Man, we’re getting a lot of buzz on “Birds of Prey.” Somebody needs to send me a copy of the pilot before I get all angry and frustrated. You don’t want me reviewing it when I’m all angry and frustrated! Herc smash!! And pop in a copy of that “Firefly” show I keep hearing about!
Here’s “Eternia Lad”:
Hey Herc... long time reader (you and I are Buffy-ites), but here's my first Scoop to you. This morning, across my desk comes the pilot for Birds of Prey... among other interesting WB cassettes hailing their coming fall season. Of all the things in the box: Fastlane, What I Like About You... etc... Birds was what I was most eagerly anticipating... both for the sheer girlie kick ass -ness, and the Batman connection. So.. Sit back, and I'll give you a fan's review, and a critics perspective.
OK... As a geek... it is a thorough joy to see Oracle portrayed on screen so deliciously, as well as the Huntress in all her bad ass attitude. The one character that depressed me a bit was Black Canary. Dinah is one of my favorite characters from the Silver Age. They futzed with her ability a bit. She's more like Kristen in Nightmare on Elm Street 3, than anything else. She can see pain, and enter people's heads. No Sonic Scream yet... though maybe it will come later. Another gripe is an obvious Scarecrow-like villain... with no ties to the Scarecrow. Kinda sad considering they spent so much effort to honor the roots of these characters.
The best parts are, by far, the flash back scenes involving Batgirl... the way she SHOULD have looked on film and the end showcasing Harlene Quinzell as the big bad. Since Batman the Animated Series debuted and we were introduced to Harley Quinn... she has been one of the most beloved characters in the Batman mythology. And to know that one day we will see her realized on film by such a wonderfully creepy (and stunningly beautiful) actress as Sheryl Lynn Fenn is a fanboy's dream come true.
The feel of the show is very faithful to the books, as well as to the Tim Burton Batman films. There is a sweeping sense and overall grandeur of New Gotham (?) yet a stark reality that a place like this could indeed exist. The dialogue is obviously written by comic fans... yet, unlike the mounds of fan fiction... these comic fans know how to write expositional dialogue and not make it sound like expositional dialogue. And overall... it will make comic fans VERY HAPPY!...
Now... as for regular television viewers, will this have the pick up that say Smallville or Alias had with a crossover, non-genre audience? Maybe. First off... the people seeing this have to not be still heaving from the bad taste of Batman and Robin. If they can stomach the thought of seeing another incarnation of the Batman legend in media... then you've won half of the battle. Secondly, you have to suspend your disbelief and what you "think" you know about Batman.
Now at this point you're probably saying "this guy has mentioned Batman like 10 times... and Batman isn't even in this show." Well in essence he is VERY MUCH in this show. His shadow propels Barbara to do what she's doing. Helena's resentment of him propels her angst, and his imprint on Gotham has not left. The police are scrambling to maintain the order since the Dark Knight's departure.
The show picks up mid stream in Oracle and Huntresses' war on crime. However, it is the origin of how Black Canary comes to be with them. And we learn a lot about the past 7 years of Gotham through her dreams in the opening. The flow of the story is well paced. The content is exciting for Bat-fans and non-gothamites alike. There are great senses of Heroism and Feminism flowing out of that Watchtower. The characters are really well developed and not just plopped down. They have issues. They have real problems they are trying to deal with, all while devoting themselves to 'their cause" A nice touch was the mirroring of how Oracle and Huntress take Dinah under their wing... much the way Bruce takes Dick and Barbara. I think Barbara feels like she's giving something back. The story is compelling enough for a pilot, and I guess the lack of a crazy costumed villain was smart for the initial sell. I have a feeling that as the series progresses we will see more characters that the continuity is familiar with.
It's directed in an almost formula action show kind of way... with only slightly creative impulses. One of which I hated was this cheesy sound effect of a cat-like growl when the Huntress leaps and attacks. OK.. we get it.. she's Catwoman's daughter. The show expands on the idea that Catwoman was not entirely human... and she passed on some of those genes to little Helena. She does this thing where her eye morphs into a cat-like eye as she searches an apartment. Hmmmmm. Don't know how much I like that. But again, the character development, and interaction really makes up for all of that. This show has a lot of potential. I really hope it turns out to be something monumental in the DC universe. I would love to see the series finale with Batman returning to Gotham... and maybe the beginning of a film franchise again. Who knows?
Bottom line... Birds of Prey is an action-comic book fans dream. Sexy, strong women dealing with creepy villains in a moody, stylistic world filled with familiar faces and places. As far as good TV goes, This pilot has as much potential as Buffy did. This could possibly be the next big genre hit. It's has comedy, pathos, action, and drama it looks cool and has a real Dawson-y soundtrack. The show will have it's detractors people will call it Alias meets Felicity times 3.
People will say that it's Smallville on Estrogen. To those people I say... Lighten up. Stop comparing Apples to oranges. People who like this may not like Smallville. People who like Felicity will probably hate this. But people will like this. The only question is how many... and will they be enough to keep it on the air. My prediction... in the words of Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein...
"It ... COULD..... WORK!!!!"
Yours Truly,
Eternia Lad
Defender of the Secrets of Castle Grayskull
