Wonder Woman's Hero's Journey - Not Just a Superhero Flick

Rating: 9/10 (8 October 2017)

I'm an educator. I enjoy many types of movies, from the silly to the serious. I wasn't expecting much from Wonder Woman, but I was pleasantly surprised. Then, I decided to look at reviews by regular people, rather than professional critics. Many of the reviews I saw were negative. There were complaints such as "she claims to be a pacifist yet she kills people," or "this movie only made money because it was a superhero movie." How sad.
First of all, those negative reviews I read missed the point of the film. There were so many subtle nuances! At first, all she wants to do is destroy Ares and bring peace to the "world of man." This is not necessarily the same thing as being a pacifist; rather, she is a guardian. She starts her Hero's Journey as a neophyte, not knowing what dangers are in the world, and not understanding the complexities of human nature.
As the story (and her journey) progresses, her point of view morphs. Perhaps things are not so simple. She must take a stand for the good guys, right? After all, there is good and bad, and never the twain shall meet, right?
Again and again, she is faced with people and situations that challenge her way of thinking. I see this as her first experience with the real world. Most of us encounter this when we leave home and try to make something of ourselves in the real world.
I was struck by something else that happens at the same time. Far from "wilting" or "weakening" as some negative reviewers claimed, I believe she grew stronger. She discovered her strength. There were things she did part way through the story that she never would have thought possible as she first left the island.
Then the final blow to her naivete: she discovers there are no perfect people in the world of man. People are far more complex than that. Yes, at first it blows her mind, but ultimately, it also makes her stronger.
In the final moments of the film, yes, it becomes the typical cgi show; however, she is tested. Ares plays on her confusion and tries to convince her to join him. At last, the pieces click. At last, she fully knows who she is, what she must do, and why. Only then is she able to destroy Aries.
At the end, we see her years after her hero's journey. She is NOT in hiding, as some suggest. If you pay attention, she is working with Wayne Enterprises. Sound familiar? Yeah, that's Batman.
After all this, when I try to tell family and friends about the film, I wait until the last moment to tell them the title of the film. Is it really a superhero film? I suppose. I see it as a woman on the archetypal Hero's Journey. All the pieces are there - you just have to look.