A laughably bad lot of female lead characters introduces us to the world of New Gotham, where Batman has long since driven himself into exile, and new heroes must wage a war during the night. The 2002 TV show Birds of Prey features the further ideas of fighting crime in a city overrun with criminals, along with spinoffs of Batman’s most famous accomplices and enemies. Terribly clichéd dialogue, poor special effects, superhuman abilities that defeat the power of Batman’s admirable humanness, and second-rate acting all create a show that has befitting ideas and appalling execution.

Alfred (Ian Abercrombie) still faithfully watches over Batman’s family, including the daughter he didn’t know he had. After the death of Catwoman, who married Bruce Wayne, Batman has vanished, disenchanted with fighting evil when it continuously brings harm to his loved ones. The Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill) seriously wounds Batgirl (Dina Meyer), confining her to a wheelchair, causing her to take on the name Oracle and play the mastermind behind Gotham’s vigilante defense. She takes in Helena Kyle (Ashley Scott), Batman’s daughter, who takes up the role of a caped crusader known as The Huntress, and the two help to clean up the streets of the dangerous city.

Dinah Lance (Rachel Skarsten) has visions of Oracle and Huntress and knows that she must travel to New Gotham to find her destiny. She possesses Metahuman powers, like Huntress, which allows her to see events in the future (and eventually manipulate the mind) through physical contact. Although Helena is against it, Dinah joins the group to stop a devious plot machinated by Harleen Quinzel (Mia Sara). Together the trio takes on several new super villains and dozens of evildoers as they stand up for everything Batman established in vigilante justice.

Many elements are familiar, including the characters of The Joker, Alfred and Batgirl and locations such as Arkham Asylum. But in an attempt to make Gotham and its young female heroes hip, even more things are different. Birds of Prey goes against every major aspect Christopher Nolan has tried to define in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Nolan’s vision places Batman in a world of serious rivals and deadly consequences, as well as realistic explanations for his crime fighting abilities. Instead of sticking to realism, Birds of Prey allows its characters to possess superhuman powers that transcend mere intelligence and high-tech weaponry. It is this startling X-Men mutation factor that is most disheartening to see in a Batman spinoff.

And of course the dialogue doesn’t help to ground an already goofy premise with unbelievable superheroes. “We’re the good guys,” explains Helena - so that the audience certainly won’t forget. “Why don’t you carry any weapons?” inquires detective Reese, a police officer intent on discovering the truths behind Oracle’s team of elite crime fighters. “I am the weapon,” queries Huntress, as she eludes the detective with a quick cut to her catlike eyes and a ludicrous tiger roar sound effect accompaniment. Helena complains about due recognition from the public, yet doesn’t wear a mask, and Dinah gets caught up in ridiculous dramas at school. Most often characters talk to themselves to inform the audience of the progression of the story, and nearly all of the dialogue is sadly humorous due to its poor timing or generic phrasing.

Whether the eye-candy trio squares off against Darkstrike, a mysterious water assassin, underground gladiator fighting rings, copes with New Gotham High School, or defends against the assassins of Harley Quinn, Birds of Prey doesn’t feel like a Batman series, and certainly doesn’t feel original. Often painfully bad dialogue, silly story arcs and dreadful acting round out each episode, which makes the Gotham Girls South Park-style web series special feature more enjoyable than the appropriately short Birds of Prey series.

- Mike Massie

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