Birds of Prey: The Chronological Edit

Much like the theatrical cut of Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey tried to introduce too many characters and set up a franchise while telling a non-chronological, barely sensical plot, which resulted in a nigh-unwatchable movie. And once again, wakeupkeo has managed to work his magic, making this movie comprehensible, fun and possessed of actual character arcs. (Though as a Cassandra Cain fan from way back, I'm still a bit cranky about her killer assassin-turned-Batgirl being transformed for the screen into a lowly pickpocket.)

Though the refining process here doesn't amount to quite the same intense pleasant surprise of a movie as the same editor's re-edit of Suicide Squad, it's still enjoyable to watch Robbie's Harley Quinn evolve into a more likeable version of her psychotic clown sidekick, setting the stage for James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. The actual titular Birds of Prey get the short shrift here, as this movie seems to set them up for an actual film of their own that we'll likely never see (although I remain hopeful for them to play a role in the upcoming Batgirl film).

The fight choreography, particularly in the jailbreak sequence, is given more room to breathe in this edit and is one of the centerpieces of the film, thanks to John Wick director Chad Stahelski's pinch-hitting. In all, and not at all surprisingly, wakeupkeo has taken a movie that was edited-to-death and reverse engineered it back to life, as a worthy middle chapter to the Harley Quinn Trilogy.

This is my second review of Wakeupkeo's work, first being The Suicide Squad: Special Edition, which was a big upgrade from the original. Firstly, my brief thoughts on the original Birds of Prey and the blah blah...I didn't even bother with watching it in cinema and oh boy I was so glad for that decision. When I watched it at home I simply couldn't wait for it to be over with (I don't like not watching a film to the end, even bad ones). So let's say my enjoyment factor was a 2. Which means, I didn't had my hopes up for any fanedit, because they can't change the core of the movie, no matter how talented the editor is. But I was still curious how much of an impovement could be achieved, because I'm a big DC fan and I really want to love or simply enjoy as many movies of it as possible.

Technical-wise, it was excellent! Not that I was expecting anything less, having seen the Suicide Squad. I couldn't find a single scene were I noticed or "felt" that something was tampered with. That goes for the audio too and since I'm not a native english speaker and the edit doesn't have subtitles, I had the volume pretty high up so I would have noticed if something was off.

Now, for the important part, the narrative. It was definitely an impovement! It was more streamlined, the over the top silliness in certain scenes was trimmed down, more coherent and overall having the runtime barely touching the 1h30m mark was great! Unfortunately, although I enjoyed it more, it did not save it for me, but I wasn't expecting it to anyway.

This edit is recommended either for any DC fan, like me, who just wants to give it another shot or to anyone who found the movie "ok" and above. If you did, this version will be your go-to for any future DCEU marathons!

Thank you Wakeupkeo and thanks to anyone who read my review!

This was fantastic! I actually enjoyed it more than the original movie! I love how straight forward it is. Much less fat. And it works well as a segway for "The Suicide Squad"(2021). With how Harley becomes more sympathetic towards kids. I just wish there was more Huntress.
Definitely recommend it!

Wow this edit is 100% so much more enjoyable than the theatrical cut, which for me is only 6 or 7 out of 10. The film is just okay - not bad, not great. However, this edit makes so much improvement for the overall narrative, pacing, and enjoyment. This is my go-to version from now on.

I missed this movie in theaters, then blind bought the bluray when it came out. I was hoping to like this movie and was massively let down. It took me three attempts to finally finish it, and by the time I had I felt like I had a migraine. Where the original cut struggled the most was without a doubt the non-linear story telling.

Wakeupkeo has masterfully edited Birds of Prey into a chronological story that focuses the plot, and in turn gives all of the character's more clear, much more satisfying arcs. While Harley is still the central character, the rest of the Birds of Prey are also able to shine as they are introduced far more effectively. The ramping up of Black Mask's sadism works well to heighten the story, and the decision to make Zsasz just a henchmen makes for a more interesting, less frustrating supporting character. This fan edit is excellently paced, running just 84 mins before the credits roll. This is easily the definitive version for any DCEU fan!