Proof that Women can make Superhero Movies too.

Rating: 8/10 (3 June 2017)

Wonder Woman is an origin story, following Diana Prince as she grows up in Themyscira; an island hidden from the rest of humanity, and entirely inhabited by women known as the Amazons. The Amazons are a race of women placed on Earth by Zeus to instil love and hope into the hearts of mankind, but after a betrayal from Ares causes mankind to turn on itself, they secluded themselves from the outside world. Enter Steve Trevor who crash lands on the island during World War One, followed by his German pursuers, opening Diana's eyes to the outside world for the first time, and pitting her on a path to face Ares himself and stop the war to end all wars.
As is becoming the running theme of the DCEU, and setting itself thematically apart from the MCU, Diana is a literal demi-goddess. Even at an early age she shows that she's more than just your regular Amazon. Even outside of Themyscira she shows that she's more than just a woman. She represents an ideal, she's a symbol of love and hope, and her quest to kill Ares is as symbolic as stopping the war itself - not just World War One, but all wars (of course, only to realise that that's just human nature).
And yet Patty Jenkins very deliberately makes sure that this larger-than-life take on Wonder Woman doesn't run away with her. She grounds her and makes her relatable with a three-dimensional personality. Gal Gadot certainly lives up to the pressures the role demands of her. I was extremely skeptical of her casting (she wasn't even the best actor in the Fast & Furious franchise, which is saying a lot), and even BvS didn't really do enough to allay my fears. And yet here we are, and she is absolutely the best Wonder Woman we could have ever hoped for. She perfectly embodies Diana's charming naivety and innocence in this world that's completely new to her, and carefully ensures that Diana doesn't just appear dimwitted in the face of it all. Her reactions to seeing a baby and tasting ice cream for the first time are quintessentially endearing, and her complete disregard for societal expectations of women at the turn of the 20th century lends to a lot of comedy at humanity's expense rather than hers.
Her relationship with Steve Trevor is also a big success of the movie, not shying away from the more romantic perspective of it, but also without making it a big focus. Gadot and Chris Pine share such a tantalising chemistry together that it makes Pine's unlikeliness to come back a real shame (the sequel is reportedly taking place in modern times, post-Justice League). Pine gives Trevor such a charming persona that its hard not to like him, even when he shows signs of an inflated ego. His interactions with Gadot's Diana are hugely entertaining to watch, whether they be for comedic, romantic, or dramatic purposes. Every line of dialogue between them feels natural and sticks the landing perfectly.
Wonder Woman's visuals are a bit of a mixed bag across the board. There are some great visual treats to behold, particularly the recreation of Themyscira and Gadot's entire wardrobe department. Set-pieces and costumes are top-notch design work and all look great. However much of the CGI appears unfinished (and may explain Ares god-awful tin can appearance). Many of the backdrops in action sequences are green-screen, and it's plainly obvious, and many of the more outlandish stunts, as impressive as they are to watch, are almost entirely computer- generated. There's one moment early on when an Amazon dramatically swings down a cliff, but is shot by a German rifleman on the way down. It's great until she's hit by the bullet and suddenly it becomes obvious she was entirely computer-generated, with unnatural movements and reactions. The kicker is this sequence was completely unnecessary to CGI; they could've easily done it with a crane and stuntwoman instead, and kept far away from the uncanny valley being an issue.
That said there are some bits of stuntwork that absolutely needed CGI to bring to life, and even without the fine tuning the effects needed, they still look hugely impressive. Wonder Woman is bristling with fantastic action sequences, the standout of which being her first big one as Wonder Woman, as she steps out into No Man's Land, takes everything the Germans have, and bursts through the trenches to get to a village on the other side, flipping tanks, demolishing church towers and liberating the village from it's German enslavers. Everything from the bullet-deflections, to her twirling and spinning in stylish choreography, to the brute force of tank-flipping looks great and is massively entertaining.
Wonder Woman is not only the movie the DCEU needed, but also the movie Hollywood, and specifically big action blockbusters needed. It's strive for gender equality was pitch perfect, being as important behind the scenes as it was in front of the camera. It boasts the best Wonder Woman we could hope for, with a perfect performance from Gal Gadot and an equally as great performance from Chris Pine to bounce off. The action sequences are breathtaking and are certain to mark this movie out from the realm of superhero movies alone. But, and I must stress this, it's not perfect. It falters in the third act, Ares is a massive letdown of a beatstick (although the revelation of his identity is fantastic), and it doesn't give enough personality to it's lesser characters. I give Wonder Woman a high 8/10, letdown mostly by the awful presentation and appearance of Ares.