by Conan Simmons – August 16, 2020 – 5:13 am
Colorful action comedy pushes back against the boys club that is the comic book superhero genre.
After the successful 2016 film ‘Suicide Squad’ featuring a breakout performance by Margot Robbie as the madcap Harley Quinn the studio greenlit this spinoff movie with her character front and center.
Taking Harley Quinn back to Gotham City after a breakup with the Joker she runs afoul of notorious gangster Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask. Things come to a head when a troubled youth steals a diamond that Black Mask wants and when Harley Quinn decides to help the wanted pickpocket Black Mask sends every criminal in Gotham after them. The conflict draws in nightclub singer Dinah Lance, a.k.a. Black Canary, who is already on the hook of Detective Renee Montoya who is trying to build a case against Black Mask. Add into the mix the vengeance seeking Huntress and the stage is set for a battle royale between the criminal underworld of Gotham and the handful of fierce anti-heroines.
Margot Robbie takes an already iconic character from the Batman cartoons/comic books and makes it her own iconic film role, right up there with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Christopher Reeve’s Superman. Loaded with charisma and enthusiasm she gives a breezy performance as the lovable psycho from hanging out with her pet hyena to busting up a multitude of bad guys to a near sexualized lust for an egg sandwich.
Rosie Perez plays it light as Detective Renee Montoya who is being held down at her job. Jurnee Smollet is cool as Dinah Lance who is more than she seems while reluctantly being pulled into everyone’s mess. Mary Elizabeth Winstead provides dynamic comedy as the over serious Huntress. Ella Jay Basco holds her own as Cassandra Cain, the young pickpocket that Harley Quinn protects. Ewan McGregor is clearly having lots of fun as the flamboyantly campy Roman Sionis, balanced well by Chris Messina as his right hand man, the homicidal Victor Zsasz.
The movie is saturated in pop colors from the set designs and costumes to the makeup and wacky animation interspersed over the film. The stunt work is top notch with standout set pieces like the funhouse fight and a unique car chase with roller skates. Keeping true to its comic book roots ‘Birds of Prey’ is unabashedly campy fun and the best action comedy of the year.