On Father’s Day I had the rare opportunity to view a movie in its native environment – the theatre. The whole family went to check out Wonder Woman, and I am so glad that we did – certainly for my wife and daughters but also absolutely for me.
There are certainly problems with this movie, and if an “Everything Wrong With . . .†video happens, it’ll probably reach into 20 minute+ territory, but y’know what? I couldn’t care less. We could do the same with Superman or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Don’t care. Love those movies, and I love this one.
Do I need to explain the plot? It’s World War I and an errant American spy working for British intelligence breaches the isolation of Themyscira where we have watched a young girl grow into a consummate warrior. Her sense of honour forces her to leave her home because she believes she can help stop the war and save innocent lives.
To say this is a bright film misses the fact that it focuses on the tragedy of war, both for those involved in the fighting and for those caught in the middle. But it is a bright film – bright like Superman, and a recent Directors’ Guild of America interview with director Patty Jenkins reveals the truth of this. Superman was an inspiration to her, and in the interview she explains to its director – Richard Donner – just how much he influenced and inspired her.
This movie honestly has everything I love: great action, solid characters, heroics, nobility, and a light touch. The actors inhabit the roles and even the supporting cast are given enough personality to make me care about them, and each had a few moments to shine. None of this matters if the main actor isn’t believable and charismatic. Gal Gadot is both. She really embodies Wonder Woman in the way that Christopher Reeve embodied Superman and the way I think Chris Evans embodies Captain America. These characters are all noble warriors who fight not because of a love of war but to protect those who cannot fight for themselves. They are selfless and truly heroic. The movie delivers on this.
My daughters loved the movie. I can’t say it was a revelatory to them as many situations related elsewhere, but they were very pleased to see a woman be the hero and the leader. My wife may have loved it more than my daughters, saying it was great to see a woman who was so physically dominant, so capable, and unyielding in her beliefs and righteousness.
I got to say, I feel the same.
I give Wonder Woman 4.5 invisible invisible planes out of 5. This is a fantastically enjoyable movie that has some plot holes and other problems, but I could not care less about it. This is an amazing movie and the easily rivals Nolan’s first two Batman movies and Donner’s Superman as the best DC superhero movie.
You can find out more about Wonder Woman at Wikipedia and IMDB.
You can hear the Patty Jenkins interview here.
You don’t know about the “Everything Wrong With . . .†videos on Youtube?