Birds of Prey review

Delve into the world of an independent Harley Quinn in new movie

Harley Quinn, ex-girlfriend of the infamous Joker, was driven to madness by the temptation named love. It’s a truly chaotic story that is run by a truly chaotic character.

The movie “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey” is an extremely enjoyable film. From the cinematography to the characters themselves, everything fits together perfectly. The movie is a wonderful portrayal of the essence that Quinn holds as a psychiatrist gone rogue. 

For those who don’t know the general idea of “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey,” Quinn goes through an adventure with a child, Cassandra Cain, who pickpockets a precious diamond that a crime boss, Black Mask, is trying to claim and use. The diamond is encoded with secret account numbers to the fortune of a family, who were massacred years ago. All throughout the movie, because of Quinn and the Joker’s breakup, Quinn is hunted by people who held grudges against her, which ends in her getting herself in some trouble. Joined in the end by Assassin Huntress, singer Black Canary and policewoman Renee Montoya, the four work together to end a reign of a crime organization.

The film has exactly what a Harley Quinn movie should have: violence, crazy parties and chaos. There are certain scenes to back this up as well. In one of the earlier scenes — bear with me — she gets her favorite egg sandwich. Upon leaving, she’s chased by policewoman Renee Montoya. After a period of chasing, Montoya pushes Quinn, and she drops her sandwich in the process. This leads to a very dramatic scene of Quinn mourning her lost sandwich and then pulling a quick and clever maneuver to get out of the situation she’s in.

IMDb
Harley Quinn and Cassandra Cain watch tv together. Birds of Prey focuses on the adventure Quinn and Cain have while trying to end a crime organization that is after them.

This is one of many perfect scenes to show who she is as a character. She’s devastated by dropping a sandwich! The script and settings staying true to Harley Quinn’s character is phenomenal. It’s guaranteed to give viewers the opportunity to get a feel for who Quinn is and what she does other than hurt people.

The wardrobe design and how it suits each character are something to examine, too. Quinn’s flashy outfit, Cain’s mediocre style, Canary’s gem-encrusted look and Huntress’s dark leather show how the costume designers were trying to portray their individual character traits and personalities. 

The little details portrayed around the climax of the movie were magnificent too. The suspense of Quinn walking on the broken pier in thick fog, the taunts of Black Mask muffled in the distance, along with Cain’s cries grab the watcher’s attention. The fact Quinn missed the shot that was supposed to be the final ending shot, really cuts the tension in a pleasing, yet suspenseful, way that sets it up for the final climax of the movie. It’s brilliant.

Overall, “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey” is an engaging movie that will entertain those interested in the DC Comics universe. The character designs, costumes, dialogue and cinematography fit with what a Harley Quinn movie should be about. It’s well thought out and well executed, making for an amazing movie for fans and casual viewers.