***This is a SPOILER-FREE review.***
Warner Bros. has needed a good superhero movie to get their DC Extended Universe (DCEU) on a better track. MAN OF STEEL, BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE and SUICIDE SQUAD all made lots of money but the critics were not fans of any of these movies as MAN OF STEEL had the best overall review scoring of the group; which was 55-percent on RottenTomatoes.com. As of the publishing of this review, WONDER WOMAN is sitting with an outstanding review score of 97-percent!
Leading into the release of WONDER WOMAN, many were hoping director Patty Jenkins could right the DCEU ship and get the both critics and fans to embrace a DCEU movie. Well... after seeing the movie last night we here at DailySuperHero.com can happily report Jenkins has done it. She has made a female leading superhero movie that is exactly what the DCEU needed — as well as adding a needed jolt of leading girl power to the superhero movie genre — after Zack Snyder and David Ayer's darker takes in the previous three DCEU movies. WONDER WOMAN is the best superhero movie Warner Bros. has released since Christopher Nolan's Batman movies.
WONDER WOMAN can be best described as a mix of the best parts of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER and THOR. This comparison may not be an easy thing for the hardcore DC fans to digest, but it definitely feels like Warner Bros. looked at what worked so well for their competitor and took the good from two of Marvel Studios' first films. This is not a problem because WONDER WOMAN needed to be a little bit of Captain America and Thor to show the world how great of a character and hero she is.
WONDER WOMAN being a period piece movie works so well because Gal Gadot's Diana is a woman removed from her own culture and thrown into the world of mankind. She doesn't fully understand how different her life on Paradise Island was until she is put into everyday situations in London. At one point, she is trying on a bunch of different clothes to better blend in and seeing her try to adapt the ways she grew up with into society makes for some funny moments. As well as her interactions with men because she grew up on an island of only women. Back in World War I, men were never been exposed to such a powerful and strong woman presence. This is so refreshing because superhero movies have needed to address the leading superhero woman in stronger fashion for a long time. And Gadot nails it perfectly. She is the embodiment of Wonder Woman and the face of female superheroes now. Little girls to older adult women all will be cosplaying as Diana, in one of her several outfits, moving forward.
Meanwhile, actor Chris Pine is such a delight as Steve Trevor and his chemistry with Gadot is wonderful. He is not her "damsel in destress" and it is Pine's performance that is a real standout. He's just as genuine as he is funny. There are several moments between Steve and Diana that are filled with humor and it's because of Pine's ability to be lighthearted in both sensitive and serious moments. It is almost a shame Pine did not take on a bigger leading superhero role because he would have been great as a leading superhero in his own franchise. Yet, everyone will fall in love with him and he truly is the best part of the movie outside of Gadot's charismatic performance.
Jenkins and Gadot have taken the superhero genre to new heights and it will be fun to watch how the industry adjusts to this. WONDER WOMAN does slip into a bit of Zack Snyder's (who has a story credit for this movie) obsession with a final, over-the-top villain fight but it isn't even that big of an issue since the movie is a solid addition to the genre. It's fun, action-packed with humor and has a couple tender moments which are not diminished by the over-the-top cheesiness of the big bad at the end. Although, the villainy of a hopeful WONDER WOMAN sequel will definitely need to step up its game.
DC fans who have wanted a great female superhero movie will be very satisfied because WONDER WOMAN is going to be a big hit in the box office and with merchandise, especially with little girls who will be begging their parents for WONDER WOMAN dolls and figures to reenact parts from the movie as soon as they walk out of the theater.
Written by Daniel Wolf, DailySuperHero.com Founder & Publisher
Related Posts:
First WONDER WOMAN Reviews Are In and the Critics Love It!
Warner Bros. Releases 5 WONDER WOMAN Clips and Another Movie Poster
Rise of the Warrior: The Final WONDER WOMAN Trailer Has Arrived