Birds Of Prey review

In a sort of sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad Birds Of Prey is more of a spin-off than anything else as it tries to distance and separate itself from it's predecessor. Margot Robbie returns again as one Harley Quinn and after the events of Suicide Squad and her on going relationship with The Joker the two break up for good this time. The movie begins with Harley on a complete bender partying it up in Roman Sionis's club (this movie's villain) what follows is a madcap, mayhem filled romp of a movie that is one of the most enjoyable experiences you'll be sure to see all year long. At it's core Birds Of Prey is a Harley Quinn movie no doubt but there is a lot more here than just her. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Helena Bertinelli the daughter of one of the richest family's in Gotham. She is way over the top, cold and constantly coming to terms what her actions and mission. Next up is Jurnee Smollett-Bell who takes on the roll of Dinah (Black Canary) Lance. The first time we meet her is at Roman Sionis's club where she is a singer and boy oh boy does she in the words of Harley have a killer voice. Black Canary has long been my favorite all time DC female character and finally getting to see her on the big screen was a surreal moment for sure. It's even better as Jurnee's performance is sublime as she is a pure ass kicker and is everything I imagined Dinah Lance to be. The cast wouldn't be complete without mentioning Ewan McGregor's Roman Sionis's however. Known as the Black Mask thanks to sporting a black skull mask his performance as the Gotham crime lord is nothing short of brilliant. He steals every single scene he is in as his temperament is all over the place in the best way possible. He's extremely witty, but when he's not being taken seriously he is incredibly menacing thanks in part to his partner in crime Victor Zsasz whose relationship with is something of complete control and obsession. 

The story for Birds Of Prey is pretty normal comic book movie fare to be honest. A coming of age tale but it's flipped on it's head as it's told through the eyes and voice of Harley Quinn. This is her movie and she tells it like it is with little to nothing left to the imagination. Margot Robbie really brings the ass kicking this time around too with Harley really getting to show off her gymnastic skills a whole lot more. She does escape situations by random luck which is to be expected as without Joker now protecting her the entire city is after her for the crimes she has committed. As for it's visual style Birds Of Prey is nothing short of fabulous. It's like chewing gum for the eyes. It's colors contrast against the inner underworld of Gotham perfectly. It's also hilarious with many scenes being truly hilarious. 

If you're a comic book movie fan you should definitely check out Birds Of Prey. Performance wise it's as good as it gets. Action wise it's some of the best stuff DC has done since that warehouse scene in Batman V Superman featuring Batman taking on a gang of thugs. It's female lead which is a nice refresher and overall it's just a fun, wild ride that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. A fantabulous experience that shows DC has much more to offer than just Batman, Superman and the Justice League. 

★★★★