Stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Said Taghmaoul, Ewen Bremner, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis Directed by Patty Jenkins What a difference a changed perspective can make. While it may still be set within the cinematic DC Expanded Universe (DCEU) kicked off by Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, the dark tone that carried through Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad is given a little more light here, thanks to the direction of Patty Jenkins. Wonder Woman has a brighter and more colourful palette for most of it’s first half, slowly degrading to the reality of a war film in the second half. This does give the movie a breath of fresh air for a superhero movie of this particular product. The movie tracks Diana’s origins from her home with the Amazons in Themyscira to following lost pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) to the normal world in the midst of the first World War. While Trevor does what he can with his own mission at hand, Diana follows him into the heart of the war zones believing the cause of the war is due to the machinations of Ares, the God of War. Aiding them is an eccentric team of mercenaries including Sameer (Said Taghmaoui), sharp-shooter Charlie (Ewen Bremner, excellent as always), and smuggler ‘Chief’ (Eugene Brave Rock) as they make their way to find Lundendorff (Danny Huston) and his chemical specialist, Dr Maru (Elena Anaya) before they can release their dangerous chemical weapon. The movie is Gadot’s to carry and she does it with aplomb delivering an earnest performance that becomes the heart of the entire movie. She brings a very different Wonder Woman from her initial appearance in BvS; less seasoned, less experienced but no less a hero in the making. Chris Pine gives able support who somehow finds it extremely difficult to explain the world to Diana, something Lucy Davis as Etta Candy does better, although she doesn’t have much screen time. The rest of the cast do well with their characters with Huston hamming it up gloriously. Some of his dialogue seem odd, making his character come across very much like a red herring most of the time. Another standout is young Lilly Aspell as young Diana. Patty Jenkins takes a little time to build the world and the characters, albeit she manages it in rapid fashion with a solid shorthand. While her handle on the dramatic bits is good, her handle on the action delivers for the most part. The main bits are the ones teased in the trailers, such as the beach battle on Paradise Island or the one where Diana emerges from the trenches on the battlefield leading to the major set-piece in a village. In all, Jenkins does a superb job of bringing everything together. The problem is the final act, that final battle where it devolved a little into cliche, planting its foot firmly in the DCEU in its grandeur and inexplicable turn. Granted, it was an expected turn but they way it was carried out felt a little too trite. Still, it is still a highly enjoyable and entertaining movie that surpasses the expectations that had been set by the previous instalments of the DCEU films thus far. The music by Rupert Gregson-Williams evokes the works of Hans Zimmer close enough to provide the vigour and energy to drive the action and the drama. Props to the production design, especially for the Themyscira scenes that evoke a very classical and timeless tone. The few problems I may have with the movie may be trivial to others but not every movie can be perfect these days. In Gal Gadot, we have a cinematic Wonder Woman that will live through the ages as much as Lynda Carter making her an icon of the small screen decades ago. If anything else, this is a benchmark for the DCEU films; one which should inspire other female led superhero movies. Bothe Gadot and Patty Jenkins deserve the praises for this one. Rating: **** / 5 Find the best online deals here. | Barnes and Noble | Google Play Store | Book Depository Discover more about the books here. Please Support.
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