Inspirational and heart-wrenching

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2017)

It's no secret that the DCEU had a rough start. I personally did not like Suicide Squad or Man of Steel and, although I enjoyed Batman vs. Superman, I know that it is not a very good movie. Wonder Woman needed to be good. This universe was in dire need of a win and they absolutely got one with this movie.
First off, Wonder Woman herself was absolutely brilliant in this film. She was bright, hopeful, and innocent and was unbelievably likable. Gal Gadot played her wonderfully and I cannot wait to see more of her. I really felt that I had connected with this character on so many levels. Chris Pine's character was not particularly deep, but I still cared about him and loved his relationship with Diana Prince. They had fantastic chemistry and the way that they taught each other about each other's worlds was brilliant and made for some excellent comedy as well. I was incredibly saddened when Chris Pine's character sacrificed himself at the end of the film and Wonder Woman's tear- jerking reaction was very emotionally involving.
The action was fantastic, but that was no surprise since it looked so good in the trailers. The World War I sequence was ridiculously entertaining and I wish I could have seen more of it. The final sequence with Ares was also extremely exciting.
My favorite scene in the film was when Steve warned Diana not to cross No Man's Land and she climbs the ladder anyway. I got goosebumps all over and was on the edge of my seat. That scene was Grade-A filmmaking. Wonder Woman is extremely inspirational in this movie and that scene embodies her character. Scenes like that were the most memorable for me. As awesome as the action was, the moments that flesh out her character and her relationship with Steve were the best part of the film.
My main issues with the film mostly involve the villains. Dr. Poison seemed like she would be an intriguing character, but felt very bland and the movie never revealed what her true motivations were. General Ludendorff was an actual person in WWI, but his presence felt somewhat unnecessary and I did not feel that he was a great villain. The gas that he used to give him strength was also not needed and felt utterly pointless and out of place in the movie. I liked Ares, but the reveal of who his character actually was somewhat cheap. His motivations for showing the ugly side of humanity were very similar to Heath Ledger's Joker and I did enjoy that. My other main negative was that I also would have liked more emotional moments while Wonder Woman was on Themyscira, but I was satisfied with what we got in that particular part of the movie.
Another great element of this movie was the fact that it stands on its own. There's no forced reveal of any of the Justice League characters nor is there an unnecessary setup for that movie. You could argue that this is because of the time period that this movie takes place in, but I think that Patty Jenkins really wanted to make a film that was separated from the other DCEU movies. I absolutely loved the opening scene in which she opens up a suitcase from Bruce Wayne and views the picture of her from WWI. It was the perfect way to tie the film into DCEU without going overboard. It was also the perfect way to set the stage for Diana Prince's story. The closing scene where she thanked Wayne via Email was also cool.
The movie is also incredibly well-directed. Patty Jenkins is a true talent and I look forward to seeing what else she does in the DCEU and beyond. The movie is colorful, vibrant, and lively and looks utterly gorgeous. I loved the stark contrast between the clean, tropical Themyscira and the dirty, war-torn locations outside of it.
Overall, Wonder Woman really gave the DCEU the push it needed. Wonder Woman now has a fantastic backstory which will really add to her character going forward. I cannot wait to see this character in Justice League and I look forward to seeing the movie many more times.
8/10 Grade: A-