Review of Wonder Woman (2017) by Johnathon W — 15 Nov 2017

Solid superhero film that has a great cast and pays tribute to the comic, but misses greatness with a flawed third act. Gal Gadot is superb as the title character, giving Diana the perfect mix of charisma & naivety as she must navigate a man's world for the first time.

She also physically fits the role perfectly, not only looking gorgeous but pulling off the action scenes with finesse (her service in the Israel Defense Forces sure paid off). Gadot does get great support from the rest of the cast, particularly Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, who plays him as a jaded but still dedicated soldier.

He has crackling chemistry with Gadot, giving their under-developed romance some punch, and following "Hell or High Water", Pine continues to show he is an actor is remarkable depth. Behind the camera, Patty Jenkins crafts a superb origin tale for Wonder Woman, making excellent use of the Greek mythology & WWI setting.

Even with the PG-13 rating, the film pushes the envelope a bit, showing the horrors of war while mixing in some adult humor (some mileage is gotten out of Diana never having seen a man naked). Jenkins also pays nice homage to "Superman: The Movie" with some scenes, particularly when Diana enters battle for the first time in full costume, which is like when Christopher Reeve first donned Superman's suit, is absolutely thrilling.

The only flaw is the third act, with a twist that doesn't quite feel deserved as it was never developed properly, though it does line up with the character's current comic mythology. Overall, still a very good comic book movie with a fantastic heroine, and most importantly, proof that the DCEU might finally know what they're doing.