Review of Wonder Woman (2017) by Leong C — 30 Oct 2017

Going into Wonder Woman, I was hesitant. I had already watched the crash and burn of Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad, so despite the glowing reviews I decided not to get my hopes up. And sitting through all 2 hours and 21 minutes I realized that DC had finally gotten their act together. From the opening of the movie you were able to feel a different tone than the typical superhero movie we've all grown unfortunately bored with.

The beginning of the movie takes the time to develop Diana's character, which DC has been known to skim over in the past. Gal Gadot's portrayal of Wonder Woman in this film is nearly flawless, and I mean it when I say it. Gadot really wowed me with her performance in this film and and I'm happy to say that I was wrong. Gadot has always been a talented actress but her films left a bit to be desired. Her work in the Fast and Furious franchise was decent but she was given very little room to do any real acting. Because of this there was a little bit of backlash when it was announced that Gadot would be playing Wonder Woman and by giving a fantastic performance she showed all the doubters that they were wrong.

Speaking of fantastic performances, Chris Pine delivers one as well. As Steve Trevor, Pine thoroughly entertains us throughout the whole movie as a funny and charming U.S Army Air Force Pilot. I believe what really makes this film work is the chemistry between the two leads Gadot and Pine. These two work together fantastically and you root for them so much because of it. If it had not been for the wonderful portrayal of these characters by Pine and Gadot, this film would not have been so strong. They play off of each other really well and you can really believe the connection between the two.

Now, I did really enjoy this movie, but it is not without its flaws and cliches. My biggest issue was, without getting into spoilers, the ending battle. The final battle between Wonder Woman and the antagonist, which I will not reveal, is pretty well worn territory. It was a typical superhero fight scene that went on for a bit too long. The reveal of the villain was also a bit over the top which didn't bother me too much, but I can definitely see it bothering some.

Another problem I had was the runtime, a bit too long. I was never really bored during it, but there were a few times that I felt a little bit of dragging. It seems like nowadays superhero movies have to run about two and a half hours, which in most cases is too long.

Now let's see how this film ranks against the other superhero movies of this year. Is it better that Spiderman: Homecoming? Definitely, Spiderman: Homecoming was good but it doesn't nearly compare the the original Spiderman and Spider Man 2 directed by Sam Raimi, it also was slightly irritating to see a 2nd Spiderman reboot in the last 10 years. Is it better than Guardians of the Galaxy? I would say that they're neck and neck. Guardians 2 had stronger emotional elements that really hit hard and I think that I would prefer Guardians 2. Is Wonder Woman better than Logan? Definitely not. While Wonder Woman was one of the best superhero movies of the decade, Logan could possibly be the best superhero movie of all time, but both of them are very different films.

In conclusion this is a very fun and well crafted film, that is sure to entertain just about anyone who watches it despite some minor flaws. This is currently my #12th favorite film of the year and with a rewatch, it may place even higher.

FINAL SCORE 8.8/10.

For more reviews and ratings check out my Instagram @big_screen_addicted_.