It’s no secret the Warner Bros has had a few issues with their DC cinematic Universe as of late. Man of Steel received mixed reviews, many citing its dark tone and an ending not true to the character as sticking points, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice was considered a muddy mess by many, and Suicide Squad was just a big bucket of OK. Add to that the rumors of behind the scenes personnel changes for upcoming projects, and the DC’s cinematic universe has not had a solid footing. That is until now. Wonder Woman is an action packed film with moments of light drama and sharp humor, and it is exactly what DC needed. More importantly, it respects the character without taking itself too seriously (looking at you, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman).
Interestingly, Wonder Woman feels like a Marvel movie through a DC filter. With the story chronicling Diana’s upbringing on Paradise Island, and then her entering the trenches of the first World War, I felt I was watching an amalgam of Thor and the Captain America: The First Avenger. Director of photography Matthew Jensen definately channeled Zack Snyder’s signature slow-motion action scenes, but has managed to improve upon them. Each shot plays out like a beautifully choreographed dance sequence (though he may have gone to that well one too many times, but that’s a minor gripe). The film feels like it belongs in the DC Cinematic Universe, but director Patty Jenkins manages to hit all of the right emotional tones, something lacking in the three previous DC films.
While the film itself stands on its own, Gal Gadot elevates it to a considerably higher level. With more than 75 years of history in the comics and cartoons, plus an iconic turn on TV by Linda Carter, finding an actress that perfectly captures the essence of the character seems like it would be an impossible task. However, whatever you believed you wanted to see in a live action film version of Wonder Woman is irrelevant, because Gadot is perfect. She plays the character with confidence and strength, while also being incredibly passionate, and a bit flawed in her naivety, which makes for a very nice character arc. While there is a definite Zack Snyder influence on the film, the overall tone of Wonder Woman has more in common with Richard Donner’s Superman than anything else (and considerably more than Snyder’s Man of Steel did).
While Wonder Woman is a very good film, it’s not without its flaws. With a 141 minute running time, it is not a short film. It doesn’t really drag, mind you, but the pacing could have benefited from a bit of fat trimming. I also took a bit of an issue with Diana’s super power learning curve. Her understanding and acceptance of her powers was handled relatively quickly, which is in contrast to almost every other super hero film. Not that the film needed minutes added to the already too long running time, but it would have been nice to see it explored a bit more. I was also put off a bit by the casting of a key character. To avoid spoilers, I will refrain from saying whom, but I can say that I like the actor quite a bit, but their casting tainted the climax of the film for me a bit. As it is, the climax flirts with being a touch too “comic bookish.” A little restraint from Jenkins and writer Allan Heinberg would have been welcomed.
If you’ve been disappointed with DC’s recent efforts, or have avoided them all together, you need no longer worry. Wonder Woman may just have righted the ship.