While McGregor bites into his role with relish it is Margot Robbie as Harley who appears to be having the most fun. She is undoubtedly the best and most entertaining part of Birds of Prey.
Birds of Prey
U/A; Action, Adventure, Crime
Cast: Margot Robbie, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ella Jay Basco, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor, Chris Messina, Chris Cooper
Director: Cathy Yan
Rating:
This DC superhero-sequel adventure takes us to a time following the events of Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) recaps parts of her origin story with allusion to her colourful and highly inflammable relationship with the Joker and how, post break-up, she is having to deal with withdrawal symptoms while having to regain her strengths in a world that has set her up for target practice ever since the security of Joker's protection was withdrawn.
Harley's life story is fast spiralling out of control - what with her getting on the wrong side of brutal crime kingpin Black Mask aka Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) and dogged GCPD detective and troubled alcoholic Renee Monoya (Rosie Perez) in hot pursuit. Mixed in with that are a mysterious assassin, the Crossbow killer (who prefers to be called Huntress – played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) looking for revenge; lounge singer Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) who also gets hired on as Sionis' driver; and pint-sized pick-pocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) who manages to steal away a prized diamond.
Watch Birds of Prey trailer:
Yan's quick cutting narrative employs a whacky tone with a 'Kill Bill' streak of orchestrated, crunchily choreographed violence. Impressively colourful and incendiary action set-pieces with a playful, energetic vibe lend this film the ambience, verve and edge that Suicide Squad lacked. Of course, the ambition here is to set up a believable multi-faceted all-girl gang of ace warriors and so there's quite a bit of character development thrown into the mix. Birds of Prey has a high-on-drugs demented vibe that is imminently catchy. The camera work, vibrancy of the colour palette, the highly effective slow-mo inserts lend clarity and coherence to this celebration of dysfunctions. While McGregor bites into his role with relish it is Margot Robbie as Harley who appears to be having the most fun. She is undoubtedly the best and most entertaining part of Birds of Prey. Yan, of course, must be given due credit for lifting this comic-cinema-universe out of the doldrums.
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