Lots of action, and some symbolism, in this entertaining superhero adventure

Rating: 8/10 (10 October 2017)

Gal Gadot is beautifully believable in the title role as Diana 'Prince', the brave Amazon whose mission is to defeat the evil Greek god Ares, whom she naively thinks is the source of all evil in the world when she learns it's in the throes of the "war to end all wars" (aka World War I).
The film opens briefly in modern day Paris with Gadot's character, a curator at The Louvre, receiving then opening a case containing a photographic plate depicting her in a post battle pose with a ragtag group of soldiers from that war. She reflects on her childhood growing up on Themyscira, a paradise hidden from the outside world and populated by Amazon women, all beautiful and prepared for a fight.
Initially, Diana's mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) resists having her spunky 'daughter' Princess Diana - whom she'd formed from clay - train as all Amazonians under her sister Antiope (Robin Wright), who insists that not preparing Diana for "what she was made for" is dangerous. "What she was made for" is kept under wraps, even from Diana, until later though - pushed by Antiope -Diana gets a glimpse of her special gifting shortly before the world interrupts.
Suddenly the outside, foggy barrier of Themyscira is breached by a Nazi plane which we soon learn is flown by an escaping American spy named Steve Trevor; Chris Pine is perfect as the "above average" hero. Diana rescues Steve from drowning and pulls him ashore shortly before the two are shot at from some German boats that followed his plane into the idyllic setting. Soon Amazon women are swooping down from the cliffs into the battle on the beach where they're joined by Diana, Steve and Amazons on horseback. But several lose their lives before the last of the invaders do, including Antiope.
Diana's innocent upbringing shattered, and convinced that her mother's stories are true - that Ares, though wounded by Zeus thousands of years earlier, must still be alive because of the war - she is determined to leave the island to defeat Ares so it will end. Since the Queen is against this, Diana steals the sword she'd been told is the god- killer before leaving with Steve to travel to the front.
But Steve has lied to Diana, a new concept for her, and first takes her to London where he hopes a book of formulas he'd stolen earlier from Dr. 'Poison' Maru (Elena Anaya) and Nazi General Ludendorff (Danny Huston) will convince the Allied command that the Germans aren't interested in armistice but instead in using an horrific weapon at the front. In truth, it's Ludendorff, powerful thanks to a gas the doctor has given him, that plans on using the game- changing gas to kill thousands. When Steve sees that the high command is unmoved by his claims, he pretends to back down while planning to do the "right thing".
Steve assembles that ragtag group, which consists of profiteer Sameer (Saïd Taghmaoui), weary sharpshooter drunk Charlie (Ewen Bremner), and deposed American Indian tracker Chief (Eugene Brave Rock). Lucy Davis provides comic relief as Steve's helpful secretary Etta. Just as the unfunded group is about to get underway, the top British diplomat Sir Patrick (David Thewlis) provides financial assistance while arranging for Etta to be their communications center in his office.
The action begins after Steve, Diana and the others arrive at the front and enter the trenches, where progress is measured in years. When she learns from a refugee woman that there's a nearby Belgian German-occupied town where its people are starving, Diana decides to stop following Steve and his plan. She emerges from the trenches as Wonder Woman in full regalia - a stunning red-white-and-blue outfit with shield and sword - and fearlessly approaches the enemy. Deflecting single bullets with her forearm armor, she soon has to crouch down behind her shield as the German's machine guns train on her. When Steve realizes that she has the Nazis' full attention, he leads an assault on their positions and the Allies overrun their enemy. Diana, Steve and the others then continue into the Belgian village where she leads another impressive assault against the odds to defeat the German occupiers.
It is at this point that the action wanes while the drama intensifies. Diana comes to believe that Ludendorff is Ares in the flesh, but she's initially stopped from killing him by Steve. While he's been impressed with Diana's considerable talents, Steve's not sure he believes the whole Ares legend thing. Unfortunately, this gives Ludendorff the opportunity to test his weapon on the Belgian town, and all of its villagers are wiped out by the deadly gas. Losing her trust in Steve, Diana goes after Ludendorff herself but, after successfully killing him, learns that man has evil within himself, and is disillusioned. Steve leaves her to join his compatriots in an attempt to destroy the rest of the gas, which has been loaded onto a bomber (plane).
Diana is then visited by Sir Patrick, who is in fact Ares. He reveals to her that it is she - and not the sword - that was made to be the god-killer Zeus left behind. Though Diana doesn't believe him, they fight an epic battle and, while the Germans are distracted by the "fireworks", Steve and the ragtags successfully hijack the bomber. But it isn't until she is nearly down for the count, and Steve successfully detonates the gas container filled bomber safely out of killing range, that Diana realizes man also has good within himself, and comes to believe that she can defeat Ares. When she does, the next scene indicates that the war is indeed over and the narrative returns to the present day where the promise of Diana's future (cinematic) interventions into man's affairs is foreshadowed.