Movie Review: "Wonder Woman"As the superhero genre just keeps on going, it’s nice to take a break from the ones that usually have those stupid blue world-killing deathrays and go back to a more traditional take on the subject. With a few cuts and bruises aside, Wonder Woman is an endearing love letter to the superhero films of old with an updated message of standing up for your beliefs despite the obstacle of oppression-- a movie the world needs right now.
Directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster), the story follows a wide-eyed Diana of Themyscira (played by Gal Godot), an Amazonian warrior and the daughter of their just Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielson). When pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash lands onto the shore of the mythical island, he brings the horror stories of World War I with him. Convinced that “the war to end war” is the handywork Ares himself, Diana leaves Themyscira with the intention to slay the God of War and fulfill her destiny as Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman sets itself from previous installments of the DC Extended Universe in its special attention to building memorable relationships between its characters. Jenkins achieved this by making the most out of its refreshingly quiet and intimate scenes between action beats. For instance, the moments shared between Hippolyta and Diana after their training sequences make you feel the bond and unconditional love between a parent and child with so few words spoken. The romance between Diana and Steve is bought not only because of Gadot and Pine’s adorable chemistry with one another, but because we have also seen them slow down and share honest, yet lighthearted discussions about each other's respective cultures, sex, and how big Chris Pine’s private parts are compared to other dudes. That last one is real, by the way. But let’s not downplay those aforementioned fight scenes. Expertly choreographed, the Amazonian fighting style was a unique change from prior superhero films, and their acrobatic flips were made to look even cooler with a few healthy doses of slow motion. It was particularly interesting when Diana fought on the battlefield, has she would gently raise her forearm to block the stinging bullets with such grace, yet strike back with such power and ferocity. You also get to see her pick up tanks with ease, the Lasso of Truth do its duty, and that awesome shockwave thing she does when she bangs her wristbands together. And all to that stellar Hans Zimmer/Junkie XL electric cello theme to boot! Alas, while perfection is a rarity, Wonder Woman’s biggest faults revolved around its less than memorable lineup of villains. Even though Ares was the driving force behind Diana’s motivation, he mostly took a backseat to the z-list supervillain Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya) and a hokey German caricature named Ludendorff (Danny Houston). To its credit, the film managed to do something conceptually interesting with its portrayal of Ares before the big climax. The problem, however, was what could have been a compelling moment was filled with ridiculous amounts of CGI backgrounds that were both tacky and distracting from the peril at hand. For the first (and certainly not last) film of her very own, Wonder Woman is an unapologetically earnest, heartwarming, and charming example of the ever growing library of comic book films across the board. A beacon of hope and optimism, it’s a more than welcome change of pace after the dark and dreary Batman v Superman all while being a huge leap forward in terms of storytelling quality in the DCEU overall. It’s about damn time. 4/5 Have you seen the new "Wonder Woman" yet? Is this the return to form DC movies needed? Sound off in the comments!
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