Premiering on the old WB network back in the Fall of 2002,
Birds Of Prey was a fun live-action take on the DC Comics series of the same name.
Taking place in a future New Gotham, which arose from the ashes of Gotham
City--after having been devastated in a massive earthquake--BOP focuses on a
trio of female crime fighters who take over protecting the city after the Batman
has mysteriously vanished. Ashley Scott (Into The Blue) stars as Helena Kyle,
the grown daughter of Selena Kyle/Catwoman and Bruce Wayne/Batman. When her
mother is murdered, knifed in the street by an unknown assailant, Helena decides
to put her combat skills to good use fighting crime as the Huntress.
Her partner/advisor is none other than Barbra Gordon, the former Batgirl. Played
by Dina Meyer (Starship Troopers), Barbra lost the use of her legs after being
shot by the Joker--a scene that was obviously inspired by Alan Moore’s The
Killing Joke graphic novel (which, unfortunately, has become canon in the
comics). Reinventing herself as the Oracle, Barbra, who gets around via a
wheelchair, has become a computer genius whose home base is the clock tower, a
snazzy lair behind a clock at the top of a skyscraper (which is way too high up
to be seen from the streets anyway, but who cares?). Having taken in Helena
after her mother’s murder, Barbra has become her friend and mentor, often
guiding the mercurial Huntress away from the dark side.
When the series begins, Barbra and Helena take in a new recruit: young Dinah
Lance, the daughter of the Black Canary. Played by fresh-faced Rachel Skarsten,
Dinah is on the verge of discovering some new superpowers of her own, and hopes
for guidance from her newfound big sisters. Veteran actor Ian Abercrombie plays
faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth, a holdover from the Bruce Wayne era, and
Shemar Moore (better known these days from Criminal Minds) also stars as Reese,
a hunky detective who shows more than a passing interest in the Huntress. Mia
Sarah rounds out the regular cast of BOP by playing Dr. Harleen Quinzel, aka
Harley Quinn--the girlfriend of the Joker who was first introduced in
Batman: The Animated Series.
Fans of the Birds Of Prey comic book might cry foul at the fact that it’s Black
Canary’s daughter, rather than the Canary herself, who’s involved in the BOP
team in the TV series. And Batman fans might also take umbrage at how the series
starts with the Catwoman dead and the Dark Knight in exile. But if you can
overlook this major change in the comics’ storyline continuity, Birds Of Prey is
an extremely enjoyable super-heroic fantasy in its own right. Following the
golden rule of Smallville (several of BOP’s
producers also hail from that series), which states that your lead superhero
shall not wear a mask, BOP is still not afraid to use many elements from the
rich Batman mythology, such as having Alfred; the earthquake from the
No Man’s Land storyline, as well as a visit from
one of the old school Batman villains in the episode Feat Of Clay.
Ashley Scott is very good as Helena Kyle/The Huntress. She easily captures the
character’s volatile mood, and is very convincing at giving bad guys the smack
down in dark alleyways. Dinah Meyer is also superb as Barbra Gordon, who’s
become the wise mentor to a new generation of crime fighters, while still
managing to keep alit the smoldering allure that made her an intriguing Batgirl
(I only wished we could have seen more of her as Batgirl, rather than the few
brief appearances presented in the series). Young Rachel Skarsten is also
good--but not as a kick-ass action heroine, which is what the BOP writers try to
turn her into midway through the series run.
Skarsten’s Dinah is far better as a super hero when she utilizes her growing
mental abilities on villains. Leave the back street beat-downs to the Huntress,
who gleefully tackles baddies with the aplomb of a natural born street fighter,
thanks to her superpowers (the series is a direct sequel to the film Batman
Returns, whose Catwoman was superpowered).
And Mia Sarah is surprisingly good as the resident villain Quinn, playing a
seriously daffy woman who’s loving every minute of being an evil mastermind.
Although she never wears the famous red and black Harley Quinn costume, Sarah
still channels the character well enough to be recognizable to fans of
Batman: TAS. Her performance is extremely engaging to watch.
The DVD set contains all 13 episodes of the series, which was sadly canceled by
the WB before it could fully spread its wings. However, rest assured that all
the major storylines are addressed within these 13 episodes--in other words, you
don’t have to worry about the series ending on a cliffhanger without ever seeing
a resolution. In addition to the unaired pilot (which features Sherilyn Fenn as
a more subdued Harley) there’s also all 30 episodes of Gotham Girls included on
the four discs. So if you enjoy watching beautiful babes battling baddies, or if
you know of a young woman who loves superheroes, then the Birds Of Prey DVD is the
perfect embodiment of female empowerment taken to the nth degree.
--SF
