Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, is the origin story of the titular figure.
1—Story
The story is self contained so if you don’t know anything about the rest of Marvel’s universe, you’re fine. It follows Diana, princess of Themyscira as she grows up, rescues Steve Rogers, and goes to fight in WWI. It’s serious in tone, but not grimdark. Though like most superhero movies, there’s plenty of use of gory discretion shots and bloodless carnage.
It’s a coming of age tale as a naive Diana learns about the outside world and about both human evil and moral ambiguity. Gal Gadot pulls her performance off beautifully, giving Diana courage and compassion as well as grief and fury.
2—Other Characters
Wonder Woman has some wonderful side characters. Even though none of them gets too much screen time, each feels fleshed out with a full personality. I’d say more but really, the actor’s performances speak so much better than I can.
3—Battle
There is plenty of awesome on display in this movie. Each battle is a beautiful, brutal display, capped by the final battle between Diana and Ares. Bullets fly by in streaks of fire, the Amazons leap in acrobatic fury. As Diana grows progressively more powerful, so do her stunts. The move doesn’t feel breakneck though. There are quiet moments to balance out all the action.
Conclusion
This movie made me cry. I appreciated its theme of choosing love over anger and hatred. A simple theme, but much needed. I love the movie and recommend it.
