Wonder Woman

Movie Review: Wonder Woman

Gal Gadot is hitting the big screen as Wonder Woman on June 1st.  For many she was the highlight (brief as it was) of Batman Vs Superman. With her own movie in excess of two hours, it will be interesting to see exactly how fans and critics react.  Its directed by Patti Jenkins whose last big screen feature was Monster. One would wonder about the reason for the 15 year movie directing gap.

The story is from Allan Heinberg best known for American series such as Greys Anatomy ,The O.C. and most recently The Catch which was dropped after two seasons. Also working on the script is Zack Snyder who is writing Justice League and listed as a producer on The Flash, Deadshot, Aquaman and Sucide Squad. He was also a producer on Man of Steel and Batman Vs Superman. That is a lot of superhero eggs in one writer/director/producer basket.

But on to the movie.  The first part of it is all about the origin story.  We get a glimpse of Diana growing up, the story behind the Amazonian race and how and why she ends up in London with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Determined to help the race of men Diana convinces Steve to take her to the heart of the battle.  Gal Gadot is superb as Diana Prince. She delivers a perfect mix of strength, vulnerability and humour to give the character depth, interest and likeability.

Wonder WomanWhile there is a heavy emphasis on the origin story there is also the Wonder Woman versus Ares / Doctor Poison /General Ludendorff story (it will make more sense when you see it).  The only issue is it all seems a little one-sided. In terms of a nemesis for our feisty warrior the bad guy/girl is a bit one-dimensional and not exactly up to the job.

Don’t panic though there are plenty of positives to it also.  The opening scenes of Themyscira the hidden island where she lives are spectacular.  The chemistry between Chris Pine and Gal Gadot works well.  The fight scenes are incredibly well choreographed.  Gal as Wonder Woman looks incredible and every time you hear her theme tune throughout the movie, you know some ass is going to get kicked.

Wonder WomanI think the movie will divide critics and everything from the story to female empowerment will be dissected.  At the end of the day however it is a superhero movie and its purpose is to entertain. As a regular cinema goer and avid fan of the woman herself I was a little disappointed. It can be slow in parts, somewhat clumsy in others and the ending is very lack luster. The CGI towards the end also needs to take a real hard look at itself. Not at all up to scratch.  That said, it is still an enjoyable watch and will no doubt set ticket sales on fire. I  give Wonder Woman a less than expected 3/5. Check out the trailer below for a snippet of what to expect.  SPOILER: Much of movies action is actually in this.

 

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