. Ms. Robbie is again fine in her signature role, although she has no moments to show any vulnerability as she did in the original source. Here, it's all fists of blood and slapstick comedy. She is joined by her all-girls club which includes the Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, a teenage pickpocket whose fast slight of hand causes an unfortunate chain of events. The primary villains, Ewan McGregor as Gotham City's latest megalomaniac Roman Sionis aka Black Mask and an unrecognizable Chris Messina as his henchman, Victor Zsasz, try to whip up some evil, but they are undone by the contrived and silly script.
Still the movie has a nice look to it. Ms. Yan does know how to create a dysfunctional world, even if the inhabitants are one dimensional figures lost in this DC universe. Kudos go out to Matthew Libatique' atmospheric photography and K.K. Barrett's set design. (I particularly like the funhouse fight sequence.)
Birds of Prey is a failed attempt to mix action or comedy. Just as the mixed-up movie haphazardly stitches together its fragmented set pieces into a frenzied patchwork of ineptitude, it only seems befitting that I conclude this review in the same manner with my final words: may wanna Girls fun have. ain't it (freeze) This.