Birds of Prey Birds of Prey User Reviews and Ratings Thread

[Micromind]

Matt Reeves’ needs to be more of team player, hopefully he obliges....at least after he set up these characters....but I feel with Margot hinting Oracle specifically, Reeves is not interested.

Matt Reeve's reaction ..

Spoiler

 

[scarlet-witch]

I thought this was wonderful. I love how much it embraced the campiness of it all. I wasn't expecting this to be one of my favorite DCEU films but now it is.

 

[psylockolussus]

I'll give it a 7. Harley Quinn was much likable in this. However they should have called the movie just "Harley Quinn" and even though in some way, I liked that the Huntress and Black Canary finally appeared in a live action movie and they were kinda fierce, those two didn't need to appear in this, I felt like they were shoehorned. if they were gonna do a movie with the words Birds of Prey in the title, it should have been about the Birds of Prey. Its a good movie but I think Birds of Prey were wasted in this and the film could have been better and tighter if they just focused on Harley, Black Mask and I guess Renee and not sidetrack a little with the other two femme fatales. The little girl could have been named anything else, so I don't think Cassandra Cain needed to be in this either. While I didn't mind Zsasz, he seemed like just a random henchman to me. Over all, it was okay but nothingin this movie reallysatisfied me.

 

[-JKR-]

Loved it, as well. Will post a lenghtier review / opinion at a later point.

It's a pity that audiences aren't supporting it, but from what I understand much of the general audience doesn't even know this exists. It's up to the people who liked or loved it to spread the word.

 

[jignat]

I just got back from Birds of Prey. I liked it.

Pros:

Margot as Harley. (IMO the best thing about Suicide Squad). Her zaniness and her gymnastics, and even her dramatic acting was great

Action scenes. John wick direction/choreography made the movie significantly more enjoyable

Song choices. Probably the best use of retro songs since Guardians of the Galaxy films

Ewan McGregor as Black Mask. While he was campy in some parts, he could exude menace like that part where he told the girl to take off her dress. His mask looked cool too(wished it was in the film more)

the animated intro and quick text jokes/heads up display gags


Cons

This is a 2/3 Harley movie and 1/3 BOP film. The others get some decent backstory/character bits. I suppose Cassandra Cain was different than I thought; I thought she would be a mute badass(from what Ive read about her) Huntress had the least screen time , though oddly her origin is more fleshed out than the others oddly enough.

Some of the time manipulation and rewinding by Harley is a bit weird. One segment in a police station almost got me confused for a bit since the flashback went WAY back. The pacing is a little off too.
The movie is only 1hr 39 min without credits but felt like 2 hours.

I liked about 1/2 the jokes. They were clearly trying to emulate Deadpool, but I think DP jokes landed more satisfyingly.

Overall: 7.5/10.
I think it is equal to Aquaman.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Watched it today and I loved it so much, it was really fun, all the characters were super likable.

The beginning recapping Harleys life in toon form was A+. Wasnt expecting it and loved it. The entire film was very fun in the way it depicted things and introduced us to characters.

There really was no reason for them to name Cassandra, Cassandra Cain. Like zero. But they did a decent job of weaving her into the story and giving her a connection to Dinah/Harley.

Helena....she was ok but felt a little forced.

Loved Dinah and her journey into finding her voice. Not to mention that they embraced where the character came from! Her mother was also a meta who helped people. DLL is such a great and interesting character because she is and should be a legacy character.

Montoya was enjoyable.

Harley was phenomenal, she got to shine bright like a diamond and she was 10x better than she was in SS.

Not a fan of them forming the BoP at the end of the film....BoP IS Barbara/Dinah and should begin with Oracle.

 

[Erik20]

Saw this on Saturday, and I have to say I didn't really like it. Harley and Black Mask were great, but whenever they weren't on the screen I was bored. (Which was pretty often) I think I actually enjoyed watching Suicide Squad more than this, even though I know Birds of Prey is the better movie. I can't really explain it, but the movie just didn't work for me. Maybe the great current animated version slightly "ruined" it for me, since it's not as good. I would give it a 6.5/10

 

[Bats123]

Birds of Prey is confused, it doesnt know if it wants to be its own thing or continue the Suicide Squad aesthetic or be like Deadpool, so it mixes all those things together, injects it with cocaine and we get this messy and rushed but bizarrely entertaining movie.

Margot Robbie is a joy to watch as Harley, you can tell she has a lot of fun in the role.
Ewan McGregor as Black Mask was kinda hilarious, like, i guess im supposed to be intimidated by him but he is cursing up and down and being incredibly silly for most of the movie that i couldnt help but laugh, regardless it is a good performance by Ewan.

I actually thought Chris Messina was the better villian here, he's conniving, eccentric, weird and actually threatning, you dont know what he's gonna do next.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress is criminally underused, she has like 6 mins of screentime tops and most of that screentime is at the very end of the movie.

Black Canary gets the most screentime out of the Birds and has a couple good moments here and there but she only gets one scene to really delve into her character, and i couldnt really get attached to Renee Montoya as she just seemed to be "generic renegade cop" and it feels like her backstory was shoe-horned in post.

The cinematography and the score by Daniel Pemberton are a few of the film's saving graces, but even the score is overshadowed by tons of pop songs and covers that are unnecesarily shoved in, like i said, Suicide Squad.

Birds of Prey has a charm to it and some enjoyable moments but its all brought down by a weak script and some cardboard cutout characters.
6/10

 

[KaijuDude1992]

I had a great time with this movie even though it definitely has problems with character development probably being the most notable at least for some of the characters. The best things about this movie were easily Margot Robbie's performance and the action sequences. The movie also looks great visually with some really dope shots mostly during the big, action set pieces. I really liked the portrayal of Black Canary in this and MEW is a certified badass, but man did she need more screen time. I also enjoyed the over the top campiness with Ewan McGregor's and Chris Messina's performances, but even they needed a bit more fleshing out IMO. The only characters I wasn't big on were the kid and Rosie Perez who felt kind of pointless to me.

 

[Lantern Venom]

This was a serviceable film that I'll certainly purchase on Blu-ray. It doesn't fire on all cylinders, but it's hardly without merit.

Margot as Harley carried the load here. I'm glad that BoP didn't shy away from her past with Joker as it was necessary to recall some of what we saw in Suicide Squad. From the frenetic action scenes to the zany motivations to the kaleidoscope of visuals, everything about Harley was on target.

The narrative that revolved around the diamond was decent. It didn't feel particularly inspired, but it didn't turn into a MacGuffin chase either. With all of the various characters coming from very different angles, this movie did more to establish Batman's backdrop than any of the DCEU films that actually featured Batman. I can certainly appreciate that.

As for what didn't work, Black Mask and Huntress seemed to be swept away in the campiness at the expense of their characters. I can't say that I've read any stories with Sionis since DC Rebirth, but his back story and personality are very dark. We got some of that with his propensity for torture, but he was also insecure and goofy. That seemed out of character, as did the awkwardness of Huntress.

Renee Montoya was the most interesting character in the film outside of Harley. I hadn't seen Rosie Perez in a few years and I had forgotten just how much skill she can bring to the screen. She provided a much-needed grounding to the film when it could have gone off the rails at certain points.

It will be interesting to see if there's an extended cut to this film. I was pleasantly surprised that a film with so many female characters didn't immediately become an exercise in lewdness. I didn't want to see that, nor did the film need to be that. However, I wouldn't mind seeing a little more of the Joker-Harley break-up if WB wants to give us that.

Is there a prequel comic to Birds of Prey? If so, I'd certainly like to pick that up.

 

[Kane52630]

Is there a prequel comic to Birds of Prey? If so, I'd certainly like to pick that up.

There is but it's all in LEGOs.

 

[godisawesome]

I gave it a grudging 6/10.

The cast is good, and the story occasionally clicks.

But conceptually, its a mess, and it wastes a bunch of time and characters due to confusion about what it is. And I am mildly pissed about wasting Cassandra Cain (who i care about far more than nay of the other characters) in such an abysmally mundane role.

If this was really the result of two competing scripts, one BoP and one Sirens, than they both must have shared the same basic conflict outline, and either the Sirens script was really bad, or they were worried about Ivy and Catwoman stealing Harley's thunder.

Black Mask, a stolen diamond, the moral ambivalence of the tale, and its madcap energy... all that screams far more Sirens than Birds. This feels like two movies: a fairly decent Harley Quinn solo movie and a half-baked and sometimes non-committal Birds of Prey script. Montoya and Huntress are largely good, but that's because Montoya gets to be a straightforwards police antagonist for much of the movie, and Huntress is a mixed blessing, since her late entry into the story proper as an actual character means we see too little of her, but she gets to be accurately portrayed as well.

Black Canary feels like she's suffering from adaptational choices determined by a desperation to fit her into an awkward role that doesn't really suit her. The actress is actually very good, but the whole attempt to make her a wannabe-amoral associate of Black Mask ends up feeling like a waste of time.

Cassandra Cain is an insult to the idea of adaptation, let alone the character.

When it's trying to be a Harley movie, it's fine. When it tries to be a Birds of Prey movie, it honestly comes off as promising in potential but very weak in execution. Like, I find Huntress more interesting than Harley, particularly once Black Canary gets to act like Black Canary around her and they have chemistry, but its Harley's film first and foremost, and I just don't think that jived with the Birds of Prey as a concept that well.

 

[Lantern Venom]

There is but it's all in LEGOs.

Stephen King once said that he used to pay his kids to read books and tape them so he could listen to stories as he drove. I'd have no problem giving my kids a few bucks to tell me a story that saved me from the visuals of the deformed plastic troll world.

 

[jolldan]

I think I have to go with a 5/10

The Good

• Robbie as usual plays Harley very well, she really brings the role to life.
• Black Canary, I liked Smollet's portrayal of her and she really made me buy that street smart savvy vibe I think she was going for.
• Huntress's snapping demonstrating her need for anger management was really funny but we didn't get anywhere near enough.
  
• The evidence room fight scene, this for me was the stand out action set piece of the movie, personally never really liked Harley using a bat in live action especially when everyone else is armed to the teeth but she was a believable bad*** batmaster lol in this scene.
• The visuals, got to give it credit for this. Between the Acme explosion & the red and blue gas canasters at GCPD there were some shots that looked like they were ripped right off the page.

The Bad

• Black Mask calling Dinah his "Pretty Bird"
• Criminal under use of Harley's Hyena, seriously why introduce it for such little use?
• The fact that to my knowledge literally every guy in the movie is a complete pos lol.
• Montoya, nothing against the actress but this character felt really pointless for the most part, we don't see her crime solving skills, she seems to be the worst fighter and has no special skills unlike Dinah & Huntress. Just think you could have fleshed either of them out better if you had sacrificed her.
• Cassandra Cain same as what I said for Montoya, really cant believe she has the third most screen time.
• Black Canary fainting after she screamed. Really? This was painfully obvious case of a director saying we need to take her out of the game.
  
• The funhouse fight scene was a massive fail for me, I think I get what they were going for but it honestly felt cringy at times.
• The death of Black Mask. Now I was not opposed to them killing him but the way it goes down just felt kind of like really? And maybe im alone in this but after watching the movie i geniunlely have no idea why they even felt the need to call him Black Mask.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Saw this last night and found it a fun experience, not to the level some reviews suggest though. It was harmless fun with some funny moments and good street level action. Robbie was the standout but the rest of the cast mostly do a good job of keeping up with her, especially McGregor as Black Mask. I also thought Black Canary was really good and hope to see more of her and MEW at some point.

It was nice to have no universe/world ending threat in a CBM and Yan did a really good job with the direction, the movie really popped at times. Overall not at the level of DC's best but a fun time to waste an hour and a half or so.

7/10.

 

[Luigi]

Total delight. Talk about a huge upgrade from Suicide Squad's muddy and bland action sequences. Vibrant, kinetic and crystal clear action. Could have eased up on the needle drops but that didn't deter from my enjoyment.

Ewan McGregor is the CBM villain to beat this year.

9/10

 

[Wheels]

Really enjoyed this for what it was but it lacks something. Not nearly broad enough for my personal taste and the violence wasn't gratuitous enough for my taste with this character. Not silly enough for me.

Loved Margot in this though she was the highlight.

Huntress reminded me of Raven from Teen Titans TAS more than anything. Playing her brooding nature laughs and all that. Definitely socially awkward.

Black Mask was fine but his "over the top" performance got too much hype from people online. Not the ham fest I was expecting from the buzz.

7/10.

 

[The Guard]

It’s a weird movie. It’s a pretty good movie. A lot of zany fun, and some really inventive action. The story is piecemeal, and the whole is definitely greater than the sum of any of its parts. There are some generic elements, but they're woven together in a way that feels special.

A fairly atmospheric take on Gotham. Yan directs the heck out of a script that was fun, but that I didn’t love. I'm not super excited about Hodson on BATGIRL or THE FLASH now, but she's shown some versatility thus far, and juggled tone pretty well, so we'll see.

I was actually just fine with it being Harley Quinn and Her Temporary Friends. I guess that’s the joke. Their paths crossed, and they impacted each other's lives, but they’re not going to be teammates or even friends.

The story is solid, and there’s a decent amount of meaningful development given to the supporting cast, though the resolution is rushed through a bit too much. I didn’t love the music choices in the soundtrack. Everyone is pretty good in their respective roles. I didn’t like what they did with Cassandra Cain. At all. There was a better, more interesting choice there, to have a "silent/scared girl" with the kind of skills she's usually known for in the comics. They wouldn't have had to go into her backstory if they didn't want to.

I felt like I didn’t really connect with anything. In part because the actual character work sort of rests on the themes of the film and its take on masculinity, femininity, etc. And it works, but I just didn’t find it real accessible. It wasn't quite preachy, but it was a bit paint by numbers in its exploration of "issues".

I don’t think it need to be rated R. Most of the R-rated stuff involves Harley, and I think her madcap/Looney Tunes stuff would have worked just fine in a PG-13 version.

I think this is one of those movies that will find its fans down the line, and not just in a cult sense. It's a well done movie.

 

[OroroGambitFan]

I feel like there is something wrong with me. Why did I hate this movie ? Half way through I started thinking about all the positive reviews from both fans and critics and it got me thinking just how there must be something wrong with me cuz I feel like I was watching another movie entirely. Very weak story with very few redeeming qualities. The acting of the little girl was beyond awful and I could t connect with any of the characters enough to care what happens. Now I also hated Captain Marvel the first time I saw it but when I re-watched it and each rewatch since ,the movie actually gets better to me and now I like it. So it's possible that I might need another viewing to really appreciate it and find something to connect with. So before giving a grade I'll watch the movie a second time...

 

[Micromind]

CM isn't that different form many other MCU movies, so I can understand why most people like it, BoP is a bit different, not because of it's story (which is nothing new) but because of it's presentation and it's lead character (Harley Quinn).

 

[The Guard]

I feel like there is something wrong with me. Why did I hate this movie ? Half way through I started thinking about all the positive reviews from both fans and critics and it got me thinking just how there must be something wrong with me cuz I feel like I was watching another movie entirely. Very weak story with very few redeeming qualities. The acting of the little girl was beyond awful and I could t connect with any of the characters enough to care what happens. Now I also hated Captain Marvel the first time I saw it but when I re-watched it and each rewatch since ,the movie actually gets better to me and now I like it. So it's possible that I might need another viewing to really appreciate it and find something to connect with. So before giving a grade I'll watch the movie a second time...

I felt similarly. I didn't hate it, but I definitely feel like I need another viewing to try to connect to it. There are some great ideas and light explorations of gender relations stuff. The story is a bit straightforward, but probably needed to be for something like this.

The characters are relatable, but aren't especially likeable for the most part, with the exception of Quinn and Montoya.

 

[SomeOldGuy]

I went today with my daughter, who’s home on spring break. She was a big fan, saying it was what SS would have been if SS had been a good movie. I give it a 7/10. I found the first half rough going because So. Much. Exposition. The film just won’t shut up, to the point where for a while I thought I was watching an illustrated audiobook. But thankfully that peters out about halfway through and the rest of the film is a blast. Loved the set design, especially the whole funhouse scene. Fight choreography was solid. One complaint: Huntress’ outfit looks like a reject from a CW show. $100 million budget and they couldn’t find a couple grand for a decent costume? But overall, good movie.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

Watched this again last night..

So great. All the characters. The writing. The action. Everything. And I'm not a Harley fan at all.

The only thing I didn't like were the scenes with Ali Wong's character, some of the music choices (a little too Suicide Squad for my tastes), and the random Marilyn Monroe dance scene.

But I really hope to see Winstead and Smolett-Bell in these roles again though. I thought they were so damn cool. Hopefully in the next Suicide Squad film?

 

[jfurioso]

So I finally saw thie movie.

And... did not really like it that much. I liked a lot of individual bits but the whole somehow did not click for me.

My daughter, who loved Harley in Suicide Squad, got up at about 15 minutes and walked away and would not see anymore. Said it as meh. My wife did not want to give it a try because she thought from the trailers it was silly nonsense and she does not like that sort of thing.

It took me like four different days to finally finish it.

It has some really good bits. Maybe even a lot of good bits. And I can see why the overall concept makes sense. It is a cartoonish farce more than an action comedy, and I have no problem with that. But... the whole seems less than the sum of the parts.

Also, I have something I disagree with the overall consensus here. I felt so-so about Margot's part.

I have never found Margot Robbie less than enjoyable in anything. SS, Focus, Tonya, even that post-apoc movie with Pine and the otherwise great actor dude who did the awful Secret In Their Eyes US adaptation whose name I can never spell. I found Margot to be excellent in SS. Yet I found her annoying and overacted in this one, though. More than appear crazy she just seemed dim in a lot of places. I felt it was a disservice to the character and to her previous performance. I preferred her SS performance to this one.

As to the whole wardrobe discussion. Yeah, it was uninspired and I think that helped turn off my daughter's interest. And it was not about the fan-service for her. I felt that the clothing showed a lot of bare flesh but was unflattering and I would rather have seen her more covered up instead in something more stylish and edgy.

There are some good action sequences but the larger climatic set-piece at the funhouse was poor to awful. Made the Arrowverse look good. I think this was the deal-breaker for me. I have extensive background in multiple martial arts as a fighter and instructor as well as in theater and this kind of thing is very important to me. I felt like I was watching a Disney TV show fight with the goons conveniently running into blows.

I also feel that the whole feminist emancipation angle was badly served by the ridiculously exaggerated bad rom-com farcical reactions from Harley at the start and Harley going back to the funhouse at the end. Way to prove you are now your own person. If you were going to hinge the movie that much on that subject it should have been a Harley-Joker movie and not just pay it lip service. Also, I think it would have been much better to stage that final confrontation at the roller skating place and would have allowed a better showcase of Harley using her skating expertise against the goons.

May go into a more detailed analysis or commentary on other opinions later, after giving it a second watch. I think I owe Margot and the cast at least that.

I think the movie has some intrinsic structural failings but the good parts are enough to understand why others would end up loving the whole, but those good parts just make me wonder how much better it would have been without those failings that I cannot pinpoint exactly from just a first watch.

 

[Micromind]

I think I like Harley in BoP more... in BoP, she's closer to Batman The Animated Series Harley Quinn in terms of her attitude and action.

Ayer's SS -Harley was good but that was rather normal person who occasionally behaves as a crazy person, it was not convincing, maybe it was a good starting point as transition from Doctor Harleen Quinzel to cartoony Harley would have been more jarring.

I think the problem here is that most people think cartoony Harley is wrong and she should act more like a "mature person", whereas cartoony Harley is the true representation. Having said that, there were plenty of moments in BoP where you can glimpse at the real person.