Sean Marshall We had Superman, we had Batman and now we finally, finally have Wonder Woman. Does this Wonder Woman flick take her rightful place in the Trinity with pride or with shame? Can director Patty Jenkins pull off arguably the most anticipated superhero movie this summer? Luckily, the answer is an unequivocal yes.
Everything starts with Diana (Gal Gadot) as a young child, eager to train alongside Antiope(Robin Wright) the greatest Amazon warrior ever. We follow her as her protective mother Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) tries and fails to keep her away from fighting and we watch as she blooms into a young woman eager to protect the world from Ares. Through happenstance (or fate) Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes into Themyscyra and here starts Diana’s call to the world of man. Together they fight against General Ludenberg (Danny Huston) and Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya)to save the world from the worst war ever fought, WWI.
Simply put, Gal Gadot is amazing. She is believable in every facet of Wonder Woman’s growth. You deeply feel that she acts from a place of duty and compassion. When she comes to the realization that man is capable of great evil without the influence of the God of War, the heartbreak and grief is written all over her face. Chris Pine is a great counter as Steve Trevor. He is solid as Diana’s constant reminder that not everything is as black and white as she believes. Pine pulls off being authentic and dedicated to his beliefs without being corny or over the top. He has excellent chemistry with Gadot. The best part about their relationship is that once he sees what she can do, he treats her as an equal. Nothing about them feels forced or fake. The film does a great job of showing how he and Diana are dedicated to saving as many lives as possible. They just come at it from different ends of the spectrum.
The rest of the cast is pretty solid as well. It was a welcome change of pace to see soldiers who aren’t perfect. From the actor whose skin color kept him from the life he wanted to the marksman with PTSD. Diana gets a full education in the complexities of man through this strong ensemble, which leads to her eventual decision that man is worth saving.
For all of the strong emotions the film excels in, it falters a bit during some of the action sequences. They do a good job of showing just how strong and fast she is, but you come away with the feeling that they could have pushed her abilities a little bit more. Especially during the final battle. What really should have been a fight akin to Superman vs Zod in Man of Steel, was a bit restrained.
Overall this is definitely a movie worth seeing. Especially for those of you of the feminist and nerd persuasion. Wonder Woman brings hope to everyone she comes across in this film, including the viewer. This movie is rightfully the feather in DC’s cap for now.
Wonder Woman Review
Pros
- Excellent display of strong women without pandering
- Diverse cast
- Emotional & inspirational
- Good acting
Cons
- Lacked intense battles
- Final battle dragged
- Underwhelming end for villains
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