To fully express my views on this film,
I have to go deep into the details. Because of this, unlike my
typical reviews, SOME SPOILERS MAY COME UP.
You have been warned.
Let
me start with the punchline: Wonder
Woman
is good. In fact, I would say it's very good. It's often riveting,
the writing is on par of what it should be, and, despite my initial
trepidation, Gal Gadot plays the role aptly. But there are quite a
few concerns I have with the film that make it impossible for me to
consider this film excellent – which is where a film of this
historical nature should be. While the film met my expectations, my
expectations were relatively muted to begin with, so this isn't much
of a glowing recommendation.
POSITIVES:
Gadot
as the titular character aside, the cast is quite stellar in their
respective roles. Chris Pine does what he does best in the role of
Steve Trevor. Brash, arrogant-yet-awkward, and ever-so charming,
Pine takes much of what he does with Captain Kirk in the new Star
Trek films,
tones it down slightly, and shines. Ewen Bremner, Saïd
Taghmaoui, and Eugene Brave Rock all stand out instead of remain
in the background, something that tends to happen with larger DC film
casts. And, as villains go, Danny Huston and Elena Anaya are quite
interesting to watch.
Where
the film really shines is the script. DC films have typically
exorcised the more strange and supernatural elements of the comic
books, from Ra's Al-Ghoul's regeneration pools in Batman
Begins
to Bane's use of Venom toxin in The
Dark Knight Rises
to the entire hot mess Doomsday was in Batman
v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
So the fact that Allan Heinberg's script doesn't shy away from the
weirdest elements of Wonder Woman's origins. From her being molded
out of clay by her mother Hippolyta (played by Connie Britton) and
her links to the gods of Olympus to the magical powers she possesses,
DC and Warner Bros finally took a page out of Marvel's playbook and
allowing the characters to be weird – even if no one actually calls
Diana “Wonder Woman” once in the entire film.
And
let's talk about those action sequences! Every action sequence is a
well-choreographed dance punctuated by one of Diana's signature,
iconic blows, and is a true feast for the eyes.
However...
NEGATIVES:
Remember
that romance between Diana and Steve that I predicted from the debut
of the first trailer that everyone told me I was entirely wrong
about? It's there. Not only is it there, but it compels Diana to
kick things into high gear when the chips are down.
This
is NOT
Wonder
Woman.
Wonder
Woman has always been the symbol of feminism – not needing a man to
get things done, not being identified as someone's love interest,
etc. But that's what she is reduced to here. While the first action
sequences are purely of Diana kicking ass and taking names, the steam
is stolen out of the big ultimate showdown between her and Ares
because she's compelled to do it for love, not for duty. I
understand that some things must be Hollywood-ized, but this was not
one of them.
This
isn't the only thing that is affected by Diana and Steve's romance.
The dialogue between them, while starting off fun and flirtatious
like a screwball comedy of old, they bicker like an old married
couple in the latter half of the movie, which grows tiresome quickly.
Speaking
of Ares, while it's great they gave him his iconic armor from the
comics, his reveal is far too predictable.
But
even when all of these are not taken into account, the film still
suffers from several of the elements that mire all of the DC Extended
Universe films. The pacing is often sluggish and dull, utilizing too
much useless dialogue when it should have relied on action. The film
is far too dark in palette, once again being shot through the Guy
Ritchie Instagram filter. And, for the love of Zeus, not every
action scene needs nine slo-mo parts.
CONCLUSION:
Are
these staggering negatives enough to detract from the movie? No.
The film still has enough overwhelming positives to counter the
negatives, and it is still a vastly enjoyable film. It often feels
like Thor
and Captain
America: The First Avenger
were mashed together, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. If
this is a sign of things to come for the future DCEU films, then
we're finally getting the upswing.
It
may not be Marvel level of quality, and this is not the best DCEU by
default. Wonder
Woman
is still quite a compelling movie in its own right, and it is more
than worth the price of admission.
I
recommend this movie.
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