OTF's Blue Publication July 2017
Well, the WONDER WOMAN feature film is now upon us, and not a minute too soon. Comic book fans have been waiting 76 years for this moment. I am pleased to say that it was well worth the wait. Benefitting from the best reviews since THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) and IRON MAN (2008), the movie is currently stomping all over the box office. Overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth and repeat viewings have also been instrumental in the movie's phenomenal success. But most importantly, it really is "that good".
Gal Gadot is extremely charming and charismatic as the title character. She really makes you believe that she is Wonder Woman. Her amazing physical strenght becomes believable. I was fully immersed into the film instantly as soon as it began, which is saying a lot these days. A lot of superhero movies get bogged down in CGI-enhanced spectacle which takes the viewer right out of the movie, instead of focusing on the characters and making you care about them. And this is exactly what WONDER WOMAN gets right----it tells a good story, with abundant drama, pathos, and some comedy moments, and presents us with an Amazonian princess who is a true hero, saving lives simply because she cares---actually cares---about people. A lot of the superhero movies in recent years, especially the ones from DC, have been presenting us with a reluctant superhero, who saves people not necessarily because he particularly cares but more because he sees it as a moral obligation. Saving people is a chore, an unfortunate responsibility of having superpowers. (2013's MAN OF STEEL is a good example of this). Not so with Diana. Her empathy is real. This is demonstrated in the movie when she decides to come out of the trenches and confront the bullets in order to save a small Belgian village where people are suffering.
The enthusiasm and affection that audiences have shown for this movie shows that the appetite in these real world dark times is no longer for dark, brooding movies, but instead for movies that show some optimism and empathy for the human race. We need heros who give us faith. In this sense, I think WONDER WOMAN might be a game changer. After almost a decade of superhero films influenced by the gritty realism and cynicism of THE DARK KNIGHT, we might be soon getting more lighthearted, heartwarming films like WONDER WOMAN. Watching this movie brought back for me some of the excitement that I felt as an 8 year old seeing SUPERMAN (1978) for the first time. Gal Gadot's magnetic personality as Diana and total embodiment of her role reminded me a lot of the late Christopher Reeve as Superman.
The plot is very faithful to the comics, about marooned pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) ending up on Temiscyra, an island inhabited by a race of female warriors, the Amazons. Once there, he meets the young Amazonian princess, Diana, who becomes his friend and love interest. He tells her of the horrors of war (changed in the movie from originally WW2 to WW1) which are happening in the "world of man". Convinced that this terrible conflict is being caused by Ares, the god of war, Diana decides to leave her island and accompany Steve to his world to fight Ares. She discovers that she has amazing strenght and other powers. She is carrying a magic lasso, magic bracelets, and the "Godkiller" sword. She becomes the iconic superhero Wonder Woman. Most people around the world know the character. She has been around in comics since 1941, but only now---unbelievably---does she finally have her own feature film.
If you're a fan of comic books, and/or of entertaining movies, you owe it to yourself to see WONDER WOMAN.