A step in the right direction

Rating: 6/10 (30 November 2017)

The one genuinely epic moment from the trainwreck that was Batman-v- Superman was the emergence of Wonder Woman in the final battle, accompanied by that gut-shivering signature riff. Such moments of brilliance are the signature of Wonder Woman's own film, and allied to touches of high drama, perfect delivery of comic lines, and slick action, there is much to enjoy. But somehow, despite all this, the film feels as though there are just as many points where it misses the mark. It's sense of time is this film's weakest point. On a macro scale, it felt, curiously, both over-long for its actual content, and too short to fully explain it's own story. This is demonstrated best by the painting-by-numbers opening segment which feels both too long to be an effectively punchy setup to the main narrative, and too short to fully engage with - or, worryingly, care about) its characters, and to add real dramatic tension to the parts of its plot which carry over into the rest of the film. This is yet another consequence of DC's corner-cutting approach in attempting to catch its cinematic universe up with its rivals - an origin story and a link in to the modern world in which the character has already been situated by B-v-S are crammed into one film, with neither given enough weight. Whilst it is limiting to rate DC films simply by comparison with Marvel, they need to earn the right to be taken on their own merits. I found myself comparing it with Captain America: The First Avenger, a film which, whilst not extraordinary, was a solid and effective setup for the character of Steve Rogers. By the time Winter Soldier comes about, Cap is a fully fledged character - we know his motivations, history, personality, etc., and therefore can concentrate on a more complex and interesting story than was offered in the first film. Wonder Woman tries to do all of this in one go, and the result is confused. The other useful parallel with Captain America is between Steve Rogers' band of soldiers, and Steve Trevor's in Wonder woman. Because Rogers is the centre of the story, it doesn't matter that the members of his crew were fairly forgettable - they were simply foils to their leader, and that worked. Wonder Woman seems to want more than this for Trevor's gang, giving them extra back story, and more independent screen time. The trouble is that because Trevor is - quite rightly, effectively, and often refreshingly willingly - a secondary figure himself, we have very little reason to care about his cronies, and they serve more as slightly irritating distraction than anything else.
The biggest disappointment, however, is the clumsy way in which the brilliant moments of the film are knitted together. Too many promising comic and dramatic setups are spoiled by muddled storytelling or clunky bits of dialogue. This is summed up, somewhat ironically, by the signature riff itself. Instead of its expected appearance as Wonder Woman goes 'over the top' into no-man's land - a superb transition between her 'civilised' state and her true warrior form, it is missing until several minutes later, during a mid-action fight with a room- full of soldiers. At this point, the action has been at its height for so long that the riff loses its dramatic edge.
But despite these fairly comprehensive criticisms, there is one thing which cannot be faulted, and that is Gal Gadot's performance as the eponymous heroine. She is captivating, charming, utterly believable, constantly engaging, and absolutely feels and looks the part, even when struggling against the clunkier moments of script and story. I found myself genuinely invested in her as a character, beyond simply taking a ride through the story. Significantly, this film also demonstrates the potential of a female lead in a superhero film to great effect, and deals with this new dynamic with slick and often very funny efficiency. The chemistry between Gadot and Pine is excellent, and allows this quite fundamental point to prove its efficacy on its own merit, without artificial stimulus.
Whilst I'm not sure this film has much rewatch value - it isn't coherent or layered enough to demand a second viewing, and the ending is unsatisfying - it makes me want to see more of Wonder Woman. Of more general importance is that it restores some faith in DC's cinematic universe. This is a flawed film, but it shows the studio to be heading, we hope, in the right direction.