(I’ve been informed
by my peers that today happens to be ‘Wonder Woman Day’, which marks the 75th
anniversary of the iconic character’s debut. How fitting, then, that this
occurs right at the time that her long-awaited feature film is about to have an
epic opening weekend, hence why I made sure to get this review out on this big
day. Enjoy!)
Admittedly, Warner Bros.’ attempts at creating a cinematic
universe based around the characters of DC Comics, just like what Marvel
Studios has been doing for the past decade with their Marvel Cinematic
Universe, have had rather rocky results recently. It wasn’t that big of an
issue at first when the series started in 2013 with the Superman reboot, Man of Steel. While the film did prove
to be one of the most polarizing releases of that year, it was a solid
commercial hit and effectively built up enough hype for future installments.
But then, things got rough for Warner Bros. and DC in 2016. It’s a shame,
really, because that was supposed to be a big year for them, as their two
primary releases were some of the most anticipated films of the year. However,
both these films, Batman v Superman: Dawn
of Justice and Suicide Squad,
ended up getting completely savaged by critics. And unlike Man of Steel, while both films did do well at the box-office, it
seemed like those who didn’t like them outnumbered those that did this time
around. It certainly didn’t help matters when it became clear that both films
were subjected to questionable editing jobs in post-production, resulting in
the necessity for alternate cuts when they were released to home media. Thus,
this year is an important one for Warner Bros., DC, and the ‘DC Extended
Universe’. Because if this year’s outings end up attracting the same critical
vitriol as their 2016 slate, it puts the future of this entire cinematic
universe in jeopardy. Thankfully, they’re starting off big this year with a
film based around a character who’s been long overdue for a cinematic adaptation;
the Amazonian demigoddess known as Wonder
Woman.
When it comes to DC, Wonder Woman stands right alongside
Batman and Superman to form ‘the Trinity’, the most iconic trio of superheroes
in the DC lineup. Created by psychologist William Moulton Marston in 1941,
Princess Diana of Themyscira would go on to become arguably the most famous
superheroine in the history of comics. However, it took quite some time before
she made her debut on the big-screen. Prior to this, her most famous onscreen
adaptation was the TV series Wonder Woman,
starring Lynda Carter in the title role and produced from 1975 to 1979.
However, efforts since then to make a Wonder
Woman feature film, even from the likes of filmmakers like Joss Whedon,
have come and gone to no avail. Wonder Woman ultimately made her official film
debut in last year’s Batman v Superman,
played by Gal Gadot, in which she was considered one of the primary highlights
of the film. Now, Gadot headlines her own solo film, Wonder Woman, which is very much a big deal. It’s the first big
female-led superhero film of this current era of the superhero genre
(disclaimer: by ‘current era’, I mean everything since the MCU started back in
2008), and it’s also the first major summer tent-pole film directed by a woman.
In this instance, that director is Patty Jenkins, best known for directing 2003’s
Monster. She almost directed Marvel
Studios’ 2013 outing, Thor: The Dark
World, but she ended up leaving that project due to creative differences.
Here, though, through her terrific direction and Gal Gadot’s fantastic turn in
the title role, DC’s iconic superheroine gets the terrific film adaptation that
she very much deserves.
Long before she ever got involved with the likes of Batman
and Superman, entrepreneur Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) was Princess Diana of the
hidden Amazonian paradise known as Themyscira, ruled by her mother, Queen
Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). Against her mother’s wishes, she is trained by her
aunt, General Antiope (Robin Wright), to become one of Themyscira’s Amazonian
warriors. One day, a pilot named Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) somehow manages to enter
Themyscira when his plane crashes into the ocean. Diana saves him and he
explains to her and her people that he’s a spy working for the Allies in World
War I. He’s just recently stolen valuable information from a German weapons
facility, where General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston) and his top scientist
Dr. Isabel Maru AKA Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya) are developing a new form of
mustard gas that threatens to cause millions of casualties if it’s completed.
Believing that the war is being caused by the Amazonians’ mortal enemy, Ares
the God of War, Diana leaves the safety of her home to help Steve get the
information that he’s collected to his superiors in London. Eventually, the two
end up going straight into the action, as Diana seeks to hunt down whoever Ares
is so that she can hopefully bring an end to this dreadful war.
One of the main criticisms of previous DCEU films have been
towards their overall tone. Compared to the more light-hearted affairs of the
MCU, the DCEU films have been more serious in tone. However, most critics have
felt that the DCEU films have gone too far with this idea to the point of being
incredibly dour, which they feel is not the right kind of atmosphere for
superhero films of this nature. That is not the case with Wonder Woman. Even amidst the backdrop of the dreadful First World
War, there are plenty of great bits of humorous dialogue here and there to
lighten the mood, primarily whenever Diana attempts to ‘fit in’ amongst society
(e.g. in one scene, she’s seen trying out some ‘inconspicuous’ clothing and
proceeds to question its use in combat). At the same time, our main heroine is
given a terrific arc, as we see her go from a naïve young woman who’s unaware
of what goes on outside Themyscira to a confident leader in battle. But then,
as a result, her perception of humanity is changed dramatically when she learns
about the true horrors of the war, something that carries over into her
characterization in Batman v. Superman.
This arc is handled terrifically in the film, yielding some highly effective
emotional moments. As for the rest of the film, Patty Jenkins’ direction is
fantastic and she uses the WWI setting to great effect, thanks in part to the
film’s excellent production design. This also carries over into the film’s
incredible action sequences. Yes, some of them do use the slow-motion technique
that fellow DCEU director Zack Snyder is well-known for (though I don’t think
he’s really used it that much in his DCEU films), but they do elicit some great
results.
As is common with any superhero casting in the genre, Gal
Gadot’s casting as Wonder Woman has gotten a lot of flak from certain fans,
from her previous background in acting (e.g. her supporting role as Gisele in
the Fast and Furious films) to,
unfortunately, sexist jabs at her weight and physical stature by those who
don’t think that she was the right fit for DC’s most famous heroine. Hell, some
have even mocked her tenure in the Israeli army when she was younger (Who does
that?). However, when I went to a panel that she was at during last year’s
Rhode Island Comic Con, I felt that, offscreen, she very much conveyed all the
great traits that audiences have loved about the character ever since she was
first introduced back in 1941. And this translates exceptionally well to this
film; she’s charming, caring, and most of all, a total badass whenever she gets
into the action. She is paired well with Chris Pine who, thankfully, never
overshadows Wonder Woman in her own film. Instead, Steve Trevor is just a
natural sidekick who does share some romantic chemistry with Diana but, at the
same time, is not just a simple ‘love interest’. The two of them are backed by
a highly entertaining collection of supporting characters via the team that
Steve enlists to help them out on the battlefield; Saïd Taghmaoui as a flirtatious spy named Sameer, Ewen
Bremmer as Charlie, a sharpshooter who’s already been through the horrors of
war, and Eugene Brave Rock as Chief, a smuggler. As for the film’s villains…
eh, they’re ok. I mean, they work within the context of the plot but at the end
of the day, they’re still kind of the weakest links of the film.
Fear not, DCEU fans, for I will not be making any sort of
derogatory statements towards the previous DCEU films in this review of what
has been the franchise’s first well-received outing. After all, as I’ve made it
clear in the past, I am a fan of both Man
of Steel and Batman v. Superman;
heck, I even liked the latter BEFORE the Ultimate Edition came out (Suicide Squad? Eh, I feel that I may
have been a bit too positive on that one. I’ll know if this is the case when I
see it again). I will say, though, that I’m glad to see that the franchise has
finally managed to catch a lucky break after a rough 2016, as Wonder Woman is most certainly one of
the best installments of the franchise. Gal Gadot absolutely shines in the lead
role of Diana and the direction from Patty Jenkins is fantastic. Together, they
give us a terrific female lead who’s given an equally terrific character arc in
a film full of emotional depth that captures just the right kind of tone to
suit this legendary character. It’s a satisfying win for the two, with Gadot
very much proving the critics who doubted her in the role wrong and Jenkins
having a much-deserved blockbuster hit after she was forced to back out of
directing Thor: The Dark World due to
differences with Marvel Studios’ [now disbanded] controversial creative
committee. And thanks to these two, the DC Extended Universe’s future looks
much brighter thanks to a film that, let’s be honest, was too important to fail
as the first female-led superhero film of the modern era.
Rating: 5/5!
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