A Step Forward For The DCEU

Rating: 5/10 (3 June 2017)

Considering the quality of other DCEU films like Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad, I think I was justified in being skeptical before seeing this movie. I came into this movie expecting the worst, but I was definitely surprised. Is Wonder Woman one of the best superhero movies ever made? No way. But I do think this is the best DC movie since The Dark Knight Rises (which I know isn't saying much), and I think I have a tiny bit more faith in upcoming DC movies now.
I'll start off with my biggest complaints. Everything that happens until Wonder Woman and Steve leave the island is terrible...it's full of bad acting, clichés, and awful CGI. This movie can be so cheesy and so cliché sometimes, and it's not self aware of it. Some scenes that are meant to be dramatic come off as laughable. The movie's tone is very inconsistent, and again, it's unaware. There's some pretty bad green scene too. Most characters besides Wonder Woman and Steve are either uninteresting and/or annoying. The soundtrack can also be repetitive. This movie also has like three villains for some reason, the main one being so underdeveloped and forgettable. Some elements of the story are very predictable too, and the climax of the movie is so horrendously awful. From the cringe-worthy one liners to the goofy effects, I was just waiting for the movie to end from that point. Basically when the main villain is introduced (which is like 20 minutes before the end of the movie) the movie becomes 10 times worse.
I don't want the cons to turn you off though, because I'd still recommend this to action/superhero movie fans. There's actually a lot of good humor in this movie that's a refreshing take from the previous entries in this universe. This movie felt like a breed between the first Captain America movie and the first Thor movie, although I like Wonder Woman better than both of those. The action in this movie is also pretty intense and riveting, minus the climax. The movie really nails the WWI setting as well. I liked the banter between Wonder Woman and Steve too, the chemistry between them was there. I was unsure if Gal Gadot was a good Wonder Woman when I saw her in BvS, but I now see that she's a great choice. She's very funny and charming, and not a wooden, thrown-in prop like she is in BvS.
I wouldn't go into this movie expecting a 10/10 rating, because this movie has a lot of flaws. The 96% you're seeing on Rotten Tomatoes and other critic sites are a lie. If you can suspend your disbelief for a bit and accept it for a cheesy superhero movie, then you'll like it. I enjoyed it so much more than the previous entries in this universe that it gives me a small bit of hope in the future of DC, even though we deserve better than this.