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| Source: batman-news.com |
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Elena Anaya
In the midst of what seems to be a weak start among the reception of DC’s Extended Universe, it’s about time that DC’s most iconic female character takes the screen to show them how it’s done. As she graces to the frontier, she is simply stating, “I got this.” And she does.
Wonder Woman is the origin piece to DC’s iconic female heroine, telling her story about a century from her first appearance in Batman V Superman. As the daughter of Queen Hypolita, Diana was raised to be a fierce warrior from youth. Diana’s world takes a tumble when an American pilot ends up stranded in her homeland of Themyscira. As she hears of a war raging from the outside world, Diana becomes determined to enter the war herself, and enters headfirst into the mighty war of mankind.
Leading the film’s weight on her shoulders is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, and simply put, is stunning and riveting as the lead heroine of the film. From her giddy and naïve light in seeing everything for the first time (the most memorable highlight being her giddiness of tasting ice cream for the first time), to becoming a fierce warrior on the battlefield. Gadot is paired perfectly with Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor, whose constant hesitance turned admiration of the Amazon warrior makes the pair all the more electric. Both learn the discoveries of one another, as Diana learns of something deeper about mankind through Steve that develops her perspective of them.
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| Source: batman-news.com |
Unlike its critically panned DCEU predecessors, Wonder Woman is the gulp of hope that one has been waiting for. It knows its pacing and it knows how to utilize it. When Batman V Superman lacks a solid story and punch, Wonder Woman shows that a couple of great character moments matter just as much as the action. Wonder Woman packs a riveting storyline with solid pacing, giving plenty of space for its characters to breathe. Once all hell goes loose, we care about these characters that are thrown in the pits of war, given the amount of character moments in the midst of all the action. Set to a backdrop of World War I, it plays with its setting of the historical backdrop while keeping the superhero elements at bay. Terrific action scenes that range from the world of Themyscira, to the front lines of the war are sure to bring the biggest goosebumps and joyful tears for fans of the Amazon warrior.
It is also possibly, and surprisingly, DCEU’s most satisfyingly colorful entry to date. While Suicide Squad has plenty of colors, it’s a messy outcome, as if children were throwing different colors on a canvas at the same time, not caring about the mess of colors in the aftermath. Wonder Woman is the fine painting from a professional artist that one can admire for hours. Moody colors are brightened up by the colors of Diana’s Wonder Woman costume, shining like a beam of light on a murky road, and a somewhat grim London that is overshadowed by Diana’s giddy-like reaction to the outside world.
Its downfall however, lies within the third act, which despite it having the film’s biggest emotional punch; it is also the typical CGI climax that doesn’t give as much of an impact as much as the previous acts. This downfall is a reflection of the film’s underwhelming villains. Because of the lack of depth placed in the film’s villains, it’s easy to see how the third act isn’t as impactful as the previous acts, though it isn’t as big of a CGI mess as you’d probably think it is.
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| Source: batman-news.com |
All that aside, Wonder Woman is the triumph that fans and critics alike have been waiting for, and have held their hope to. Despite its weaker aspects, Wonder Woman provides a satisfying release that lets one scream “Finally!” to the screen upon delivering DCEU’s strongest entry to date. The DCEU still has a long way to go, but Wonder Woman is the great leap that the universe needed to reach the finish line.
Stars: 4.2/5
