‘Wonder Woman’ - What Did You Think?
Her time has come.Wonder Womanhas finally been given her own movie on the big screen. After making her debut inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, actressGal Gadothas takes the lead inPatty Jenkins’superhero blockbuster. With the weight of what some see as the missteps of the DC Extended Universe on her shoulders,Wonder Womanprobably had more pressure than she should have on her first time out.
The good news is many seem to agree that she takes it all in stride and has no problem holding that weight and throwing it aside like the tank she throws across a town square in the movie. Find out what the /Film crew thought about Wonder Woman, and then sound off with your own thoughts in the comments.
First up,Ben Pearsonwas glad to have a DCEU movie that he enjoyed, but acknowledge it’s not perfect:
Finally: something from the DCEU that actually feels like an actual movie again. I’ll be real with you guys: I didn’t even like Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman very much in her small role in Batman v Superman. But she’s a breath of fresh air here, taking complete ownership of the character and making her a new cinematic icon. The supporting cast is all rock solid, the story is terrific, and the action is kick-ass. This is what people have been waiting for.
It’s not without its issues, though. I thought it’d be a much stronger movie if Ares didn’t come into the picture, because that would make mankind the true villain. The final battle was a snoozefest with inexplicably terrible CG effects (we’re talking Kung Fury-level awful). But it’s a comic book movie, so certain formulaic elements are all but required. That being said, the rest of Wonder Woman is so great that it clearly makes up for its problems.
Hoai-Tran Buican’t help but gush about the movie, even if it has a troublesome third act:
It’s no exaggeration to say that I expected a lot from this movie — I know I’m part of the problem, but it’s inevitable when Wonder Woman is the first female-led superhero movie in 12 years. Wonder Woman completely met these expectations, and then some. No words can describe witnessing a battle scene primarily made up of women, many of them older than 40 at that. At this scene, and the sequence in which Diana charges into the wartorn No Man’s Land for the first time in her armored glory, deflecting bullets and destroying tanks, I welled up, still astonished that I was seeing it on the big screen.
It’s those sweeping, inspiring scenes — as well as little joyful moments throughout the film like Diana and her ice cream, Diana and Steve on the boat, Robin Wright smiling while she stabs a German soldier — that outweighed the by-the-numbers plot and lackluster villains. Yes, the third act is an awful CGI slugfest that interrupted a really interesting message about the nature of humanity, but even it can’t take down the wonder that is Wonder Woman.
Jack Girouxfound the emotion and compassion in this movie to be high points:
Editor in chiefPeter Scirettasuccinctly says:
Wonder Woman is the kick ass female-led blockbuster everyone was hoping Ghostbusters would be. Gal Gadot is perfect as Diana in the second best film in the DCU (I’m still a fan of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel). Funnier, more action packed than you’re probably expecting. I expected to hate the relationship storyline with Chris Pine but it was charming. The third act and villain is a bit of a mess but for some reason it’s less of an issue than other superhero films.
As for me,Ethan Anderton, I foundWonder Womanto be thoroughly satisfying, though I was never quite enamored with it. Gal Gadot gives an astounding performance as a compassionate, idealistic superhero who rivals Captain America’s Steve Rogers with her goodness and naive but not misguided intentions. Gadot makes you believe in Wonder Woman, which inherently the trauma of war that much more affecting. Diana is so emotionally invested in humanity that you may’t help but feel gutted when they seem to have betrayed her belief in their goodness.
ThoughWonder Womanhas some sluggish pacing issues and a third act that’s a little too bombarded with visual effects (not to mention a villain that feels a bit goofy in the end), the action sequences throughout the movie are easily the best that the DC Extended Universe has offered up to this point. Plus, these exciting sequences are presented with some of the most stunning cinematography the superhero genre has ever seen. Some shots look lifted right out of a comic while others could be paintings in a museum. It’s a significantly beautiful film that has a classic adventure style to it that mostly gives Wonder Woman the movie she’s deserved for decades.
That’s what the /Film crew thought. But what about you? What do you think of Wonder Woman’s first movie? Did Patty Jenkins succeed in creating a worthy entry in the DCEU? Is Gal Gadot the superhero you hoped she would be? Was there anything you didn’t particularly like? Sound off in the comments below!
