I Was Expecting Better

Rating: 6/10 (26 February 2018)

I'm not quite sure why this movie didn't move me. As I sat down to write this review, I realized I really don't remember much about it. That is the problem. Its not really memorable. All the accolades and high ratings it received, I was expecting it to knock my socks off. Instead, it just barely held my attention for 2.5 hours.
Gal Gadot is a wonderful Wonder Woman. I think she embodies the character very well, but it was the writing and directing of her character that bothered me most. In a movie about women's empowerment, it showed just how far Hollywood has to go. The movie takes great pains to beat us over the head with how chauvinistic the men of 1918 were, but then spends the rest of the movie sidelining Diana in favor of Chris Pine's Steve Trevor. Spymaster Trevor drives the plot and Wonder Woman is just along for the ride. That was kind of an odd choice for a movie that is supposed to be about Wonder Woman. It should have been called Mighty Man.
Chris Pine does a great job with the role of Trevor. The men he recruits for his undercover mission are pretty 2-dimensional, however, and are standard super hero sidekicks (think of the Howling Commandos from Captain America). David Thewlis is wasted as a minister who initially seems to be on their side, but eventually turns out to be Ares, the God of War. He goes into full overacting mode at the end, just screaming his lines. This plotline was utterly ridiculous and dumb. The final fight scene is both unintentionally hilarious and poorly scripted and executed. This is barely above 30 year old Japanese animation. At one point, WW jumps through the air to attack Ares and she is seen mouth agape, screaming, as streams of brightly colored lights flash around her. I fully expected her to open her eyes and for there to be no pupils.
I still can't quite figure out why Danny Huston as an evil German general is in the film. He is just a misdirection so you think he is Ares. That is just lazy screenwriting. Anyone who watches Law and Order knows the ultimate perp is never the first guy they see or catch.
The one part of this movie I liked was the first third of the film on Paradise Island. However, like every other aspect of this movie, they rushed it. We never get to fully understand Diana's motivations. Characters say one thing, but do another. Example, her mother insists Diana not be trained, but 3 minutes later she asks that she be trained better than anyone. No development, no plot points, just complete 180 by a character. The opening fight scene on the beach is where I realized this movie jumped the shark/nuked the fridge. Not to compare it to Marvel, but the Captain America fight scenes during WWII were realistic and at least had some respect for time and space. The Amazonian women fight as if they are trying out for Cirque du Soleil. They jump, spin, pirouette, flip and roll, all before even attempting to shoot their bows. It makes no sense that you would fight like that. And it was all done in slow motion, I guess to show how cool and in shape they are. Had they done this in actual combat, most would be dead before they hit the ground. As a tactic, it made zero sense.
Another aspect of the movie I really liked, was the byplay between Diana and Steve. Their conversations are witty, funny, and enhanced the plot. Diana trying to understand 20th century Europe should have been the main focus of the entire film. We didn't need a huge war segment or a lot of CGI action scenes. Just her learning to adjust to "civilization" would have been a tremendous movie. I'd start to get into their dialogue, but, then another dumb action sequence comes along and I am back to laughing at the movie again. The director could not decide on a tone and it really hurt the overall product.
I simply do not understand how DC keeps screwing up these amazing characters. You have some top-notch talent here, both in front of and behind the camera, and its utterly wasted. The problem with misfiring on these movies, is it affects fans' opinions of the other movies in the universe. Marvel movies are almost all a hit and it drives interest in the next one. I detested Man of Steel, but I really liked Batman v Superman and thought Suicide Squad had its moments. I was really looking forward to this film. (I have not seen Justice League) Nothing about Wonder Woman makes me in a hurry to see JL or Aquaman, or any other DC movie. They are all just imploding the brand.