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Perhaps you remember a little movie called "Suicide Squad," which had one of the greatest trailers for one of the messiest and most chaotic movies, and went on to win an Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling? You most likely saw the film because it was very successful at the box office, but critics and audiences alike couldn't rally around that tale of antiheros. In "Birds of Prey," one of the characters from "Suicide Squad" gets another chance, and the results are an improvement but far from perfect.

"Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)," focuses on Margot Robbie's "Suicide Squad" character Harley Quinn. She is no longer with the Joker and trying to find her footing on her own. She's a cheery sociopath, who seeks a good time and a little mayhem in a post-Joker world. She eventually crosses paths with Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor, performing at a grating 11 most of the time), who has his eyes set on a diamond. An expert pickpocket named Cassandra (Ella Jay Basco) takes the diamond and Roman sends Harley after her to retrieve it.

As the movie progresses, allegiances shift and Harley ends up teaming with an array of characters to ward off the baddies of Gotham City. The team includes Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Gotham City police officer Renee (Rosie Perez) and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). They all bring their specific set of skills to the team, which they call the Birds of Prey.

Director Cathy Yan (graduating from her 2018 Sundance film "Dead Pigs" to something much bigger) brings a new, zany energy to "Birds of Prey," in terms of how these kinds of pictures go. The movie is often kinetic; it hits a few lulls in the middle portion, but spirits remain high throughout. The bright, candy-color soaked imagery offers a new visual flair, but the story goes through the motions of something we've seen many times before.

Robbie - currently nominated for an Oscar for the Fox News sexual abuse scandal movie "Bombshell" - is having a blast living in Harley's world. She was one of the high points in "Suicide Squad," and "Birds of Prey" gives her time to shine as a character she clearly loves playing. Her palpable passion for the role does what it can to lift the movie out of any ruts it hits.

When it comes to comic book movies, it's always refreshing when there's an obvious effort on screen to upend the norm. "Birds of Prey" doesn't entirely break new ground, but its attitude and energy are appreciated when it's easy for movies of its kind to be so morose. Harley just wants to have a good time.