'Birds Of Prey' Featurette Highlights The Many, Many Fight Scenes In The New DC Film

Birds of Prey opens this week, and the early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. As a result, the hype for the new DC flick starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn is already at a fever-pitch. But if you need something else to get you pumped-up, you might want to take a gander at this behind-the-scenes featurette that highlights the many, many fight scenes and stunts in the movie.

Birds of Prey has a lot of action in it. If you don't believe me, check out this featurette, which showcases the different fighting styles of the film's main characters – Margot Robbie's Harley Quin, Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya, Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Black Canary, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress. Our own Hoai-Tran Bui reviewed Birds of Prey, and came away impressed – especially with the fights:

The superhero movie industry has become such a well-oiled machine that the action sequences have fallen to second priority to the drama and dialogue, and in many a comic book movie, the division between the sequences can clearly be seen. But rather than resort to fast cuts or CGI-saturated battles, Birds of Prey's fight choreography has a touch of the balletic John Wick brutality to it (some of which can be credited to the stunt team 87Eleven, founded by John Wick director Chad Stahelski, who came in as a second unit director), with Yan's camera holding on wide shots to show off the acrobatic stunts of her stars. It's one of the best displays of fight sequences in a superhero movie to date. But Yan and screenwriter Christina Hodson clearly had a hand in crafting these fight sequences as well, with the battles filled with intimate little moments that work to enrich the complicated character dynamics. During one particularly rousing moment in the climactic battle sequence at an abandoned funhouse, Harley tosses a hair tie to Black Canary after her long hair gets in her face, in a subtle, but beautifully specific, nod to the shared female experience.

Birds of Prey opens everywhere February 7.

It's open season on Harley Quinn when her explosive breakup with the Joker puts a big fat target on her back. Unprotected and on the run, Quinn faces the wrath of narcissistic crime boss Black Mask, his right-hand man, Victor Zsasz, and every other thug in the city. But things soon even out for Harley when she becomes unexpected allies with three deadly women — Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya.