I’ve only been a mild defender of the DC Extended Universe, but Wonder Woman is the first one in this universe to get it absolutely right. Gal Gadot showed sprinkles of potential in Batman v. Superman, but her potential is now fully realized in this visually rousing, thoughtful and occasionally funny extravaganza.
Gadot stars as Diana, an Amazonian princess living on an island of only women and training to become a warrior. One day, a plane crashes in the middle of an ocean and out pops an American soldier (Chris Pine). He’s the first man the Amazons have ever seen and this provides several inside jokes on gender and nearly all of them work.
Pine’s character tells Diana where he comes from and the threat of World War I. Diana decides this is the perfect opportunity to prove her worth by leaving her home behind and joining the fight. Once she arrives in London, she becomes a fish out of water in everything ranging from wardrobe to etiquette and just like the gender jokes, nearly all of hers work as well.
Danny Huston stars as a sinister German general who wants world domination and uses some diabolical schemes that seem right at home in a 1930s pulp fiction magazine or a Flash Gordon serial.
There’s a lot to admire about Wonder Woman and not just the eye candy presented by Gadot’s sexy yet lethal performance. The story is also emotionally engrossing and when any kind of drama does go down, we’re deeply affected by it. It also presents a great story for girls and women about female empowerment without seeming preachy or feministic.
Unlike their previous efforts, DC is self-conscious of the fact their other films were overstuffed with too many plot threads and/or a sheer number of characters to keep track of and it also includes the one element DC has been sorely lacking: Fun.
Fans may finally be able to forgive DC with this one and it may actually have us looking forward to Justice League in November. This is the DC movie I’ve been wanting and hoping for. Leave it to a woman to save a man’s universe.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and some suggestive content.)
