The (Wo)Man Who Can

At long last, the execs of Warner Bros. can breathe now that they have a winner in their DCEU roster. Wonder Woman opened to widespread critical acclaim and box office hit. I myself have seen it twice. Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, Wonder Woman has not only become DCEU's best reviewed film to date but also a movement. Her arrival has marked a barrier being broken for women filmmakers, diverse cast and feminist themes. It is a big burden to bear for one film, but it delivered. The film is a standalone film for Diana Prince, as we see her grow eventually into Wonder Woman. She is exposed to the exteriors of Themiscyra after she rescued Steve Trevor. She then journeys to the modern world of 1918 into the great war as she discovers her own powers and abilities.

Wonder Woman is an unusually bright DC film but to a good one at it. It's not as bright as Marvel offerings but not as bleak as past DCEU films. Gal Gadot takes charge and a great lead for the film. Usually she's only a supporting cast, even a minor one like in Date Night or Knight and Day. She's amazing as Diana Prince, excelling at the nuances of the character and also at fighting sequences. Chris Pine is also great and has a great chemistry with Gal Gadot. It has been a long time since we've seen a compelling romance in a superhero film. The last I remember is Captain America: The First Avenger, strangely both films are set at war times. As for the Amazonians, the island is filled with great women. My favorite is Claire--I mean, Robin Wright, who's super cool in this film as Antiope. Not to be outdone, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta is also great. The full credit here goes to Patty Jenkins who has assembled this fine film. Her thing for slow-mo in the fight sequences are different than Zack Snyder's, sometimes it's a bit too much but it's still cool. Honestly, I don't think there is going to be a better scene this year to top the No Man's Land scene.

I also like the fact that Rupert Gregson-Williams does the score for this film. He contributed for the melodic parts of the film, wisely blasting Hans Zimmer's theme only three times in this film. Other unconfident composers would abuse that amazing theme to the point of hilarity. Unfortunately, the film is also without flaws. Firstly, some of the CGI is not finessed well. In some scenes it's pretty obvious and that takes us away from the film. Then we have the problem of all DC superheroes: they're too strong, they're like gods, which needs an equally god-like villain. And the antagonist here is pretty over-the-top, even at one part it reminds me of the King Arthur: Legend of the Sword's third act (which is the worst part in the entertaining film). But to counter that, Wonder Woman almost neutralizes it with a surprising amount of heart. The third act works as it tests Wonder Woman's ideals, it is a test that Superman failed in Man of Steel. And it's weird when you think that. In summation, Wonder Woman is great fun, and you can look pass the flaws once you see the action sequences, and of course, the flawless aesthetics of Gal Gadot in any scene. Wonder Woman: rated 3.5/4.