Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Kinetic, silly, candy-colored, and hyperviolent, Birds of Prey is a serious treat for fans of comic book films. But it wouldn't work without the equal parts goofy, hilarious, and unhinged performance of its lead.

Ultimately, the plot is as messy as its central character, trotting around with one shoe and a bacon sandwich in hand, but it's also a whole bunch of glittery, satisfying fun -- especially the unkempt, cheerful, chaotic energy of Harley Quinn.

Birds of Prey is a fruity cocktail of a movie. It goes down smooth, makes you giddy, and there's the possibility of a slight hangover.

The movie is delightfully odd but not consistently inspired, often straining to rewrite the rules of superhero cinema, a mixture of good and bad ideas all mashed together.

If Robbie explores more films like this, she could have a legit future as an action superstar. (pub. date Feb 2020)

Birds of Prey sets the bar for nuanced depictions of female comic-book characters on the big screen...

From start to finish, Birds of Prey is a wild ride through the criminal underbelly of Gotham, filled with charming performances from the entire cast. It’s a shining star that justifies the popularity of the genre.

With a phenomenal cast led by an outstanding Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Cathy Yan delivers some of the best action of the entire cinematic universe in a genuinely entertaining superhero flick.

The movie is so badly written and so entrenched in its own space that it manages the impossible: to make us dislike Margot Robbie in a character we've previously liked in a previous installment. [Full review in Spanish]

This film is made to make you laugh as much as it’s made to entertain.