Movie Review: Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is the fourth film in the DCEU and as it stands – it is the best one yet. A comic book film that marries modern day comic book film sensibilities with a an old school twist, that is refreshing, funny and one that makes a timely statement on what and why humans do what they do.

I’ll put my hand up as someone who is suffering from origin story fatigue, origin films of late seem to be very by the numbers and you are basically biding time until the story starts in earnest. However, Wonder Woman manages to make this origin story feel different, even if it at the core of things, the origin ‘arc’ isn’t.  We begin on Themyscria with six year old Diana showing her prowess, willful attitude and want for adventure as she runs around the island, stopping to view the Amazonian warriors training. We grow up with Diana as she gets taught to fight, firstly in secret by her Aunt (a spectacular Robin Wright) General Antiope and then with the full permission of her mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Neilson) who wants her trained up to be the fiercest warrior on the island. An adult Diana (Gal Gadot) witnesses a plane crashing off the coast of the island and she rescues Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Trevor is followed into the island paradise by the Germans and a full daylight beach battle ensues – and it’s great. Amazonian’s charging on horseback into a skirmish with German soldiers, its both thrilling and sad as it is a lesson in man kind’s terrible nature for Diana. From here, Steve Trevor learns some things about Diana and she about him, including some of the funnier double entendres this side of a Bond film but more importantly she learns that there is a horrible war (WWI) happening and Diana believes that it is the work of Ares. Diana wants to fulfil the destiny of the Amazonian’s by killing Ares and in her mind by this act, she will free man of Ares influence and they will not fight anymore. She leaves Themyscria with Steve Trevor to hunt down Ares.

As much as the film is about Wonder Woman (as it should be), it is the supporting cast that really make it shine. The chemistry between Gadot and Pine crackles and whether it’s Steve Trevor guiding Diana through the streets of London – a fantastic fish out of water sequence – or if it’s Diana and Steve on the battlefield or having a dance, everything works and makes you invest heavily into both characters. The other supports  Saïd Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner & Eugene Brave Rock as Steve Trevor’s covert ops team are fantastic all adding their little bit in albeit small roles. Lucy Davies as Etta Candy is just delightful too, making the most of her limited role by squeezing all the great delivery of her lines into it. Unfortunately the villains don’t get this treatment, they are a bit one note with your standard villain reasons for doing things and this is really the only big issue with the film and in saying that it is more disappointing than anything else that despite villains being under written throughout the whole resurgence of comic book films, that these guys suffer the same fate.

The action in Wonder Woman is a spaced out but when it kicks in it is a treat. Strangely enough the first action sequence off Themyscria is the best and will be iconic. Diana stepping out into no man’s land to try and rescue a village under occupation is hands down one of the best super hero moments in any film, ever. It’s heroic, thrilling and uplifting all at the same time, it is kinetic, each slow motion moment is followed by a full speed impact. This falls away a little in the final big bad battle, which is a CG orgy but you know what? It’s not the first nor the last time that a comic book film will do that.

Gal Gadot nails – no, wait – IS Wonder Woman. She utterly and entirely nails the character. The heroism, hope, naivety and her being compelled to do what is right, it is all there and is a great portrayal. This is of course not to mention the physical prowess that comes with the character. Gadot will play Wonder Woman for as long as she wants and this is a great thing.

Patty Jenkins has made a great film and hopefully its not her last foray into this universe. I want more Wonder Woman films and if Jenkins wants to direct them all then that is a fine by me, throw all the money at her and get to it. Wonder Woman is a great film, just flat out fun, thrilling and uplifting.

Ryan Morrissey-Smith