It’s official: the future of the superhero genre is female, both behind the camera and in front. Birds of Prey just had its world premiere in London, and critics have begun sharing their first impressions on social media. Thankfully, it sounds like DC’s hot streak is far from over. You can check out a few highlights below.
io9’s Jill Pantozzi lamented the fact that it took this long to bring the Birds of Prey to the silver screen. Regardless, she loved the film and its impressive fight choreography. However, we have to wonder what she means when she says the villains (*plural*) are “delicious.” We already know that Roman Sionis and Victor Zsasz are in the film. But could there be other bad guys waiting in the wings for moviegoers?
#BirdsofPrey is a ridiculous and rad superhero film. The fight scenes are phenomenal and the villains are delicious. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get the Birds of Prey on film but it was a lot of fun.
— Jill Pantozzi (@JillPantozzi) January 29, 2020
GameSpot’s Mike Rougeau called the film his “favorite modern DC movie yet.” He also likened director Cathy Yan’s stylistic choices to the ones David F. Sandberg made with Shazam! In other words, he praised Yan for truly making the film her own.
Just saw #BirdsofPrey and am happy to report that it’s my favorite modern DC movie yet. Like Shazam, it carves its own path with totally unique aesthetic, action, and tone. Margot, Ewan and all the rest are 100% fantabulous. Why aren’t there more roller skate action scenes?? pic.twitter.com/BDipKiB0qU
— Mike Rougeau (@RogueCheddar) January 29, 2020
RELATED: DC Universe Subscribers Can See Birds of Prey Early
Terri Schwartz of IGN was similarly impressed by Birds of Prey’s fight scenes, and even included a GIF of one particularly thrilling moment. Apparently, the level of brutality (no doubt aided by the film’s R-rating) definitely works to the movie’s advantage, and Yan’s “creative” direction is the glue that ties everything together.
Saw #BirdsofPrey this morning! I liked it a lot. The stuff I loved: the action, the tone and just how creative the direction is. Margot Robbie completely sells the incredibly choreographed fight sequences and their gleeful brutality, this whole scene in particular pic.twitter.com/UBb0FPAa14
— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) January 29, 2020
Fandango’s Erik Davis went even further with this initial thoughts. According to him, the ladies of Birds of Prey are the among most memorable characters to show up in a DC film. However, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn definitely made the biggest impact. He likewise singled out the balance between action and humor, and also hinted that food somehow plays a big role in the story.
#BirdsOfPrey has terrific action, humor & some of the more memorable characters we’ve seen in a DC movie, but the biggest highlight is Margot Robbie. She is fantabulous as Harley, while also proving that sometimes our most valued relationships are the ones we have w/ good food pic.twitter.com/EDQ3sr5JtL
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) January 29, 2020
Forbes’ Scott Mendelson called the movie “delightfully unassuming and unconcerned with its place in a larger context.” Translation: it isn’t burdened by the constraints of fitting into a shared universe, à la Marvel. Additionally, Mendelson noted that everyone looked like they were genuinely having a ball, especially Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress.
#BirdsofPrey is delightfully unassuming and unconcerned with its place in a larger context. It’s a bonkers bananas crime comedy and a genuine party movie. Everyone is having a blast but Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Huntress like a supporting character from THE TICK. It rocks. pic.twitter.com/7MRMKkZ0oi
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) January 29, 2020
RELATED: Black Mask Wants to Kill Harley Quinn in New Birds of Prey Clips
Angie J. Han of Mashable was a bit more critical in her hot take. She thought Birds of Prey was “hampered by uneven tone and pacing.” However, the film more than made up for this with high-octane action, standout characters, and great music. She also agreed that Huntress was the movie’s MVP.
#BirdsOfPrey: winning characters, above-average action, and a killer soundtrack hampered by uneven tone and pacing. The girls at their best together, and they’re not together enough. Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress is the not-so-secret MVP.
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) January 29, 2020
Finally, Atom Tickets’ Alisha Garuso compared the newest DCEU entry to the John Wick franchise. But more importantly, she said it was “everything you could ever want from Harley Quinn and her badass girl gang,” which should make longtime fans of the characters very happy.
#BirdsofPrey is like if John Wick were run through a crazy funhouse filter and stuffed full of glitter and f-bombs. It’s everything you could ever want from #HarleyQuinn and her badass girl gang. Into this movie completely. pic.twitter.com/Y2DZgPYN2Y
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) January 29, 2020
Are you more excited to see Birds of Prey now that the film is generating positive early buzz? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Huntress: Year One
