Birds of Prey Movie Review

“Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” is now sweeping the box offices nationwide since its release on Feb. 7. “Birds of Prey” is the first movie of the D.C. Extended Universe movies to be released with a primarily all-female cast. 

Harley Quinn is previously featured in the D.C. Extended Universe movie “Suicide Squad” which received harsh criticism by viewers and critics alike. Although “Suicide Squad” surpassed “Birds of Prey” in the box office, viewers and critics alike give the film an overwhelming thumbs up to Harley Quinn’s newest release. 

           Harley Quinn is shown in a new light in “Birds of Prey” after her emancipation from her long time love the Joker. Ready to celebrate her new independence, Quinn is met with dozens of foes ready to pounce on her now that she is standing on her own, one of which being the Black Mask. After some smooth negotiations which are key to Quinn’s personality, she is given 24 hours to find the Bertinelli crime family’s diamond and the child pickpocket Cassandra Cain. 

           With a time crunch and a $500,000 reward on both Quinn and Cain’s heads, the pair seem to become an unexpected duo with a mother and daughter like bond. With a steep reward for the women, Quinn finds it hard to carry out her plan solo. Along the way, she makes some unexpected allies who are also ready to leave the shadows of the men who own them. 

           “Birds of Prey” does a fantastic job of switching up the narrative on female heroes and villains. Harley Quinn, The Huntress, Black Canary, detective Renee Montoya and Cassandra Cain make for an entertaining allegiance. All the women at the beginning of the film are either hidden in the shadows of the leading men in their lives or used by them. The main themes of the film shows that women are more powerful when they work together and that women too can be saviors without men. 

           The film had stunning graphics and well-composed fight scenes which were the perfect amount of gore. The fight scenes were married with just the right amount of dialogue which ensured each deadly woman was understood in her own right. There are multiple mini climaxes which lead to an all-out brawl of the women vs Gotham. The smaller climaxes are key for character development and allow for viewers to see the growth in Harley Quinn which is what the film is all about. 

           Overall, “Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” is a hit and earns a 9/10. The combination of a badass female-dominant cast, top-notch action scenes and an all-female soundtrack help showcase a cohesive theme of female power throughout. Anyone who disliked and hoped for more from “Suicide Squad” would thoroughly enjoy this rendition of Harley Quinn. “Birds of Prey” has surely changed Harley Quinn’s role as a villain and evolved her into an anti-hero.