Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic Critic Scores Announced for Margot Robbie’s Birds of Prey

By John F. Trent

·February 5, 2020

Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic have both announced their critic scores for Margot Robbie’s Birds of Prey.

Rotten Tomatoes

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 92% Tomatometer rating from All Critics. It has an average rating of 7.13 out of 10 from 52 reviews. There are 48 fresh reviews and 4 rotten reviews.

The Top Critics score has a significantly lower number with an 85% Tomatometer rating. It has an average rating of 6.83 out of 10 from 13 reviews. There are 11 fresh reviews and 2 rotten reviews.

Here’s what the critics are saying:

Danny Leigh at Financial Times gives the movie a 3 out 5. He writes, “The tone established by director Cathy Yan is popping candy loud and slapstick silly. After the grim drag of Todd Phillips, it may come as a relief.”

Brandon Katz at Observer gives the movie a 3 out of 4. He writes, “At no point is the film ever uninteresting and its ambitiously gonzo fluidity is much preferred to the mindless Macguffin-based quests at the center of many superhero flicks from both studios.”

Tim Robey at the UK’s Daily Telegraph gives the movie a 3 out of 5. He writes, “This whole film is a femme-fatale meet-and-greet which detoxifies the recent spree of male-dominated skulkings around Gotham City. It has gangster’s moll energy where the molls take over.”

Scott Mendelson at Forbes gives the movie an 8 out of 10. He writes, “Jumbled plotting aside, Cathy Yan and Christina Hodson’s ‘Birds of Prey’ is a delightfully entertaining showcase for Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and the rest of her anti-heroic gal pals.”

Emily Maskell at Flip Screen gives the movie a fresh rating. She writes, “This refreshingly feisty script from Hodson leaves you forgetting that The Joker was ever in the picture.”

Sheraz Farooqi at Comic Book Debate gives the film a 3.5 out of 5. He writes, “Birds of Prey is a thrill ride with non-stop action, strong cinematography, bombastic score, and the ever charismatic Margot Robbie leading the way as Harley Quinn.”

Kristen Lopez at FanSided gives the movie a fresh rating. She writes, “Birds of Prey is a colorful and rollicking story that puts women front and center seeking autonomy, not just from their comic book origins but the fandom seeking the same old thing.”

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw at The Daily Dot gives the movie a 3.5 out of 5. She writes, “Birds of Prey serves perfectly well as a kind of cross between Deadpool and a Lady Gaga video, featuring flashy costumes and well-choreographed fight scenes.”

Nicholas Barber at BBC gives the film a 2 out 5. He writes, “However popular the film becomes, though, I doubt that anyone will adore it as much as it evidently adores itself.”

Rodrigo Perez at The Playlist gives the film a C rating. He writes, “Cheeky and unapologetically brassy “Birds Of Prey” is super overwrought and sometimes exasperating, but at least there’s never a dull moment.”

John DeFore at The Hollywood Reporter gives the film a rotten rating. He writes, “But those hoping for a Deadpool-like fusion of mayhem and wit should lower their expectations: Harley may be known for her unpredictability, but Birds plays by action-movie rules.”

Edward Douglas at The Weekend Warrior gives the movie a 5.5 out of 10. He writes, “Birds of Prey is so schizophrenic in terms of look and style and tone, it won’t be changing Martin Scorsese’s mind about comic book movies any time soon.”

Kristen Acuna at Insider gives the movie a B rating. She writes, “Warner Bros. delivers the first of several big female-centric superhero romps of 2020 and the raunchy and violent “Suicide Squad” spin-off is the perfect Galentine’s outing.”

Laura Prudom at IGN gives the film an 8 out 10. She writes, “Although we’d have preferred to see a true team-up with fewer narrative detours, Birds of Prey provides a perfect setup for a host of other intriguing spinoffs in the DC cinematic universe – can we request Poison Ivy next?”

Metacritic

As is typically the case, the Metacritic Metascore is significantly lower than Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.

The film currently has a 63 on the Metascore from 23 reviews. There are 12 positive reviews and 11 mixed reviews.

Here’s what the Metacritic critics are saying:

Susana Polo at Polygon gives the movie an 85. She writes, “Birds of Prey is a messy, leg-breaking, heartwarming, inspirational good time.”

Leah Greenblatt at Entertainment Weekly gives the movie an 83. She writes, “Does the movie’s pop-feminist message need to be as consistently, cartoonishly violent as it is? Almost definitely not. But in a world gone mad, the catharsis of Prey’s twisted sisterhood doesn’t just read as pandemonium for its own sake; it’s actually pretty damn sweet.”

Alonso Duralde at TheWrap gives the movie an 83. He writes, “The film’s various elements work in wonderful concert to keep the momentum brisk but still grounded in a stylized version of human empathy, from Jay Cassidy and Evan Schiff’s whiz-bang editing to Daniel Pemberton’s consciously grandiose score. The cast makes each moment count.”

Helen O’Hara at Time Out gives the movie an 80. She writes, “It works because we haven’t seen this story a thousand times before, and because it leaves behind the grim-dark posturing of ‘Suicide Squad’. It’s nice to see a joker who doesn’t take herself too seriously.”

Molly Freeman at ScreenRant gives the movie an 80. She writes, “With a wicked sense of humor and exhilarating action, Birds of Prey is fierce, fun and a total blast – and an empowering girl power superhero romp.”

Brian Truitt at USA Today gives the movie a 85. He writes, “While Birds of Prey is all about that group dynamic, its resident Oscar nominee sparkles as the cuckoo crazy pants center of attention who’s the batty wind beneath their wings.”

Justin Chang at the Los Angeles Times gives the movie a 70. He writes, “Birds of Prey, directed by Cathy Yan from a screenplay by Christina Hodson, is an impudent blast of comic energy. Light on psychology and devoid of prestige, it’s a slab of R-rated hard candy that refuses to take anything, least of all itself, too seriously.”

Alex Abad-Santos at Vox gives the movie a 60. He writes, “It’s frustrating, though, to see a movie so tight and entertaining in its action and so gangly in exposition. The result is a rambunctious female-driven revenge thriller, filled with tentpole moments of crackling verve that is knit together by flimsy exposition and voiceovers.”

Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian gives the film a 60. He writes, “This film is a blitz of bad taste, a cornucopia of crass, and it is weirdly diverting – more than you might expect, given the frosty way Suicide Squad was received critically – and engagingly crazy. Watching it feels cheerfully excessive and unwholesome, like smoking a cigarette and eating a chocolate bar at the same time.”

Ian Freer at Empire gives the movie a 60. He writes, “It’s messy, with a middle section that sags, but Birds Of Prey has vibrancy, anarchy and balls to spare. Harley and Joker are dead. Long live Harley Quinn.”

Tim Grierson at ScreenDaily gives the movie a 50. He writes, “The movie is delightfully odd but not consistently inspired, often straining to rewrite the rules of superhero cinema, a mixture of good and bad ideas all mashed together. Where other comic-book movies lumber along with self-importance, this film is a breezy, amoral lark, which proves somewhat refreshing. But that’s not enough to allow Birds’ hit-or-miss pleasure to soar.”

Tara Brady at The Irish Times gives the film a 40. She writes, “If you found yourself internally screaming for Ryan Reynolds to shut the hell up during Deadpool, then the relentless, zany narration of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn will likely send you gibbering and ruined towards the emergency exit after, oh, 23 seconds.”

Birds of Prey arrives in theaters on February 7th. Early screenings will be available on February 6th.

What do you make of these critic scores and reactions? Will it persuade one way or another on Margot Robbie’s Birds of Prey?