DC Comics and Warner Bros didn’t have a good year with
critics in 2016 with terrible reviews plaguing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. While both films made money and fan reactions were
moderate at best, the future of the DC Cinematic Universe was in question. But
last night was a revival for fans of the superhero genre and DC Comics with the
release of Wonder Woman. The house
was packed, the anticipation was high, and the only thing heard after the end
of the film was thunderous applause. It’s a victory not only for DC comics, but
for fans who want to see more film adaptions based on female comic book
characters.
The last time a film adaption based on a female comic book
character was Elektra, played by
Jennifer Garner in 2005. It was a film that received little praise and profit;
much like another adaption, Catwoman,
starring Halle Berry in 2004. With these failures looming over DC Comics and
Marvel Studios, it was believed that there was no market for female characters.
That all changed after the release of Batman
v Superman: Dawn of Justice when fans were introduced to Gal Gadot who was
cast as the famous amazon. While the film itself was a critical disaster,
interest in Gadot as Wonder Woman pushed plans forward for her own solo film.
The film takes place sometime after Suicide Squad and introduces the audience to Diana’s private life
in the modern world until she receives a gift. Upon opening this gift, she’s
has her flashback which is where her origin begins. Growing up on an island
where the Amazons don’t age and constantly train to fight for a war they
believe will never come. Then plans come crashing down with the arrival of Steve
Trevor (Chris Pine), who fans know from his appearance in the comics and
cartoons. He warns the Amazons of what’s been going on outside of their home
and that’s what sends Diana down her path to become the hero she’s destined to
be.
This film was two and a half hours but it really didn’t feel
like that because of all the action. It starts off slow with the introductions
for a few minutes but that’s it. There was plenty of comedy and the fighting choreography
was excellent, as was the chemistry between Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. This
Wonder Woman is far more violent than the one featuring the iconic Lynda Carter
who unfortunately doesn’t make a cameo. The soundtrack was amazing, the
cinematography was top notch, and Gal Gadot did justice to the character and
her views about “Man’s World.”
The main antagonist in the film was adequate and it was good
to see a small twist near the end. The film didn’t hold back when it came to
showing the horrors of World War I and Chris Pine did a fantastic job as the
famous spy and love interest. The only negative thing I could say about this
film was the main antagonist, who near the end became overloaded with CGI. The
main fight nearly crossed the line between acceptable boundaries and flat out ridiculousness.
The way the fight ended was also sort of a letdown, it didn’t end in the best
way possible in my opinion.
Overall, Wonder Woman has
saved DC Comics and Warner Bros from a possible grim future. It was a gamble
for DC after the harsh backlash from critics and mixed fan reactions last year,
but if you’re a fan of Wonder Woman or superheroes in general, this film is for
you. My only hope is that DC takes notes and continues to push forward in this
direction if they hope to catch up with Marvel Studios and their success. This
film gets a nine out of ten and that’s only because of the overload of CGI in
the main fight, but overall this is the best film DC has released since The Dark Knight. It’s well worth the
price of admission and if you go, there’s nothing after the film, enjoy.
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