A Movie Review: Wonder Woman (3D)

75 years after her creation, Wonder Woman finally receives her own movie. While the Amazonian princess is unleashing her charms and super powers at the box office, the critics are joining hands and praising her first cinematic outing with a thunderous applause. 

Finally, the DC cinematic universe is getting it right.

Indeed, DC has had a turbulent ride in its cinematic endeavors. It is impossible to talk about the DC cinematic universe without mentioning, Zack Snyder’s convoluted superhero flick, Batman Vs Superman. Late in 2016, Warner tried to salvage Batman Vs Superman with an extended version of the film. The extended cut, running an additional 30 minutes, improved Batman Vs Superman. Alas, the extended cut arrived too late to the rescue! It could not change people's initial impression of the film: Batman Vs Superman was average, and it just didn't live up to the hype. Meanwhile, I thought the best thing about Batman Vs Superman was neither Batman nor Superman, but the character of Wonder Woman. When the credit for Batman Vs Superman started rolling on the screen, I wanted to know more about Wonder Woman's story.

“Who is Diana Prince? She embodied the best qualities of both Superman and Batman, yet she is also graceful and mysterious”.

A year later, Warner released a Wonder Woman standalone movie. This is the 4^th installment in the DC cinematic universe. How was it? This film exceeded my expectations! Not only is Wonder Woman one of the better superhero movies, but it also re-energies the superhero genre. It suffices to say, Wonder Woman is a really good movie and you should go see it on the big screen.

Set in World War I, this movie unveils the mysterious origin of Wonder Woman (AKA Diana Prince). The journey of our beloved heroine opened on the mythical island of Themyscira. This is where Diana was born and raised by her mother, Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons. What is the history? Thousands of years ago, a jealous Ares, the god of war, wished to destroy mankind. In a battle of the gods, Zeus mortally wounded Ares. The thunder god then charged Diana's people, the Amazons, with the sacred duty to safeguarding the world.

Themyscira, and the Amazonian way of living, were all Diana ever knew. Until one day, an American spy crashed landed his warplane near the island and told her about the conflicts of the outside world. Diana decided to leave her home and fight in a war to end all wars, thus began the legend of Wonder Woman.

From here, this movie presented the audience with two and half hours of fun, excitements, and a compelling story. Gal Gadot's performance as Wonder Woman is stunning. She is the perfect fit to the role. Just like Hugh Jackman is Wolverine, Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman. I like the way this movie portrayed Wonder Woman, she is both confident and capable.

Remember this movie is set in World War I. It was a time when the society viewed the status of women lower to men's. Then you have Wonder Woman, who just left her island to fight in World War I. Not only had she never heard of misogyny and sexism, but her superpowers also made her stronger than every man. This created a very interesting tension between her and the foreign culture she found herself in. Yet, in all of this, Wonder Woman consistently showed her quality, not by undermining those around her, but by asserting: “these are my skills, and this is what I can do”.

I admire Wonder Woman's natural confidence. For her, gender equality is not a movement, ideology, or entitlement. Instead, it was something as natural as the sun and the moon; and I really, really like that. Five minutes into the movie, I found myself enjoying the film and spellbound to the story of this inspiring character.

Chris Pine portrayed Steve Trevor, and he brought an equally as brilliant performance to the movie. He had a very good chemistry with Gal Gadot, and his character, noble and courageous, reminded me of Captain America. Over the movie's course, they developed a romantic relationship, but it felt very natural and not forced. In my opinion, Steve Trevor is a “man's man” in this movie, a man with a big heart. What do I mean? In the story, he never undermined Wonder Woman. Steve Trevor was a very confident character. He knew what Wonder Woman was capable of, so he supported her and helped her shine. Together, Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor made a really good team.

The DC cinematic universe, influenced by Zack Snyder, is famous for its desaturated tones. But Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, is perhaps the most colorful DC film up to date. The movie opened its first act on the Amazon island and it was an eye-catcher. The cinematography in the first act is vibrant and colorful. This is a welcomed change from its predecessors. After Wonder Woman arrived in London, however, the tone and the atmosphere did take on a dreary, smoky look, emulating the ambiance of World War I. This also means, Wonder Woman is a hybrid between a war drama and a superhero flick. But where Wonder Woman stands apart from the legions of comic book superheroes, is her high emotional intelligence, and it made her story inspiring. I like this movie's message - love is what you need to get through a war.

There are three sets of major action scenes in this movie. None of these actions scenes are gory or graphic. This is a pleasant surprise considering the movie is about war. The first major battle scene was really good. The second one, however, was the best part of this movie. It was well choreographed and emotional. I won't spoil it for you, I think you will see what I mean when you get there. The final major battle scene, on the other hand, had some overly done CGI effects and it reminded me of the messy ending in Batman Vs Superman. In fact, I would say 75% of this movie was marvelous, but the film lost some of its steams in the last 25% of it. This is mainly due to the poorly developed villains. The bad guys in this movie were interesting, but I thought the film failed to capitalize on their potentials. This movie made me feel, the villains were there because they needed some bad guys for Wonder Woman to fight against. Meanwhile, I would have liked to see more story expositions for the villains, and what motivated them.

Yet, these minor flaws could not tarnish the radiance of Wonder Woman. This movie single-handedly saved the DC cinematic universe universe from its original negative trajectory. Meanwhile, it also rekindled moviegoers' enthusiasm in the superhero genre, which has been showing signs of fatigue in the recent years. If you are going to see only one superhero movie this year, then pick Wonder Woman. Watch her story, and be inspired by its wonder.

P.S.

I watched Wonder Woman in 3D. The three dollar question: Is it worth watching it in 3D? Here is my take. There have been some excellent 3D releases in the past few months. For example, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them boasts some impressive 3D effects. The 3D effects in Wonder Woman, however, was average at the best. A few money shots in this movie were reminders that I was watching a 3D film. But on the whole, this 3D conversion just didn't have enough “pop out” scenes to make my jaw drop. Having said this, fans of the 3D format may want to check out this movie in its 3D glory nevertheless.