IS
AWESOME!!
Oh does that ever feel good to say!
After taking decades to get to the big screen, Wonder Woman finally has her first theatrical movie and thankfully, we don't have a Green Lantern or Fantastic Four on our hands here wherein the first theatrically released film adaptation of a beloved comic book character turns out to not have been worth the elongated waiting period. Instead, Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman is an absolute delight, one that mixes together the iconic compassion and warmth that made this character so beloved for decades now and stirring them up with plenty of rousing action sequences and even some contemplation of the complex morality present in mankind.
This particular Wonder Woman tale is an origin story of sorts, demonstrating where Wonder Woman A.K.A. Diana Prince (Gal Godot) came from and how she got entangled in the world and affairs of mortals. The secluded island of Themyscira is where Diana Prince calls home as do countless other Amazonian warriors who reside in this women-only paradise where the various residents train relentlessly so they can be prepared for the possibility of Ares, the God of War, returning in the future. Until that day comes though, they remain isolated and separated from the rest of the world, with Diana and all the other Amazonians having no knowledge of what transpires in the outside world beyond their island.
That all changes when spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash lands just off the coast of Themyscira. Diana rescues him and discovers that a great war is consuming the world, a battle that is being fought by multiple countries that historians will later refer to as World War I. Diana is convinced this kind of widespread carnage could only be the work of Ares himself poisoning the minds of the human beings (whom she believes are all truly pure unless Ares directly corrupts them) in control of this war. Against her own mother's wishes, Diana sets off with Steve Trevor into the heart of this widespread conflict in order to stop Ares and restore kindness to the world. But upon entering the real world and the war that is consuming it, Diana quickly learns that things aren't quite as morally simple as she may have always believed.....
Diana's more idealistic vision of what humanity clashing up against more realistic depictions of what human beings are like makes for an interesting contrast with what the lead character of director Patty Jenkins last movie, Monster, experienced. In that 2003 feature, Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron) was a woman whose experience with abuse and sexual assault had led to her developing an incredibly nihilistic vision of the world she inhabited, particularly of the men she encountered. Diana Prince is the complete opposite of that being a firm believer that humanity is innately good and can be redeemed if she can wipe a devious figure like Ares from the face of the Earth. Both Monster and Wonder Woman explore their lead characters and their not quite accurate to reality worldviews in a nuanced fashion that allows both individuals to soar as complex and engaging human beings.
What's really interesting in terms of the way Wonder Woman handles its lead character is that Diana Prince's compassionate and loving personality is not depicted as something to be ridiculed. On the contrary, even in the midst of exploring a more morally complex world than she could have imagined, the very qualities of kindness and warmth that are the very bedrock of Wonder Woman prove to be just the very elements that can inspire people in darker times. An action sequence where our lead characters head off into a battlefield right after being told by a war-weary Steve Trevor that "you can't save everyone" is an absolutely amazing visual depiction of the idea of a woman aware of the troubled nature of the world but not letitng that element stop her from doing all she can to help people.
That particular scene is easily the showstopper of the movie and shows a remarkable level of showmanship to it. I love that it's the first time we, the audience, get to see Wonder Woman's full classic comic book outfit in this movie, the build-up to it is fantastic, Wonder Woman's action beats here (like holding her shield in front of her against rapid gunfire) made me wanna cheer, it's just a gangbusters sequence that may just be the new go-to iconic visual in any medium for this character. It's splendid work, through and through, and it's far from the only time director Patty Jenkins shows an outstanding grasp on spectacle. An early fight scene between Amazonians and German soldiers, which has this majestic grace to the way it depicts these female warriors throwing knives, arrows and punches at their powers that evokes classic paintings of all things. One can't help but be in awe of the fighting prowess being seen here!
Allen Heinberg's screenplay does a commendable job crafting such memorable sequences dedicated to showing off the lead heroes superpower that also merge nicely with the features underlying themes. That having been said, the script does fumble a bit as we get closer to the end. A baddie played by Danny Huston has a recurring trait wherein he uses gaseous substance to give himself super strength that goes nowhere while some compatriots that are allied with Steve Trevor (one of whom is played by Spud himself Ewan Bremner!) feel like they're missing some sort of capper to their character arcs during the climax, which itself sometimes feels a mite overstuffed. At the same time, those details don't manage to detract from the far greater amount of positive traits found in the screenplay which get brought to life by a number of strong actors, including one Gal Godot.
Man, Gal Godot really is a home run in the lead role as Diana Prince herself. She's able to make Diana's initial determined optimism feel so endearing, there's a warmth to her screen presence that has one totally buying the crucial positivity and heart in this character. When it comes time for Godot to depict Diana's subsequent realization of the more complex nature of the world, she also handles that with skill, managing to show off a level of sorrow and confusion without sacrificing Diana's courageousness with just a facial expression. It's an absolutely tremendous lead performance that evokes the likes of superhero performances like Christopher Reeve as Superman, Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man or Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, wherein they beautifully embody the traits that made those characters iconic while bringing plenty of their own memorable elements of their own to the role.
Bouncing off her in an extremely fun fashion is Chris Pine, whose comedic timing chops get utilized well here in the banter he and Diana exchange as he comes to terms with how little she knows of the outside world he himself is so accustomed to. Their humorous dialogue with sly innuendos and the like seem like they're channeling old-timey romantic Hollywood banter (which I think I read somewhere is what Heinberg was aiming for in their rapport) in the best way possible. Taking the time to let their engaging conversations play out is a major reason why Diana and Steve's romance becomes one of the best superhero movie romances in ages and a similar affinity for letting the little moments just organically flow (like a wonderful bit where Diana Prince discovers ice cream) shows a care and thoughtfulness that permeates Patty Jenkin's wonderful Wonder Woman and makes it a real.....joy.
Oh, what the heck, I'll indulge in the easy pun here, the film is also a total wonder!
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