In the few short years since the (unofficially titled) DC Extended Universe launched, the landscape of the shared universe has changed quite a bit, with Warner Bros. leaning more toward focusing on its individual DC films rather than on constructing the larger world. After a movie with no ties to the DCEU - Todd Phillips’ Joker - comes one that’s, at best, loosely connected to it: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Technically a spinoff of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, which introduced Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Birds of Prey sees the anti-heroine striking out on her own and finding a new squad to run with, even if for only a little while. With a wicked sense of humor and exhilarating action, Birds of Prey is fierce, fun and a total blast - and an empowering girl power superhero romp.

The Birds of Prey script by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee) uses Harley’s omniscient, if unreliable, narrator to great effect in order to immerse viewers in this world and introduce the various key players. Birds of Prey tells a story of emancipation, not only of Harley Quinn from her relationship with Joker, and not only of the other female characters from those holding them back, but the film is itself a liberation from male-led and male-created superhero comic book movies. In Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn is on her own for the first time, trying to move forward with her life and discover who she is now that she’s no longer the Joker’s girlfriend - a difficult task when her identity has been linked to the Clown Prince of Crime for so long, but it’s an experience that’s uniquely female. Harley has also lost the protection that comes with being the Joker’s girlfriend, which puts a target on her back.

In Harley’s search for the Bertinelli diamond to give Roman Sionis aka Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) in exchange for his protection, she crosses paths with Gotham Police Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), metahuman and singer in Sionis’ club Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and orphan turned vigilante Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). When young pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) nicks the diamond from Sionis’ right hand man Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina), she becomes the focus of a manhunt. Harley gradually realizes the ladies will need to team up in order to defeat Black Mask, and get their own emancipation. The theme of emancipation runs throughout Hodson’s script and the movie ultimately embodies different kinds of liberation - not only of women breaking free from their abusive boyfriends, psychotic employers and the restrictive boy’s club, but also the freedom and power that comes with finding a group where they feel accepted and supported.

Birds of Prey is a true ensemble in the sense that it doesn’t work because one person or one part is excellent, but because they all are. In addition to Hodson’s script, what truly elevates Birds of Prey is Cathy Yan’s directing and vision for the film, which is realized in the action, costumes and music. The fighting sequences are absolutely brutal and choreographed in a way to showcase the characters’ respective abilities. Harley’s gymnast moves make a return, and when she gets her hands on a bat, the Cupid of Crime really lets loose - and it’ll leave audiences breathless with exhilaration. Birds of Prey stands out because it’s uniquely female, from the characters’ fighting styles down to the details of Harley pausing mid-fight to give her friend a hair tie. This further extends to the costumes, designed by Erin Benach (A Star Is Born), which are exquisite and perfectly showcase each character’s personality. The Birds of Prey soundtrack is similarly working double time, ranging from the energetic needle drop in an action set piece to a more haunting vocal performance that underscores the tone and theme of a scene. All these elements come together to give Birds of Prey an energy that’s fun, a little chaotic and entirely unique.

As for the cast of Birds of Prey, Robbie goes full-blown Harley Quinn, bringing a wild, positive energy and truly human empathy to the villainess. Hodson’s script and Robbie’s performance also play Harley’s mental illness more subtly than in Suicide Squad. As a result, it comes across less generically “crazy” and is much more authentic even if it remains undefined. Birds of Prey really is Harley’s story, but the Birds themselves each get time to shine, even if their various origin stories feel a little crammed into the already breakneck story. Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary - and Basco’s Cass Cain to a certain extent - is the most grounded, the lone straight man amidst a cast of characters with a range of eccentric quirks, from Perez’s Renee being a meta take on the stereotypical 80s cop to Messina’s Zsasz having a flare for cruelty. Winstead charms as the socially stunted Huntress but, aside from Robbie, it’s McGregor who shines the brightest in Birds of Prey, by nature of his character ranging from affably menacing to erratic dramatics, and he skillfully slips between the personas to create an effective counterpart to each of the heroes.

Birds of Prey doesn’t necessarily feel like a comic book superhero movie, but only because it’s unlike any other such adaptation. (In this way, it’s the perfect spiritual successor to Joker in terms of the current state of the DCEU, even as the energy of Birds gives that character and what he represents a big - and much-needed - “f–k you.”) As a result, Yan’s movie will appeal to comic book and Harley Quinn fans, and casual audiences simply looking for an entertaining time at the theater alike. Birds of Prey stumbles a bit as it twists and turns at Harley’s whim, making it hard to follow at times, but the ride itself is fun enough to keep viewers hooked - and when the nonlinear story comes together, it’s pretty clever. Further, Birds of Prey earns its R rating, showing the breathtaking brutality that feral female-rage can wreak when let loose on the world. Ultimately, Birds of Prey is sure to sate the appetites of those who are not just hungry, but ravenous for more female-led films of all kinds (not just superhero/comic book movies), especially those written and directed by women that more accurately capture women’s experiences.

Next: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Trailer

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is now playing in U.S. theaters. It is 109 minutes long and rated R for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comments section!

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