Blu-Ray Review: Birds of Prey

All bets are off after Harley Quinn’s explosive break-up with Joker. No longer protected by the Clown Prince, all of her enemies flock out of the shadows to get revenge. As the stakes get higher, Harley picks up a few unexpected allies to help defeat her biggest enemy, the neurotic crime boss, Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).

This movie gets a lot of hate for its non-linear timeline, but to me, that’s what makes it fun. It reminds me of when a kid is trying to tell you a story, but they keep forgetting to say critical information. So it’s kind of like an inside look into how Harley’s mind works. 

For girls, it’s incredible how relatable this movie is. Whether it’s cutting your hair after a break-up and instantly regretting it, loving a sandwich more than a boyfriend, or always having a hair tie when a friend needs one, this will have you saying, “Yup, that’s me.” Plus, it’s always nice to see girls on-screen represented as something more than just a damsel in distress.

Harley Quinn is a fan favorite, and Margot Robbie’s love for the character shines during every second of her performance. You can tell she wanted to bring everything we love about Quinn to the big screen. One of those traits is her Ph.D. It’s nice to see her doctorate put to use. I love that we’re constantly reminded this girl is not as aloof as she may seem. Her knowledge of why people act specific ways is what makes her Harley freakin’ Quinn. 

The only thing I was craving more than Harley’s beloved egg sandwich, was the actual team-up. The Birds of Prey don’t form until the end of the movie. We were promised a girl gang, but we only had about 15 minutes of interaction.

But, if you are craving more, the Blu-Ray is action-packed with a birds-eye view of everything that went on behind the scenes. See what it took to bring this story to life.  Here is a quick break down of the special features:

“Birds Eye View Mode” is a whole new movie-watching experience. I love a good DVD commentary. It’s probably one of my favorite things about buying a movie. This is an interactive commentary with trivia and exclusive behind the scenes footage sprinkled throughout the film.

“Birds Of Prey: Birds Of A Feather” Shows you the true chemistry the cast and crew have. It’s nice to see how well everyone seemed to click. 

“Romanesque” is all about Roman Sionis or Black Mask. To me, Ewan McGregor played one of the best DC villains on the big screen. The amount of detail put into this character is mind-blowing, it’s incredible to see how McGregor was able to make an unhinged narcissist likable. 

“A Love Skate Relationship” takes you from the roller derby to the funhouse brawl. You get to meet the real-life roller derby athletes that were featured in the movie that helped Margot Robbie look like a pro. And there is some excellent footage of how the stunts were performed.

“Grime And Crime” and “Sanity Is So Last Season” shows all the details that went into the set and costume design. It’s impressive to see how much work it takes to make something look so cool on screen. It’s also fun to see all the characteristics of each costume up close. 

“Wild Nerds” shows how the graphics team created Harley’s pet hyena, Bruce. Throughout the movie, I wondered how they were able to pull this off and let me tell you, it is shocking. 

And it wouldn’t be special features without a Gag reel. Have fun watching the cast flub up lines and fall doing stunts. My personal favorite is when Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina) loses his teeth.

I honestly think this movie fell victim to bad marketing. A lot of people I talked to didn’t even know it was out when it was in theaters. It also missed an opportunity by not debuting on Valentines Day. Birds of Prey is a breakup movie, and it would have been perfect for any girl going through one on that day. So hopefully, this Blu-Ray will get the love it deserves. 

Is it a perfect film? No, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. It’s over the top, violent, and funny. Birds of Prey is honestly a blast to watch and a great way to disconnect from the real world.