My wife and I traveled to Cinebistro, our favorite movie theater, and we got to see Wonder Woman on opening night. And we thoroughly enjoyed it.
After Superman and Ben Affleck--Batman D.C finally gets super heroes right with Wonder Woman.
You don't always need scowling, angry-at-the-world superheros.
Seriously, boys, give it a rest...
The movie begins when Bruce Wayne sends Diana a photographic plate from hundred years earlier in 1918, and asking for her story. This is the same photograph we saw in Batman versus Superman.
With Man of Steel and Dawn of Justice it seems like Superman doesn't want to be Superman, Batman doesn't want to be Batman. It's a huge burden to be a superhero that no one understands.
But people want to be a superhero, that's why we read them in the comic books, why we watch them on TV, and why we pay money to go see them at the movies.
Wonder Woman--She wants to be Wonder Woman. And that is refreshing.
Right from the get-go of her early childhood Princess Diana, on the island of Themyscira, wants to be a warrior.
But her mother the queen, played by Connie Nielsen, does not want her be a warrior and regularly reminds her that she is a princess. But as she grows up the queen must contend with General Antiope, played by Robin Wright, who secretly begins training her. General Antiope knows Diana's godly background, and knows that her ability will be needed someday on the battlefield.
The first 30 minutes of the movie is getting Diana ready to be Wonder Woman. This is an eager and naive Diana. This isn't a world weary superhero. This is a superhero who is looking for adventure.
Diana's desire for adventure happens when Steve Trevor accidentally discovers the Island of Themyscira, and consequently so does a battalion of German soldiers who are chasing Steve across the ocean.
During the battle Diana hids at first, but as her people are attacked and killed she joins in for her taste of actual battle. In the battle General Antiope is killed. In her naivety Diana believes that she can off and fight war, that she believes is really being run by Ares, the Greek God of War. Convinced that all she needs is her sword to kill Ares, and therefore end the war, she leaves with Steve Trevor. Much to the sadness of Queen Hippolyta.
The movie transitions from the Island of the Amazons to 1918 Europe, and Princess Diana is expectedly out of place. I found Gadot's acting to be very charming here. Obviously she is very beautiful and athletic, but she also displays a good sense of comedic timing and vulnerability throughout these scenes.
As the movie transitions to World War I we are introduced to Erich Ludendroff an angry German General who is upset that Germany is eager to sign an armistice.
He is sure that his partner Isabel Maru, aka Doctor Poison, is on the verge of developing a chemical bomb so deadly it would turn the war not only back to Germany's favor, but give them certain victory.
Except for the fact that Steve Trevor has stolen the notes for this ultimate poison.
Diana follows Trevor to his leaders, and she is upset to find that they won't believe him. She is even more upset with Steve with he decides it maybe too difficult to go against his superiors wishes.
This is what makes Wonder Woman interesting. This isn't a superhero that goes and does everything for humankind, but pushes humans to do the right thing. Superman and Batman would have just gone and solved the problem themselves, while everyone else stood to the side and let them do it.
As the story moves along and Trevor is forced to go rogue, we are introduced to his merry band of men--Charlie, Sameer, and Chief
And this theme is very evident when Diana makes her first appearance as Wonder Woman.
She fights her way across No-Man's-Land. Instead taking out a machine gun nest on her own, Trevor sees an opening and FOLLOWS WONDER WOMAN INTO BATTLE AND HELPS HER.
And this theme continues as the scenes stretch into a village later, Trevor and his band of merry men realize that Wonder Woman is special, but they don't get out of the way and let her do all the work. They help her in battle. This makes Wonder Woman refreshing.
Now eventually there is the inevitable battle with Ares, and I am not going to spoil how we get to there, and that battle is for Wonder Woman alone.
Hopefully D.C. has learned with this.
Superheros are enjoyable when they want to be Superheros.
And Wonder Woman is quite enjoyable.
