Techtite's TV Reviews!

"Who cares if it's nothing like the typical Bat- comic-book? It's stylish, it has three cute leads, and it's fun. Isn't that enough?"

---from the review

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Letters; we get letters! As we get letters about a review, we like to link to some of them. Here is the top of the e-mailbag for this review:

"Listen, Birds of Prey sucked. Yeah, for one it didn't follow the comics and that made it stupid."

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Birds of Prey

A Review by Techtite

(review posted October 10th, 2002)

Am I the only one who loves a comic-book sense of whimsy in his favorite action shows? I doubt it. Don't tell me you really think an emaciated cutie like Jennifer "Alias" Garner could learn a few kickboxing moves, and suddenly kick men over like they were smurfs! It helps a TV viewer to not take things so seriously. That said, I love Birds of Prey; a series molded in the image of Batman's Gotham City, set at a time when Batman is missing and his daughter's crime-fighting trio takes over his old job. The concept sounds like a winner...and it is. Leave your sense of reality at the door, and just enjoy a good time.

Based on a graphic novel of the same name, Birds of Prey involves a changed Gotham, some years after Batman's biggest victory against The Joker; a battle with a terrible price. Catwoman was killed, and Batgirl (Dina Meyer) was confined to a wheelchair for life. What's worse, Batman later disappeared. Some say he was too stricken with grief to continue, though wisely, the series leaves his disappearance a mystery to be solved later. In his absence, Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) uses her computer skills to become "The Oracle," acting as the eyes and ears of her protégée, The Huntress (Ashley Scott). The Huntress has a personal vendetta against the criminals of Gotham, because she's Helena Kyle; Catwoman and Batman's daughter. With high tech equipment and a tech-savvy Oracle by her side, she continues the Batman legacy, stopping crime in its tracks.

The pilot episode begins in the typical way, with the third "bird" entering the group, totally unaware of her super-heroine future. Dinah Lance (Rachel Skarsten) arrives to Gotham to explain the strange dreams she's been having. She also has the psychic ability to see a person's thoughts, by just touching their hand. So, no sooner does she get saved by The Huntress then she accidentally touches her, learns of her secret lair with The Oracle, and decides to follow. Of course, comic book buffs will know that Dinah Lance is the name of The Black Canary, thereby completing the "Birds of Prey" trio. However, for now, she's just a young student, learning the ropes of being a super-heroine as the series progresses...

While comic-purists whine like little girls in lacey pink panties about the lack of continuity with the comic (Batman GONE? The Huntress with super-powers? Dinah Lance isn't Black Canary yet?), there is a lot to love about this alternate Bat-city. For one, their arch-nemesis is Harley Quinn (Mia Sara), who comic buffs know as The Joker's main squeeze. The premiere also had the fun of Mark Hammil as the voice of the Joker, which he performs as brilliantly as he did in the stylish Batman cartoons of the 1990's. Best of all, though, is how The Huntress' begins every fight scene with eyes that turn into feline slits. It may not be exactly like comic lore, though who cares? It's a cool shot, plain and simple.

I also love the cast. Ashley Scott plays her Huntress character as a skeptical yet willing cynic in the hero world; think of how cool Han Solo was whenever questioning Luke and Leia's wide-eyed methods, and you have a good idea how cool she is in the role. Of course, looking as cool as she does when twisting into frame with a line like, "I'm the Huntress...and you're the prey!" doesn't hurt, either. As for Dina Meyer, she is a perfect actress to play The Oracle; intelligent yet sexy at the same time. Admittedly, Rachel Skarsten doesn't seem quite into her role yet, though in fairness, her character isn't into her own identity yet! Word is she learns her mom was Black Canary soon enough, and she quickly takes on the tradition. Give her time, and Skarsten should look as perfect in her role as Scott and Meyer do now.

Of course, you can never tell what series will be accepted by younger audiences, and which won't. Back in the 1970's, The Six Million Dollar Man lasted four seasons, while Bionic Woman lasted only two; go figure. In today's pop culture, will a young Superman in Smallville be considered cooler than Batman's daughter in Birds of Prey? If so, that's a shame. There is a lot to like about this series. If comic book purists want to ask for bread to go with their whine, that's their problem. I look forward to seeing Birds of Prey as long as it lasts. If the WB would rather that it lasts shorter than Dawson's Creek, that's their problem.

---Techtite

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