The 1st lady of DC comics, has finally been given her just due with her feature début film, Wonder Woman. This is the fourth film in DC‘s extended Universe that began with Man of Steel, Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad.
What sets this film apart from its predecessors however is the direction the creative team wisely doesn’t do; which is copy the dark and brooding feel of MoS, BvS and Suicide Squad. Wonder Woman is a film filled with hope, optimism and shining heroic deeds. In fact, I believe Wonder Woman is the film that DC fans have wanted and needed since beginning the adventure of the extended universe.
The film begins with Diana (Gal Gadot) growing up and training on the island of Themyscira, the home of the Amazons. The Amazons, a race of warrior women created by the God Zeus on Mount Olympus to help protect humankind from the evil influences of his son, Ares, the god of war. According to the film, Zeus ruled from the heavens and truly cared for mankind. So, after one of Ares’ attempt to corrupt mankind was stopped, Ares turned his sights on the Gods themselves and slaughtered them all in an epic battle. However, in his dying breathe, Zeus sends Ares to the world of man thus expelling him from the heavens. For good measure, Zeus gives the Amazons a secret lair where they can continue their training to protect mankind and a weapon, known as the “the god killer”, in order to defeat Ares in case of his return.
Diana’s world is forever changed when she rescues Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who crashes near the island’s shore. Steve tells the Amazons of a Great War that is claiming countless lives and that mankind seems guided to destroy each other. Diana takes this as a sign that Ares is the master mind behind this Great War and volunteers to leave the island in order to kill Ares, once and for all.
When Diana reaches this new world, the film really gets interesting. Director Patty Jenkins wisely avoids using Diana’s innocence or fish out of water position as a joke. She focuses instead on Diana’s black and white view of injustice along with her naivety of the shades of grey that Steve and the rest of the world adheres to; that’s what makes Wonder Woman so compelling and where Wonder Women succeeds over its predecessors.
Wonder Woman is the best DC film since Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Yet as entertaining as Wonder Woman is, it still has its faults. In my opinion, the film is a little long at two hours and twenty minutes. I thought that the film, like most of these superhero movies, also lacked a memorable villain because the epic battle between Wonder Woman and Ares didn’t feel so epic.
I do admit that these faults are minor, compared to what Wonder Woman brings the audience and to the DC line up, but they were still worth mentioning. The best part, as I stated earlier in my rant, is that Wonder Woman replaces the dark and brooding tones of its predecessors with hope, optimism, heroic deeds and brings forward a movie where the female role model is inspirational for young girls and boys alike.
