Movie Review: Wonder Woman (2017)
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Godot, Chris Pine, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, and David Thewlis
Production: DC Entertainment, Warner Bros.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Rated PG-13
My Rating: *****/5
“Wonder Woman” is the latest film in the DC Extended Universe. While the franchise has had its fair share of bumps in the road since it began, the film is an ideal take on the revered DC Comics heroine and the movie that the DCEU to give the footing it needs to take on its longtime rivals at Marvel.
Many years ago, on the island of Themyscira, a young woman named Diana became an heir to the bloodline of Zeus. Even as she grows with her training, she must earn the right to wield the weapons and powers of her ancestors. One day, during World War I, a pilot known as Steve Trevor crashes on the island and asks for Diana’s help in stopping a new type of super-weapon from being unleashed on the world and threatening peace. What follows is a spectacular 141-minute origin story for the character of Wonder Woman that not only furthers the potential that was shown in last year’s “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” but finally brings her to the big screen in honor of her 75th anniversary.
Director Patty Jenkins not only does the character justice in a film that has been years in the making, but takes part in a series of spectacular action scenes and stunning period details. Boasting a budget of $149 million, the film contains a host of great fight choreography and impressive special effects. The battle against enemy forces in “no man’s land” is a sight to behold as one of the best action sequences in a DC film yet. When Diana, Steve and a tight-knit group of soldiers storm the base containing the secret superweapon behind enemy lines, it becomes clear that the film adaptation of DC’s most iconic superheroine was well worth the wait.
What’s more, the film has also cleared the hurdle of critical reception which their rivals at Marvel seem to continually leapfrog (though reception among fans and moviegoers has generally been more favorable). The film has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing, and the film has set a new record at the box office for both female superheroes and movies by female directors as well as set the stage for further appearances. The film is an ideal warm-up for this November’s “Justice League,” where Gal Godot will reprise her role as Diana.
Even in a highly-competitive genre and summer movie season, “Wonder Woman” is the perfect superhero movie for the age we are living in. Living up to its massive hype, it’s easily DC’s best film since “The Dark Knight” and the best film in the DC Extended Universe yet.
Review by Steven Pryor
