Wonder Woman

Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Said Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner, Eugene Brave Rock, Lucy Davis, Elena Anayu
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Diana (Gal Gadot) leaves the Amazon to fight in Europe during World War II.

Review:

Tim: So the DC Extended Universe hasn't gotten off to the best start. Man of Steel was really good. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was good, but severely flawed. Suicide Squad was a mess. Each film of the DCEU was worse than the one before it. And then, Wonder Woman comes to save the day. It was critically acclaimed, reversed the downward trend, proved a female superhero could do as well at the box office as a man (and in fact, better). This film was a resounding success, the film that would save the DCEU. I went into it with an open mind and while I good-naturedly crap on DC (I'll always be a Marvel guy), I still want their films to be good. I want to enjoy what they produce.

And I did enjoy Wonder Woman. Patty Jenkins' film is probably the best film in the DCEU. And yet, I still struggled with it a bit. I'm not convinced the DCEU has their first great film. This is certainly a really, really good movie, but I don't believe it is quite as amazing as so many people proclaimed. It's thoroughly entertaining and a well-made movie, but it's not quite a great film.

I love that a female-centered film did as well as this one did, both commercially and critically. That's so good for all of us and I hope we see more movies like this (and more movies directed by women) as a result. It's so good to see a strong, brave, amazing character like Diana on the big screen. I loved that she wasn't playing second fiddle- this movie is all about her. That's such a good thing and I certainly look forward to the sequels.

I thought the story was a bit convoluted and lacked some originality. The film is probably a bit too long at 2 hours, 21 minutes. That's a long origin story. I did love the scenes in Themyscira. That felt different and unique and exciting. The movie becomes slightly less effective when we get to the European theater. Some of the scenes trying to be more lighthearted didn't quite work. The whole "fish out of water" thing has been done endlessly, which is fine- if the gags are funny (they weren't, really). This aspect of the film felt oddly familiar to Captain America: The First Avenger. The whole "NAZIs have science fiction technology" is straight out of that film. I understand the parallels, but it does hurt this film to be compared to something we've already seen before. It felt like this one borrowed heavily from that one. It does make this movie seem less original and less exciting. The film's ending also feels like a complete rehash of that film's ending. Honestly, it was bizarre to see the similarities in these two superhero period films.

Now, I do have to give PattY Jenkins credit- she crafted some of the best fight scenes I've ever seen in a superhero movie (that is HIGH praise). Some of the battle scenes here with Wonder Woman were jaw-dropping and amazing. I loved the visuals and how they were depicted. They were clear, exciting, and memorable. That was easily one of the most powerful parts of this film. The scenes in the trenches, the scene with the sniper, the climax on the airfield- there were some truly incredible action scenes in this film.

I have to give Gal Gadot so much credit. I've never thought she was a great actress, but she was incredible as Diana. I was stunned by how good her performance was. I loved her in this role and I sincerely hope she plays it for many years to come. I think she'll be the one you always compare others to with this role. It's the definitive performance for this character. Chris Pine was good, but I can't say I loved his performance. He had his moments, but I expected more from him. I liked seeing Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright, although they're not in it very much. Danny Huston and David Thewlis gave good supporting performances. It was fun seeing Said Taghmaoui and Ewen Bremner as well. The cast as a whole was strong, but we've had so many incredible superhero casts over the years- this one felt a little less strong than some.

I really enjoyed Wonder Woman and again, consider it perhaps the best DCEU film. However, it felt slightly unoriginal and didn't feature a very strong villain. It was overly long. While I really liked the film, it was missing the unforgettable qualities that make a movie great. I don't have much desire to see it again (it's so long). I fought hard against my Marvel bias when watching this movie. I've been able to appreciate greatness in DC films when it's there (The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Returns). It feels like this film is a massive step in the right direction, but I'm not ready to anoint this movie like so many others.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad