Despite her flaws, ‘Wonder Woman’ proves to be worthy among great superhero films
Just a month after Marvel dropped the second Guardians of the Galaxy film, Warner Bros delivers the DC Comics inspired superhero film: Wonder Woman. Director Patty Jenkins teams up with Gal Gadot, reprising her role introduced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, delivering a film Marvel would endorse.
Centering on Diana’s origins on Paradise Island, Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor crashes into the lives of Diana and her Amazons, revealing that the “great war,” World War I, is on their doorstep and could mean that Ares, the God of War, is rising in strength. Following her instincts, Diana enters the “real world” with Trevor and soon becomes the beacon of hope on the battlefield and humanity’s only hope to stop Ares’ evil plot.
Sadly, the obsession here is feminism, when it should be heroism. Look and you will find Zack Snyder’s influence with a ton of Christianity messaging and allegories as Wonder Woman becomes a Messianic figure NOT just a role model for women. Diana’s naivete that humanity is inherently good and it’s only Ares who is putting evil in their hearts is quite an argument against the secular humanist perspective on our world.
Gadot carries the film, especially during the amazing battlefield sequence. That said, many critics are looking past a list of issues with the film while attacking Marvel films for similar gaffes: did anyone question why she has a armored swimsuit in U.S.A. colors? Were feminists asking why the Amazons shave their legs, armpits and appear to be waxing?
Of course not, because Wonder Woman arriving in the theaters is being seen as a “glass ceiling” moment and given a pass on its shortcomings.
Pine and a ragtag batch of supporting characters actually do a fine job, but nearly every joke has been ruined in the promotional lead-up and the villain is simply, lame. The final transformation of Ares left him looking like a Demonic black knight from Monty Python instead of this invincible being he was rumored to be by the Amazons.
Jenkins and Gadot have proved worthy enough for fans to be thirsty for more…and they’ll get it. Diana is innocent and yet a quick study in a “man’s world” making Wonder Woman a reflection of humanity as well as being the savior we need her to be.
Wonder Woman earns 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars
This was way better than I ever could have hoped for, never feeling like a knock-off or second rate version of Captain America: The First Avenger. I believe the critics are blowing this up as a greater film than it is, but I will confess that it’s the best film of the summer so far.