Wonder Woman Review

THEY. DID IT. That’s right, everyone, the DCEU actually made a great movie, and no, you aren’t dreaming this. Wonder Woman is the movie fans (and Warner Bros. filmmakers) have all been waiting for, and we finally got it. Wonder Woman is not just a good film, but a GREAT film, so without further ado, let’s dive into this non-spoiler review.

Gal Gadot (Diana Prince)

Cast and Characters

Wonder Woman stars Gal Gadot as the lasso-wielding heroine, with Chris Pine as Diana Prince’s love interest Steve Trevor. While Gadot performs well in her main role, she doesn’t necessarily do anything to knock your socks off. She holds her own (she needed to in this movie), but she doesn’t blow anyone away by any means. However, Chris Pine (Steve Trevor) is an absolute standout. His performance as the good-hearted pilot is truly the best in the film and he carries a presence that allows any other actor on screen with him to have fantastic chemistry with him. The other actors feed off of his acting, and it’s beautiful to watch.

Director Patty Jenkins clearly put her heart and soul into this movie and the characters within it, as each character gets a time to shine, and they grow on you throughout. Most importantly, Diana Prince herself. Gadot’s Wonder Woman embodies everything a superhero should be. She is a light to those in despair and a true representation of hope and love. (Maybe Henry Cavill’s Superman could learn a few things, I’M JUST SAYING.) Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor brings a lighthearted sense of fun to the first act of the movie, something that the DCEU has been heavily lacking. As the story progresses, he begins to offer even more to the movie: hope and justice. He displays a true heart of gold, and is just another example of Jenkins’ passion into the characters. Even minor characters such as Chief, Charlie, and Sameer get to shine.

Story and Plot

The story is very cohesive, with non-stop entertainment. Standing at nearly 2.5 hours, this movie is LONG, but you wouldn’t know unless you looked it up. Even outside of the central action sequences, the movie’s pacing is incredible, and keeps everything moving and the audience is fully engaged the entire time. I cannot say I felt this way about any past DCEU movie. I felt extremely engaged and into it the whole movie, and never once felt like the movie needed to speed up and get over itself. Every plot point fits perfectly and exactly as it intended. The only complaint I have with the plot itself is the development of its villain. As this is a non-spoiler review, I will keep it short, but the villain of this film felt rushed and largely undeveloped. However, this is a small price to pay when the rest of the movie is so spot on.

Action

There are only 3 central action sequences in this film, but THEY ARE SHOW-STOPPING. The choreography is absolutely stunning and jaw-dropping, and the colors and score behind it is intense and exciting (yes, Wonder Woman’s theme from Batman v Superman is in this movie). The warrior women of Themyscira are absolute badasses. Their action sequences are some of the best I’ve ever seen, and I’d like to say better than anything else we’ve seen in a DC movie thus far, including the Dark Knight trilogy. I mean that.

Conclusion

This movie needed to be good for many reasons. First and foremost, little girls and women needed to see a female superhero star in her own movie and show that women can be just as heroic as men can (and even more so in Gal Gadot’s case). Secondly, the DCEU needed a critical success. After 3 critical failures to kickstart their universe in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad, it seems they’re finally back on track after Wonder Woman. The pop culture effects from this movie will be felt worldwide, and the effects on the DCEU’s future are monumental. It’s only one hit, but maybe, just maybe, Warner Bros. knows what they’re doing here. Let’s see what you’ve got, Justice League.

 

Source: IMDb

Preston Moore