The entry of James Gunn as the new person in charge of the future of DC comes with the promise of remodeling to have a more organized and consistent plan. On the other hand, Gunn being more of a creative figure than an executive, it is hoped that, despite the plan, he will dare to maintain what has been one of the most interesting aspects of the rickety DC Universe: freedom of action for those who make the movies.
Even though it works against the tonal consistency Marvel has achieved, there really was something refreshing about any DC movie being able to come out anyway. Qualitatively and stylistically. An opportunity even for young voices from being able to try things even within the constrained mold of the action blockbuster. Thanks to that, even proposals such as ‘Birds of Prey (and the fantastic emancipation of Harley Quinn)’ are refreshing.
fly free like a bird
Newly added to the Netflix catalog, the film makes one of the best uses of Margot Robbie as a revamped and charismatic Harley Quinn who has completely changed the public perception of the character. An action film that seeks to present and take advantage of a new female superteam (which already put the expected public sectors against it), although it really is less choral than it appears.
Introducing characters like Black Canary or Huntress and taking advantage of some supporting characters from the Batman universe like Black Mask or Victor Zsasz, the film by the relatively young Cathy Yan makes a spectacle of action and criminal underworlds that, although expected or predictable, works fabulously because of the emphasis it places on certain aspects. Like the action, shot with some clarity and quite physical forcefulness as it did not need too much supernatural enhancement.
Minor characters that help give it a scale at street level that is always more appreciated than when you opt for more pompous and ornate shows that then go nowhere, like ‘Black Adam’. The movie also takes advantage of an R-rated for adults to loosen up a bit and make a good use of violence in fightswhich is then contrasted with an explosive use of colours.
‘Birds of prey’: violent and crazy
I said before that the film is less choral than it appears, and it is because the entire film is marked by the perspective of Robbie’s character. Not only for the narration, but also for a carousel of tones that can be appreciated, even in the action or in the sense of humor. Those jumps between beastly fighting, silly jokes, or even cartoon segments come pretty close to experiencing the world through the characters of Harley Quinn, as extreme as crazy.
They are small details, like passing a hair clip in the middle of a fight, where you can tell that there is someone offering a different perspective on the genre. Although it follows the patterns of the scheme of this class of blockbusters, the invoice is funny and nice, not boring even with its hops and its intense colors. Just the kind of propositions that never hurt and shouldn’t be left over in whatever future Gunn plans. The ‘Jokers’ are fine, but you shouldn’t abuse so much self-importance either.
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