DC Comics, watching Marvel grow its superhero franchise into the Avengers, probably thought “We could do this in our sleep! We’ve got Batman and Superman!!” One giant craptastic fight fest, and an awful dirty dozen superheros later, and DC was reeling, with people dreading each upcoming franchise event. Usually though, like in most things, this is where the women come in and set things right, and oh my, does Wonder Woman do more than that. Wonder Woman has actually made me interested in the Justice League movie now, which I cannot believe I am writing as I am writing it. Props to Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins for potentially saving us from endless awful comic book movies and giving us a superhero to actually root for for DC.
Diana (Gal Gadot) is the daughter of Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) on an island full of Amazonian women in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean somewhere. Diana longs to become a warrior like her famous mother and aunt Antiope (Robin Wright). Though mom forbids her from training, Antiope trains her in secrecy, preparing Diana for a potential conflict with Ares, the God of War, who’s out there somewhere. Diana gets pulled into the world by spy pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who was evading German soldiers during World War I. Trevor uncovers horrifying gas testing by General Ludendorff (Danny Houston), and, backed by British noble Sir Patrick (David Thewlis), puts a team together including Diana, Sameer (Said Taghmaoui), Charlie (Ewen Bremner), and The Chief (Eugene Brave Rock). The 5 then enter the dehumanizing world of trench warfare, civilian gassing, and people turning into monsters, trying to find Ares and save humanity.
Wonder Woman can boast something other superhero movies only wish they had: effortless feminism. Those Amazonians, when confronted on the beach, attack with the breathtaking precision and force of any great male army. You see the fear in the men’s eyes when confronted with this elite force and the Germans treat them as an equal and terrifying threat. When the action shifts to Britain, Diana repeatedly (and very amusingly) thwarts established male order and customs, to the shock (and sometimes wonder) of Steve and the British aristocracy. Diana has no time for pointless process: she has to stop the God of War. Then we shift to the trenches. When all these men are scared to charge over the trench, Diana bursts headfirst into the fight, using her powers to will her team to follow her to the hell she’s eagerly running towards. Most importantly, Steve Trevor is clearly set up to be a love interest for her, but he’s off on another mission during the final act, meaning her actions aren’t tied to a man, they are about her will power and belief in her convictions. I’ve often said that what Marvel does right that DC doesn’t is that it understands what drives its superheros. Well well played Patty Jenkins: you tapped into an important part of Wonder Woman’s ethos: no one puts Wonder Woman in the corner, ESPECIALLY because she’s a woman!
But enough about what drives a superhero: how do girlfights look on the big screen? The answer is pretty amazing. Patty Jenkins has said that casting the Amazonians was the most difficult part of her job, because she really tried to find the best female athletes on the planet to play them. That first attack on the beach from the German soldiers showcases the superior athleticism of these women, with them corkscrewing through the air, super jumping and defeating guns with precise bows and arrows. I believe I mouthed “Whoa” a few times, and Keanu Reeves was nowhere near the screen. The highlight of the film is when the movie shifts to the WWI western front. There we witness just how powerful Diana is; she’s a one woman wrecking crew combining the air ballet of the first scene with some killer slide and slice action that looks like a rehearsed dance. You can’t help but be wowed at that giant battle and Diana’s warrior capabilities. Though the big final fight is a CGI semi-mess, on the whole the action is pretty cool and show’s off how these ladies are just as capable of looking badass as the guys.
Gotta mention Gal Gadot now. I was skeptical of Gadot’s ability to carry this film, having only seen her in bit parts in the Fast and Furious movies and a third wheel opposite Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck. About halfway through Wonder Woman, I hit the epiphany everyone else had watching Wonder Woman: Gadot has “it.” Her presence immediately is striking, in her beauty and the way she carries herself. She’s also got that likeable charisma that for instance Cavill lacks as Superman: you instantly are rooting for her and want her to succeed. She has loads of chemistry with her costar Chris Pine, and she plays a fantastic straight man to generate some really funny scenes, particularly when trying on clothes. And finally, she generates real pathos from when stuff goes down during the war. There’s a small chance Chris Pine’s insane talent elevated Gadot, but that final battle proves otherwise, at least to me.
Wonder Woman had so much going against it, yet it persisted. Patty Jenkins couldn’t be the first woman to direct a superhero movie, but she persisted. Gal Gadot wasn’t talented, athletic, or charismatic enough to carry a superhero franchise, yet she persisted. And finally, little girls couldn’t ever find a superhero like them that they could root for, yet they persisted. Wonder Woman not only persists, but she thrives and succeeds, and most importantly, kicks ass doing it!