I may have been acting ever so slightly provocative when I proclaimed on social media that Margot Robbie was a better Harley Quinn than Joaquin Phoenix was a version of the Joker, but that doesn't mean I was making a false statement. Phoenix delivers an amazing performance in Joker, he just doesn't feel like the character I have known in a variety of incarnations over the years. Robbie, on the other hand, is less consistent in her performance, but for at least 75% of the time feels absolutely like the character she has been tasked with portraying.
It's the performance from Robbie that goes a long way to making this film such a good time, although she's given great support from her female co-stars, and there's also a fun villainous turn from Ewan McGregor that makes you wish he would tap into his bad side more often.
The plot is fairly simple. Harley Quinn has recently been ditched by the Joker. That means that everyone who ever had a grievance against her, and there are many, can now have a go. She is no longer protected. What people take too long to realise is that Harley doesn't need to be protected. She can handle herself, although it is difficult when up against the powerful Roman Sionis (McGregor). That particular challenge is what leads to her eventually trying to play nice with Black Canary, The Huntress, a cop named Renee Montoya, and a young thief, Cassandra Cain.
Much like the central character, Birds Of Prey is an energetic, erratic, and colourful mess. The script from Christina Hodson is playful and full of reminders that this is not necessarily the most family-friendly character to spend some time with, although she IS worth appreciating for her fearless attitude, and the direction from Cathy Yan, working on what is only her second feature, is perfectly in line with the material. It's a shame that there weren't a few more action set-pieces scattered throughout, but what you get is pretty damn great, including moments such as Harley bursting in to a police station and shooting people with bursts of colour and a fight in which she manages to "level up" thanks to a face full of cocaine. As for the finale, it feels very much like something that could have been ripped from the pages of any Harley Quinn tale.
Going on and on about how good Robbie is feels redundant now. She really IS a live-action Harley, even if her performance has imperfect moments. The other female stars - Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Rosie Perez - all feel perfectly suited to their roles, with Winstead providing a surprising number of laughs during her fairly small amount of time onscreen. Ella Jay Basco also does well as young Cassandra Cain, managing not to be too irritating while showing that she's a talented young woman who has inadvertently got herself into some very hot water. McGregor is a suitably nasty git, and he's assisted by a typically brutal henchman, Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina).
There's a great soundtrack, with the emphasis on female vocalists, although I would have liked room for even more choice tracks in there, a solid score by Daniel Pemberton, and plenty of choices throughout, from the editing to the production design, to the costumes and make up, and beyond, that reassure you that this vision was provided by a lot of people who were all on the same page.
It's funny, it's enjoyably anarchic, it has a 109-minute runtime (which is surprisingly short for a recent DC movie), and it introduces a group of characters I would happily watch in a number of other adventures.
7/10
You can buy the movie here.
Americans can buy it here.
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