Film: Wonder Woman (PG-13)
Director: Patty Jenkins
Release Date: June 2 2017/September 1 2017
Grade: A
I really enjoyed this movie. I will admit that one of the reasons I wanted to see it is because I like Chris Pine, but honestly he was only one element of a good film. The background of the Amazonians was well-developed, and Robin Wright did an amazing job as the general. I wish we had seen more of her in the film then we did.
The secondary characters were great as well, and they didn’t ignore the idea of PTSD from the war. They also didn’t make the superhero always right. I’m also glad they made it be WWI, and not WWII. While the Germans are still the guys following the bad guy, It gets tiring after a while to see it always be the Nazi’s (although if there is a Nazi, they should be fought). This movie didn’t shy away from the fact that at the time there was many disadvantages to not being white and male without making it seem like a lecture. It didn’t glorify war, but it wasn’t heavy-handed with the opposite. It had an even tone through out. There were plenty of female characters that had names and lines none of them were seen in awkward near nudity scenes. Diana’s uniform is reveling, but functional rather than just something that makes her look ‘sexy’ which has long been a comic book flaw. I was surprised that they reversed the trend of seeing women in surprise nudity to seeing the guy in surprise nudity. Although he was taking a bath, so it is a little more understanding then say what happened in Star Trek where Carol Marcus just starts changing in front of the man who is technically her boss.
I also give them credit for an amazing plot twist at the end which didn’t stick to all the conventions either.
It was a good origin film, connecting well into the general DC universe. I have to admit that out of the DC films I have seen, this has been the only one I have enjoyed. I can only hope that DC takes note from this and the movies will improve in quality of writing.
Besides Chris Pine, Gal Gadot, and Robin Wright, it has a lot of familiar faces. Danny Houston plays the German General, who perhaps is not unlike his edition of Stryker from the X-men movies. David Thewlis, known for his portrayal of Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter films plays Sir Patrick, one of the leaders of Great Britain attempting to make an armistice with the German forces.
Sokorra Lewis 