IF being trapped inside a neon-lit carnival fun house for almost two hours sounds like a blast then Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) hits a sweet spot with its anti-heroine’s oversized mallet.
Director Cathy Yan’s chapter of the DC Comics universe is a rumbustious frolic, turbo-charged by Margot Robbie’s gung-ho embodiment of unhinged Gotham City psychiatrist Harley.
Robbie dazzles in bone-crunching action sequences, performing most of her own stunts including a high-speed chase at night, which requires her to cling on to a tow rope behind a moving motorcycle in pink roller skates.
Female co-stars kick plentiful ass but Ewan McGregor’s chief antagonist is criminally underwhelming in every sense.
Birds Of Prey opens with a cute animated sequence, which pithily summarises the end to Harley’s romance with the Joker.
Once news hits the streets of Gotham that Harley is no longer under the protection of ‘the jester of genocide’, she runs a gauntlet of grievously wronged low-lives and underworld figures.
She falls into the clutches of sadistic gangster Roman Sionis (McGregor) and his slippery sidekick Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina), whose party trick is slicing off the skin of victims’ faces while they are alive.
To spare herself a close encounter with Victor’s blade, Harley promises to reclaim a precious diamond, which has been stolen from Roman by teenage pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco).
The kingpin grants Harley until midnight to retrieve the gem or suffer his henchman’s homemade facelift.
Insults and bullets fly as Harley engineers her hare-brained plan, which positions her on collision courses with Gotham City police detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) and crossbow-wielding vigilante The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).
Narrated by Harley in skittish fashion, Birds Of Prey is wildly, giddily violent and profane but retains a cartoonish sensibility.
The chronologically jumbled storyline is more of a headache than the retina-searing visuals and requires high-speed rewinds to rush through the backstories of supporting characters.
Robbie electrifies every brief lull, aiming for the irreverent tone and tomfoolery of Deadpool.
She and Yan’s picture hit the target more often than not – with glitter bombs.
RATING: 6/10
DAMON SMITH
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