Review of Wonder Woman (2017) by Callum Y — 31 May 2017

It's hard to fathom how far we've come with Hollywood's foray into comic book adaptations. As more general moviegoers warm to the idea of superheroes swooping down from the sky and saving the day, major studios are seeing greater potential in taking risks and bringing more properties to the big screen which is resulting in infinitely entertaining action spectacles wrapped in real and important themes. It's a bit of a surprise that we haven't seen a female hero grace our screens in her own solo adventure to date aside from a few horrible money-grabs with no real thought (looking at you, Catwoman), cue Patty Jenkins and a character with a 75 year history as a role model for women worldwide - a symbol of power, love, wisdom, and acceptance, this is Wonder Woman.

The story follows Diana (Gal Gadot), daughter of Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) of Themyscira, an island hidden away from mankind that houses the fierce amazons. When Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), a pilot infiltrating German forces, crash lands in the seas of Themyscira, Diana saves him, leading her on a path to discovery and destiny as she works to rid the world of war and suffering. It's not wholly original in its ideas, we've seen tales of heroes uncovering and fulfilling their lives purpose many a time, but the addition of interesting mythology helps Wonder Woman carve its own place in the fray and is fantastic to watch.

The island of Themyscira is an intriguing concept, a place created by Zeus himself to safeguard some of his finest creations. It's something that's explored well, the addition of gods helping DC to stand apart from any comparisons to another war-braving hero. We see a little of Diana's childhood, obsessed with becoming a courageous warrior like the older women of the island, but unfortunately it's skimmed over a little too much making a lot of the film's earlier events seem slow and ineffective when moments of impact do occur. This is quickly absolved when Gadot's Diana is given someone to play off of, taking the form of Chris Pine's Steve Trevor. The introduction of Trevor kicks Wonder Woman into action, Pine's textbook charm bringing the genuine and earned laughs DC's films have been severely lacking thus far. This is not to say that he takes the spotlight off of Gadot, more that his arrival allows the film to pick up the pace and generate some high stakes.

Diana's journey to the world of Mankind with Trevor is where Wonder Woman really shines, bringing us to olden day London at the brink of the end of world war one. Here we get to experience Diana's view of mankind and learn with her as she discovers their many complications. These are not all good people, and she has to come to terms with if they're worthy of someone like her looking over them. It's a great take on war and the many horrors that come with it, if both sides are holding the gun is there really a line between good and evil? It's not just the bad that Diana sees in mankind though, she also witnesses the power of love among others, and her ragtag group of soldiers that accompany her to the frontline show her how layered and sometimes misunderstood we can be.

The group in discussion are the same from that infamous photograph which appeared in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and while most of them often seem just along for the ride they did at times feel necessary for Diana's experience. Among them are Sameer (Said Taghmaoui), Charlie (Ewen Bremner), The Chief (Eugene Brave Rock), and Steve Trevor. Not all of them get a lot to do but act as insight into the layers of man, Charlie is an arrogant man who drinks to hide from his past, The chief fights a war alongside those that once destroyed his people yet forgives them for this, and Sameer comes across as a bit of pervert when he's really a genuinely loyal and caring human being whose career aspirations are held back by social issues of the period. These are all men who are more than meets the eye, allowing Diana to realise that there is good in this world.

When Wonder Woman gets to the action it doesn't disappoint, the unique and primal sounding theme makes every blow feel all the more heavy, and Jenkin's use of slow-motion allows you to see all the intricacies of Diana's warrior spirit. It can rely on CGI a little too often, especially in the film's somewhat clunky third act, but for the most part it doesn't take away from the enjoyment.

The film sports several villains who all do their job at being menacing well enough but aren't anything to remember. Dr. Maru (Elena Anaya) and Ludendorff (Danny Huston) play your typical characters hell-bent on massacring thousands, ultimately they're just there to get our heroes from one place to the next and don't feel as if they pose much of a threat. There's a particular character whose motivations are very interesting when revealed throughout the film and help to add some much needed depth to an individual that would have otherwise been very boring, although they do revert back to the generic "I will destroy you" baddie archetype at some point which negates their legitimacy as another great DC villain.

One thing that shocked me was how much Gadot's acting has improved between films, in Batman V Superman she was great at the physical aspects of the role but couldn't seem to nail the dialogue. Here she gets a lot more to do and say, including some fantastic emotional moments that allow her to show off her range as an actress. You can tell how much the role means to her as she works her butt off to do fans of the character proud. There are quite a few great comedic moments involving her first impressions of various things she's missed out on in Themyscira, as well as a well-sold blossoming romance between her and Steve Trevor. Their chemistry is on another level, scenes shared between them demand your full attention and really make you believe in what they're feeling.

Wonder Woman benefits from the fact that it doesn't have to double as a jigsaw piece in a larger story, similar to how James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy films have a certain narrative freedom to them. This has no blatant tie to November's Justice League or any future DC films; in fact, aside from the slightest of references to the existence of Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman is a complete and fulfilling standalone tale.

When Diana first revealed her famous battle-garb as she walked out onto no man's land several audience members in my screening started applauding, this was a character they had been looking up to for years finally being brought to life on a big screen. Moments like this make you appreciate the effect a medium like film can have on a person. Characters such as Wonder Woman mean so much for people around the globe - she's not only a symbol for love, wisdom, power, and courage, she's motivation for girls everywhere to laugh in the face of adversity and show the world just how important they are. Patty Jenkins envisions this superbly, creating what is sure to be one of the most enjoyable and important blockbusters of 2017.