Logan Sork Film Reviews
Birds of Prey
While Suicide Squad was a major misfire in every sense of the word, there were a few decent things that stood out as good amongst that film’s rubble. One of these elements was the character of Harley Quinn as portrayed by Margot Robbie, who brought a genuine sense of fun to an otherwise bleak affair. As a result, the studio began working on a spin-off film focused solely on Quinn and even brought Robbie on as a producer. And now that film has arrived in the form of Birds of Prey, and while it is certainly a lot better than Suicide Squad, that really isn’t saying much.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is directed by Cathy Yan and is the 8th installment in the DC Extended Universe. The film stars Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollett-Belle, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Bosco, and Chris Messina. Set after the events of Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn (Robbie) has cut ties with the Joker and sets out to make a new life on her own. However, without the Joker’s protection, Harley is now hunted by those on both sides of the law, with her biggest enemy in the form of the nefarious crime lord Black Mask (McGregor). As Harley fights to make it, she encounters several others seeking justice and unites with them to bring Black Mask down once and for all.
As far as the overall look and feel this movie was going for, the filmmakers absolutely nailed it. The visuals of this film are colorful and lively, while also maintaining a unique style that sets it apart from other colorful comic book films. The action sequences in the film are also a ton of fun and benefit greatly from the film’s R-rating, allowing our heroines to go all out when it comes to dispatching henchmen. The sequences also manage to walk the line between over-the-top fun and grounded realism very finely, making for sequences that feel mostly real, while also capturing the spirit of fun comic panels. The framing device of the film also adds a fun vibe as it is narrated by Harley Quinn, which helps the film capture the chaotic nature of our lead character. There are a lot of fun moments in which voice over is used to great comedic effect, allowing for some great small moments that help flesh out our lead character and her situation.
That being said, sometimes the film focuses too much on being fun and goofy, that it will often forget where it’s going. This was a major problem with Suicide Squad, which focused so hard on being a fun crowd-pleaser, that it lost a lot of momentum constantly. While it is nowhere near as bad in this film, it is still there, though it benefits from the fact that Harley is our main narrator and can be seen as the reason for this problem. However, the film is still all over the place and while some may find It charming, I found it a little frustrating at times. To give an example of how bad this problem is, one of the main characters in the cast isn’t properly introduced until over an hour into the movie. That’s a big problem, and one that could’ve been avoided had the filmmakers focused more on the overall story and less on being fun and weird.
These pacing issues ultimately take a toll on the development of our characters, which is very disappointing especially given how great the cast is. Margot Robbie is spectacular as Harley Quinn and although she does steal a lot of time from other characters in the film, thankfully she’s a lot of fun to watch. Our other Birds of Prey are also excellent, with both Jurnee Smollett-Belle and Mary Elizabeth Winstead turning in great performances and make their respective characters of Black Canary and Huntress very much their own. Then there is Ewan McGregor as Black Mask, who is having the time of his life in this film. His scenes are both equal parts extremely comedic and terrifying as he captures both sides of his character perfectly. Rosie Perez and Ella Jay Basco are fine in their perspective roles, but their characters are so forgettable, they could be cut from the film and no one would miss them.
I would say more, but that’s really all I have to say about this movie. While it is by no means terrible, it is still a little underwhelming in the end. The overall look and feel of the film is fun and quirky, with great action sequences and performances from its talented cast giving it a little boost. However, the film tries too hard to be fun and weird at times, ultimately losing sight of its core narrative and what it was trying to be about in the first place. While it does improve on its predecessor, Birds of Prey is a very fun, yet ultimately hollow viewing experience.
6/10
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is directed by Cathy Yan and is the 8th installment in the DC Extended Universe. The film stars Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollett-Belle, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Bosco, and Chris Messina. Set after the events of Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn (Robbie) has cut ties with the Joker and sets out to make a new life on her own. However, without the Joker’s protection, Harley is now hunted by those on both sides of the law, with her biggest enemy in the form of the nefarious crime lord Black Mask (McGregor). As Harley fights to make it, she encounters several others seeking justice and unites with them to bring Black Mask down once and for all.
As far as the overall look and feel this movie was going for, the filmmakers absolutely nailed it. The visuals of this film are colorful and lively, while also maintaining a unique style that sets it apart from other colorful comic book films. The action sequences in the film are also a ton of fun and benefit greatly from the film’s R-rating, allowing our heroines to go all out when it comes to dispatching henchmen. The sequences also manage to walk the line between over-the-top fun and grounded realism very finely, making for sequences that feel mostly real, while also capturing the spirit of fun comic panels. The framing device of the film also adds a fun vibe as it is narrated by Harley Quinn, which helps the film capture the chaotic nature of our lead character. There are a lot of fun moments in which voice over is used to great comedic effect, allowing for some great small moments that help flesh out our lead character and her situation.
That being said, sometimes the film focuses too much on being fun and goofy, that it will often forget where it’s going. This was a major problem with Suicide Squad, which focused so hard on being a fun crowd-pleaser, that it lost a lot of momentum constantly. While it is nowhere near as bad in this film, it is still there, though it benefits from the fact that Harley is our main narrator and can be seen as the reason for this problem. However, the film is still all over the place and while some may find It charming, I found it a little frustrating at times. To give an example of how bad this problem is, one of the main characters in the cast isn’t properly introduced until over an hour into the movie. That’s a big problem, and one that could’ve been avoided had the filmmakers focused more on the overall story and less on being fun and weird.
These pacing issues ultimately take a toll on the development of our characters, which is very disappointing especially given how great the cast is. Margot Robbie is spectacular as Harley Quinn and although she does steal a lot of time from other characters in the film, thankfully she’s a lot of fun to watch. Our other Birds of Prey are also excellent, with both Jurnee Smollett-Belle and Mary Elizabeth Winstead turning in great performances and make their respective characters of Black Canary and Huntress very much their own. Then there is Ewan McGregor as Black Mask, who is having the time of his life in this film. His scenes are both equal parts extremely comedic and terrifying as he captures both sides of his character perfectly. Rosie Perez and Ella Jay Basco are fine in their perspective roles, but their characters are so forgettable, they could be cut from the film and no one would miss them.
I would say more, but that’s really all I have to say about this movie. While it is by no means terrible, it is still a little underwhelming in the end. The overall look and feel of the film is fun and quirky, with great action sequences and performances from its talented cast giving it a little boost. However, the film tries too hard to be fun and weird at times, ultimately losing sight of its core narrative and what it was trying to be about in the first place. While it does improve on its predecessor, Birds of Prey is a very fun, yet ultimately hollow viewing experience.
6/10