Fowl Play [Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn Film Review]

Like its psychotic lead character, BOP: ATFEOOHQ is a manic, crazy, uneven, and over-the-top endeavor. Borrowing several chapters from Tank Girl (the 1995 film), plus a few pages from Deadpool (both films), and the 1960’s Batman television show, it unfurls as a loud, brash, and obnoxious film dominated by a blaring soundtrack and bravura performance from Margot Robbie. Sure, it has its moments, but more often than not gets bogged down by too many deja vu elements (both visually and story-wise).
But Robbie. Oh man. She is simply delicious, even though she’s channelling Lori Petty’s cinematic incarnation of Rebecca Buck something fierce (albeit as if jacked up on meth). Right behind Robbie is Jurnee Smollett-Bell, who smolders and kicks serious ass as Black Canary. The rest of the cast, however, just feels like generic filler. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the Huntress is wooden and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain never really blossoms. And let me not fail to mention Ewan McGregor’s tediously one-dimensional villain; a whining, sociopathic man-child with nary an iota of originality whatsoever. Additionally there’s a parade of generic henchmen who populate the background adding scant flavor to the bland pot of tertiary characters populating the film.
Adding to this lackluster menagerie is a rather thin story-line, a ho-hum plot that mainly works as a thin veneer for Robbie’s antics; I personally expected a bit more sly humor and intellectual asides. What few “clever” jokes do exist often fall flat (the whole Rosie Perez 1980s bad TV cop schtick, for example).
Thankfully the film moves along at a brisk pace, rarely letting you take a breath to realize the mundanity of it all. Likewise, the look of the film is all neon pastel and vintage MTV music video excess (there’s a great “Material Girl” era Madonna dream sequence along with other kinetic visual flair).
And have I mentioned Margot Robbie? She’s a firecracker, that one.
Of course this wouldn’t be a “superhero” film without action and there’s plenty of that. At times the fight sequences are mildly ingenious in their choreography, though several smack of John Wick lightness; others just feel tepid and routine. That said, the roller derby finale is kinda cool, a PoMo punk update on the Indiana Jones truck chase (or perhaps it’s meant as an ode to Rollerball and Solarbabies?).
While largely trying a bit too hard to be snarky and mean-cute, overall it’s a somewhat mindlessly entertaining diversion, a hyper glossy film that slides by the eyes with ease and might just possibly gain minor cult status a few years from now.
One thing is for certain: it’s quite a bit better than Suicide Squad was.
Oh, and Margot Robbie; in the end, Harley Quinn has her way as Robbie saves the day.

Rating: 3 out of 5
RIYL: Tank Girl; Thor: Ragnarok; Deadpool