Wonder Woman

I’m treading lightly here. I was tricked a year ago by the superficial cool of Batman v Superman, so I wrote a mildly positive review for that garbage fire. However, in its embers was the pointless, but brilliant cameo of one relatively unknown model as the world’s most famous superheroine.

Gal Gadot returns as Wonder Woman in her own origin movie. Here is where we are introduced to her as Diana, Princess of the Amazons who after growing up in her isolated female-only home is introduced to the world of men during the First World War.

This scene is the most ridiculously badass thing I’ve seen in a superhero movie in a long, long time.

I was super-critical of the first few minutes of this movie. DC has had a bit of a crap run of things lately. Things noted in the opening include a brighter colour palette than previous Detective Comics flicks possibly a reflection of Wonder Woman’s general optimism or simply Director Patty Jenkins asserting some dominance over her from. Also not so good is the less than great editing. I’m not talking Suicide Squad quality, just a bit difficult to see what’s going on or appreciate details.

However, beyond that this movie is properly solid for the most part.

Gadot is not winning any Oscars but I find her intensely likable. She seems to actually want to help people as Wonder Woman, a surprisingly rare trait for Superheroes recently. She’s a bit naive for much of the runtime, but that just adds to this likability.

The best thing about Wonder Woman, better than the admittedly excellent action (hampered sometimes by the editing), is something I feel I can’t tell you. The very concept of a superhero and our worth in being saved is put under the microscope by it, sufficed to say.

The use of WWI as the backdrop to Wonder Woman’s maturing as a hero is simply brilliant. A couple of missed opportunities are there perhaps, but the main points on human frailty and the chaos of evil are made well. A fault I had with some cartoonish dummy enemies works wonders in the end.

BvS was a film which I thought was good but flawed upon first viewing, but a piled of soiled rags upon the second. Wonder Woman? I really want to see it again. Partly so I can get a second opinion, partly because my first is glowing.

D.C isn’t out of the fire yet, but at least they have a good live-action film again. It only took 9 years.

Recommended Scenario: If you want a fun well-executed action film.

R.I.P Adam West