Wonder Woman (2017)

The DC Cinematic Universe, (or DC Extended Universe; as it’s now called, which I think is a dumb name) has been driving along a bumpy road since its conception. Originally, this universe was going to start with the 2011 Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds. Unfortunately, due to the film being a massive failure; it was later considered a standalone film (and the butt of various jokes from Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool).

In 2013, the cinematic universe officially started with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. The film served not only to reboot and retell the origin of Superman, but it also served as a launching point for a shared universe (similar to what Marvel had been doing since 2008’s Iron Man). Man of Steel received mixed reviews such as a 55% on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic (I certainly liked it, but I can understand the flaws it had), but it was a box-office success for Warner Brothers. As a result, plans for a sequel were underway only months after the film’s release.

The sequel was finally released in 2015 under the title Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The purpose of this film was to introduce Batman and Wonder Woman to the DCEU, along with paving the path for the oncoming Justice League movie (the latter of which I am looking forward to when it releases in November of 2017).

The film achieved the intended purpose, but I feel it was released a bit too soon since the only previous movie was a Superman solo film. I feel this movie should have come later in the series, and if you have seen it you will know why (but I digress). The film was praised for Ben Affleck’s role as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, but it was slammed by critics for the sluggish pacing, lack of action sequences, various plot holes, depressing tone, and the overall mischaracterization of Superman. However, as the film was once again a “box office success” for Warner Brothers and DC, another entry would soon follow.

In 2016, it was time to let the villains take the lead in Suicide Squad. This movie (despite winning an Oscar for Best Makeup), is considered the worst entry in the DC Extended Universe, thus leaving a bad taste in the mouths of fans and critics. As a result, the future of this franchise was uncertain until July 2, 2017… the release date of Wonder Woman.

At the time of this review, this film is being heavily praised by fans and critics; earning a “Certified Fresh” stamp on Rotten Tomatoes, and single-handedly redeeming this dying Cinematic Universe.

Similar to Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger, Wonder Woman is told through a storytelling device known as a “frame story”. For those who are unaware, a frame story is a plot essentially told in flashbacks and bookended with segments set in the story’s future or present day. While the beginning and end of the movie are set after the events of Batman v. Superman, the flashbacks are set in the distant past to explain the origin of Wonder Woman. As for the origin story, it seems to borrow many elements from the New 52 incarnation of the character; something I shall not explain further to avoid spoilers.

The origin was also done much better than Superman’s in Man of Steel; it is better structured and more linear than the aforementioned film, thus making it easier to follow. However, my only complaint towards the plot (albeit an extremely minor one) is that some elements of the story (such as how the plot is handled) felt like they were ripped directly from Captain America: The First Avenger. I will not say which ones (once again to avoid going into spoiler territory), but if you have seen both films then you will know what I am talking about. I understand both films pertained to the two world wars, but I wish DC was a bit more original in that regard. Matter of fact, it seems one of the main characters was modeled after Steve Rogers aka Captain America.

Speaking of characters, I commend DC for sticking to the source material in terms of characterization. Gal Gadot’s interpretation of Diana/Wonder Woman felt like she leaped right out of an issue of the New 52 run of the character, while containing some elements from before that infamous run.

She nailed the character’s personality and mannerisms, and was totally dedicated to the role (even going so far as to participate in reshoots while pregnant). By far, she is the best actress that has portrayed this character; beating out her predecessors Lynda Carter and Susan Eisenberg. She had an excellent chemistry with her co-star, Chris Pine, who played Steve Trevor. Overall, Gadot did fantastically! However, I have some things to say about Pine’s character in particular… and some of it is actually not so positive…

To start, I felt in some aspects he was somewhat of a “Copy-Paste” of Steve Rogers; aka Captain America. While their personalities are not 1:1, I found some traits to be quite similar (except Pine’s character was a bit more snarky than Evans’); even their respective actors and characters share the same first name! There was also a scene pertaining to Steve Trevor towards the end that felt eerily similar to a scene from The First Avenger.  (Try to guess which scenes if you have seen both films)

As for the film’s main villain, it follows the previous formula established back in Man of Steel; a larger than life villain that initially seems impossible to defeat, and has some relation to the protagonists. (Can Diana manage to defeat Ares and turn the tide of The Great War? Watch the movie to find out!)

Ares has an amazing design; fitting for his character. I really liked his armored design that is faithful to his comic counterpart, and I liked his overall connection to Diana and her origin (again, you know the drill since I always say it, no spoilers).

Overall, this film is an excellent sight to behold! Unlike the two previous films, I was glued to the movie screen for every second of Diana’s journey to fulfill her destiny. This movie is indeed a significant improvement over the previous installments, as DC has finally learned from their previous mistakes and actually applied what they learned.

It is actually so much better than the movies that were released before Man of Steel, such as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy and Zack Snyder’s Watchmen. I would highly recommend this movie to all fans of cinema, Wonder Woman, and comics in general. Diana of Themyscira, I welcome you with open arms in your theatrical debut, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing her, Batman, and Superman return in Justice League.