BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)

Introduced in the much-maligned Suicide Squad back in 2016, Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was easily one of the most likeable aspects of the film, so it makes sense that she gets her own film in the DCEU, Robbie herself serving as producer for the project. Ever since the hot-mess that was Justice League, Warner Bros. have learnt their lesson and have given us some light and fun superhero films but can they keep that trend going with Birds of Prey?

Free from her relationship with the Joker, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) sets about living her best life for herself. With knowledge that she is no longer with the Clown Prince of Crime, it's not long before she finds herself a target for those she has wronged, including crime lord Roman Sionis/Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).

Make no mistake, despite the title being Birds of Prey, this is very much a Harley Quinn film, with the titular team not coming together until the final act. It's a film based around the idea of Quinn being free from the hold of the Joker and finding herself in a city full of deadbeats and whackjobs, yet it never feels as if they're trying to shove any messages down your throat. Christina Hodson's writing may not be the greatest but it does serve up a lot of fun dialogue and sequences that Cathy Yan directs quite wonderfully.

Yan reached out to Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick franchise, to help choreograph the action sequences and the results are simply stunning. They let loose with the craziness for sure in all of the sequences, violence and wide shots aplenty as we get to comprehend what is happening, a trend I'd love to see continue in action films these days. 

Serving as a producer for the film means Margot Robbie works hard both in front of and behind the camera, her performance in Birds of Prey completely embodying the chaotic nature of Harley Quinn. It's one of those performances where you can just tell the actor loves playing the role and that feeling is infectious to the audience watching her. Being a female-centric superhero film means Robbie is joined by the likes of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Rosie Perez, all serving as fierce independent characters that can mix-it with the scum of Gotham. Winstead and Smollett-Bell are definitely two I'd like to see more of in future films. Ewan McGregor plays the main villain of the piece and he's clearly having a ball too, bringing out both the flamboyant and psychotic nature of the character very well.

Birds of Prey manages to keep the momentum going for the DCEU, joining both Aquaman and Shazam! in being an absolute blast that focuses on having fun rather than moping around in doom and gloom. I'd certainly love to see more of Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and with her wanting to bring the Gotham City Sirens to the big screen, I think it'd be a mistake by Warner Bros. to not make that come true.

Verdict: ★★★★