Movie
Wonder Woman is an iconic DC Comics super heroine and this is her first live action full length movie. This is also the first top-tier big budget female driven super heroine movie to be released. The pressure to get this movie right was immense, and I'll happy to report that this movie rocks and is an incredible cinematic achievement.
The story of Wonder Woman begins on the paradise island of Themysciera. You see a young Diana Prince yearning to train with the other women on the island . These scenes on Themysciers are sincere and enchanting and give off a wonderful cinematic warmth . The warmth of these early scenes feels like a loving hug from your mother, and is an excellent way to start this story. Going back to the story, one day a man named Steve Trevor accidentally crashes his plane near Themysciera . Wonder Woman decides to help Steve Trevor return to England and thus starts her adventure of self discovery and discovery of the outside world . The outside world is set during horrors of the First World War . This movie is both a super heroine origin movie and a epic war movie put into one . The movie is fairly self contained so you don't need to watch "Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice" or know anything about the characters from the comic book to enjoy this film . The movie perfectly introduces the characters, setting and the scenario.
Steve Trevor is portrayed by Chris Pine and is delightful as ever as an English spy. His performance reminded me a little of his performance as Captain Kirk in the recent Star Trek movies. He is witty , smart, likeable and has fantastic chemistry with Wonder Woman.
Gal Gadot who is reprising her role from “Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice” portrays Wonder Woman aka Diana Prince. The character of Wonder Woman is the perfect combination of smart, funny, powerful and beautiful. Wonder Woman is a naive character who has never left the island of Themysciera where she grew up . Gal Gadot's performance is incredibly endearing and simply a joy to watch. The movie has several secondary characters who help Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman during this adventure. This crew is a wonderful addition to this movie and gives it complexities . I wish that some of these secondary characters were given more character development, but I very much enjoyed their presence and I appreciated their inclusion . The movie has a few villains and I actually enjoyed them all, and how they worked together. How the movie handles it’s villains is something that feels unique. Even though some of the characters were lacking I still found this story to be very engrossing and well executed. The most important aspect of this movie is the characters and the story and this movie delivers on both fronts.
The setting of World War I is an interesting and smart decision by the filmmakers. The backdrop gives the actions of the characters more importance, consequences and it feels distinct . The elements of war are showcased by the effects of the war on the population, and on humanity as a whole . I respect the filmmakers and how they balanced this movie and portrayed the horrors of war without showing the gruesome bloody violence that war movies are known for. Wonder Woman shows that she is a true hero in many scenes and isn’t corrupted by the fog of war and remains compassionate and empathetic throughout the movie . I enjoyed how World War I was presented within this movie; it seems raw and real yet doesn’t show gore like every other war movie. I really respect how well this movie handles the element of war . I usually am not a fan of war movies but this one really stands out because of how it showcases the human element of war.
This movie kept surprising me . The biggest surprise for me was the humor, which felt natural and perfectly hit all the right notes. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman makes this movie her own and her charming personality ultimately becomes the best aspect of this movie . The comedic element is genuine and based on Wonder Woman's naivety of the real world. This fish out of water trope can be overly cheesy or silly under the wrong hands but it works perfectly within this movie and gives a nice contrast for the serious themes presented . The movie knows how to spend time on the little things and surprises the audience with a sincere smart movie that is better made than most super hero movies . The character of Wonder Woman grows in front of the camera and the director knows how and when to slow down the movie to make touching scenes. A summer war movie that has so much heart is a surprise that I couldn't ever have expected . So many decisions and story elements are surprisingly intense and intelligently crafted to make for a richer narrative . The movie really grows on you after you watched it and only gets better as you think about it .
The action scenes look amazing and use slow motion in effective ways. The movie knows how to highlight action scenes to make the viewer appreciate the visuals. I have never seen a woman battle with such grace and strength as I saw within this movie. I found the action scenes thrilling and interesting to watch. World War I is brought back to life in vivid detail with action that perfectly fits the setting and is well choreographed. Wonder Woman is a trained warrior and it shows with some truly breathtaking action sequences.
The movie has its issues and is lacking on a few minor aspects. Like I mentioned before some of the characters needed more development and scenetime. The final battle seemed a little too short and simple. Some story elements are not fully explained . Overall the movie left me wanting more, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it does have some minor issues that keep it from achieving perfection.
Overall Wonder Woman is a massive success on almost every level. The movie perfectly balances the serious tones and comedic tones and makes for a new and different way to showcase a war movie. Without a doubt in my mind this is the best DC comic super hero movie released since the Dark Knight. This movie is both immensely entertaining and expertly executed. Wonder Woman is a wonderful movie and is a must watch.
Final Score: 9/10
