Wonder Woman Review: The Superheroine Movie Fans Deserve
Directed by Monster's Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman is (simply put) the game-changing turnaround that Warner Bros. and DC Films have been hoping for. It's gorgeously shot, well plotted, with performances and a rousing score that actually capture the heroism of its DC Comics superheroine. Best of all, Wonder Woman manages to walk the line between being a universal story of heroism, and a distinctly (and blessedly) feminine one.
On the directorial front, Jenkins manages to rise to the hard task of finding a tone and visual pallete that makes the colorful comic book world of Amazons, Greek gods, and superheroes, all feel right at home in the drab world of WWI Europe, and the gritty industrialism that goes along with it. At times, Wonder Woman is a powerful and moving war film; at other moments, it's light and fun comic book fantasy; and in some of the film's most impressive action sequenes, it becomes the best of both worlds (see: that "No Man's Land" scene). Jenkins manages to perfectly capture the iconorgraphy of the character's DC Comics legacy, while still creating her own unique and soon-to-be iconic visuals onscreen. Wonder Woman offers a version of the character that is both timeless and refreshingly novel, and for finding that correct balance on all fronts, Jenkins has elevated herself to a new level of professional accomplishment, on a blockbuster stage. If there is one major criticism of the film, it is that the third act battle with big, bad, Ares goes a bit too overboard with all the CGI sequencing and green screen backdrop. However, that flaw is by now par for the course for the entire superhero genre, and Jenkins does a solid job at keeping the bombastic third act visuals actually weighted in real, well-earned drama that helps keep viewers invested in the fight.
There's a similar takeaway from the story by comic book writer Allan Heinberg, Pan writer Jason Fuchs, and Zack Snyder. The script is filled with some of the flimsy tropes of your average superhero origin story, but there's also real substantive insight and understanding of the characters and their comic book roots; smart use of the historical setting and events; and some powerful thematic ideas (about war, duty, brutality, compassion), which are, unfortunately, ultimately superseded by the comic book movie tropes that must take precedence.
What truly bolsters the film, however, is the esteemed quality of its cast. Gal Gadot owned the Wonder Woman role for her short time in Batman v Superman, but stepping into her own solo film she proves all the haters wrong, playing a complex and nuanced version of Diana, while still looking convincingly powerful and badass in the action scenes. Chris Pine plays perfectly off of Gadot’s wide-eyed idealism, as the cynical but compassionate allied spy, Steve Trevor. It's Pine who must ground a lot of the silly comic book melodrama with timing and wit, while still boosting his co-star to the heroic heights she needs to reach. In doing both so effectively, Pine arguably gives his best blockbuster movie performance yet (sorry Star Trek). Other talented actors like Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Danny Houston, Lucy Davis and David Thewlis, help bring both the comic book fantasy and historical drama of the story together into one cohesive world, creating some of the best and most memorable characters in this cinematic universe (some of them, hopefully to return in future projects).
http://comicbook.com/dc/2017/05/30/wonder-woman-reviews-movie-2017/
= new reply since forum marked as read
