Review: Harley Quinn and the Pips is Fun, and a Letdown

The challenge of Birds of Prey — DC’s newest hero film featuring antihero Harley Quinn — was to decouple its star from her iconic anchor. Since her first appearance in 1992 in Batman: The Animated Series (Fun Fact: Harley Quinn was not in a comic book until 1993), Harley has been the Joker’s partner in crime, sidekick and lover. The Joker’s stock has never been higher in pop culture on the heels of a financially successful solo film with 11 Academy Award nominations. It’s both prime time to highlight the characters around him but also a challenge to have them stand sufficiently on their own. In that specific challenge, I’m glad to say, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is successful. Birds of Prey Ensemble Cast While the Joker’s shadow looms over the first act of the film, a character more felt than seen, Birds of Prey pivots seamlessly into a place where you don’t expect his cameo, and neither do you want it. For this viewer, chalk that up as a win. Harley Quinn, played again by Margot Robbie, is fitting whether you enjoy this particular version of Harley or not. With the Joker’s absence, you would hope to fill that void with an ensemble of lesser-known characters, using the space to develop and shine. For that, unfortunately, expect to be disappointed: Birds of Prey makes the decision to skew the first two acts of the film almost entirely toward Harley Quinn, saving their inevitable team-up for the final act without meaningful developme…