BIRDS OF PREY PARENT MOVIE REVIEW
If Birds of Prey is any indication of the way DC movies are going to be made in the future, then we’re in for some entertaining and well produced comic book movies from DC. Finally. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn was a ton of fun: think an entire movie that feels like you’re at a carnival funhouse. Plus there are loads of great Harley Quinn quotes in this one! But is Birds of Prey safe for kids? This Birds of Prey parent movie review will let you know just how kid-friendly the movie is. With a rated R rating, there are some things parents need to know if your older kids are asking to go.
Table of Contents
What’s Birds of Prey About?
You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess?
“Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it.
When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her.
Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.
Rated: R
Runtime: 109 minutes
Birds of Prey Review
First thing to note: I’m not a comic book reader. And I don’t really “do DC” so I went into Birds of Prey pretty blind.
I haven’t seen Suicide Squad, and I only know that Harley Quinn was Joker’s girlfriend. That’s about all the background I took with me into the screening of Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.
And it did not matter one bit as far as the storyline or entertainment of the movie.
The film gives enough background to set up DC comic novices like me to grasp the basics of what this show is all about.
Harley Quinn is having one of those weeks: she dumped her bad-news boyfriend (Mr. J), is being hunted by about half the city, and needs to retrieve a diamond from a teenage thief to save her skin.
Plus there’s a cop on her tail and a crossbow killer in the mix: things are just as crazy as always in Harley’s life.
The movie is a carnival funhouse ride from start to finish- and it literally finishes in a carnival funhouse. Except that I haven’t even been to one that actually tried to kill me, so there’s that.
Margot Robbie IS Harley Quinn.
She turns in a gorgeous and perfect performance that has you weirdly sympathetic and rooting for this anti-hero.
For a character that is so campy and ridiculous, it could have easily been “too much” but Robbie’s performance is “just right”.
While I don’t think she’s going to grab award nominations for this role, I wish she would, because I’m ready to give Margot Robbie all the awards at this point in her career.
Ewan McGregor, on the other hand, plays a surprisingly meh bad guy. Since I’ve gotten so used to him being the hero, that it was not a seamless transition to see him as the villain, and his Roman Sionis was a disappointment.
But he’s still better than most actors out there right now, so while it was distracting, he also wasn’t a complete flop in the role.
One thing that was clear from the performances: the actors loved making this movie.
This isn’t a movie to be taken seriously; as I said, it’s not an Oscar contender or anything like that. What it is was a lot of fun, with some good storytelling, incredible fight scenes, and performances.
Are There End Credit Scenes In Birds of Prey? Do You Need To Stay After The Credits?
Yes, there are. Well, kinda.
There’s not a mid-credit or even post-credit scene to watch, but there is an extra voiceover from Harley herself.
She’s got a secret to tell us, so if you like things like that, it might be worth hanging out for the end credit scene in Birds of Prey.
Need To Know When You Can Pee During Birds of Prey?
If you’ve been reading my reviews, you know I have this covered!
When can you pee during Birds of Prey: think middle of the movie, but read the post for non-spoiler details and times on when I think you can run to the bathroom.
Birds of Prey Parent Movie Review
This movie is rated R, so obviously it doesn’t mean that Birds of Prey is safe for kids of all teens. There are some concerns about kid-friendly nature, even for the teens and tweens in your home.
We’ll break this down in the Birds of Prey parent movie review so you can decide if Birds of Prey is safe for your kids to watch.
Is Birds of Prey Safe For Kids?
I mean, it’s rated R. But what does that rating entail? Is this something you might consider letting your comic book-loving older teen watch?
I’ll break it down for you on language, violent content, and sexual situations so you can decide just where Birds of Prey might land on the kid-friendly scale of movies.
Language in Birds of Prey
This is on the Deadpool level, not the Aquaman level. So there’s that.
If your family is not phased by F-bombs, calling people dummies, and pretty much every other swear word out there: then this movie won’t be shocking to your teens.
If language is a huge concern in your household, know that this one is over the top and filled with pretty much every four-letter word you can imagine. So, no, Birds of Prey is not safe for kids in this case.
Violence in Birds of Prey
Harley is pretty smart, and she does run her mouth a lot- but what she also does is kick a lot of butt (and graphically break some legs) in this movie.
There are guns, knives, a face being removed from a person (yup), and a high body count.
Surprisingly, I wouldn’t say there was a lot of gore, however. It wasn’t super bloody though it was very violent.
I think while the body count was high, the lack of gore somewhat offset that for me.
Sexual Situations in Birds of Prey
Little to none here. There is some artwork in the background that depicts lines of nude women’s bodies and one scene that shows a bra and panties.
But no true nudity or sexual situations.
There are some male characters who straddle the almost rapist line, but they don’t succeed so there’s that.
Girl Power Message In Birds of Prey
The good thing about this movie? A solid “girls can do anything- even escape the clutches of an evil psycho and his henchmen” message.
Robbie and the other Birds of Prey sell it all, and if you’ve got an older teen in your house who needs to see a female anti-hero (or 5!) succeed, this is a movie for that.
Epilepsy Warning In Birds of Prey
Just one note: there is some strobe usage in this movie and if that’s a concern for your family, please be aware.
It was most noticeable in the middle of the movie, but I noted it and wanted to make sure people who need a heads up have it. So there you go.
More Parent Movie Reviews
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Birds of Prey Spoilers Without Context
Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
Grace
Saturday 12th of March 2022
I think it’s would be okay for a 11 year old to watch bc they are gonna be 12 next year so it’s ain’t a. Problem to me
Maree
Saturday 9th of October 2021
Thank you for this actually usable review!