Wonderful Wonder Woman

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 2017)

Wonder Woman is such a wonderful film, and even more wonderful is Gal Gadot who portrays the role of Amazon Princess Diana AKA Wonder Woman. One wonders why it took such a long time for this movie to be made. And then you remember the WhatsApp forward – It takes 6 hours to build a Toyota car but it takes 6 months to build a Rolls Royce. At last the wait is over. We get to see the Wonder Woman Origin story on the big screen - a film that fans will enjoy from start to end. The movie starts with a simple request, Diana is asked on how she became the Hero that she is and that's how we get to know her story. Diana was a rebellious kid and was always attracted to the art of fighting. Her mother was against it, but she gives up in the face of Diana's persistence. Diana is trained by Antiope, who is not only her aunt but also the best warrior of the troops of Themyscia. Here in a matter of few minutes we get to see Diana's transformation as a warrior. Then all of a sudden, a plane crashes with Steve Trevor inside it; he is being hunted by the German Army. What follows is a battle between German Soldiers and warrior women of Themyscira. This shakes up Diana and she decides leave home, go to the outside world and end all wars. Now we will see some fish-out-of-water moments which Diana undergoes, when she has to adjust herself to the outside world. Some scenes are funny and you will fall in love with Diana's innocence while she is getting used to the world. Soon her battle with the outside world begins and we get to see Diana as Wonder Woman. I got Goosebumps throughout this scene. Wonder Woman is a well-made movie. It's an action movie with some funny and romantic moments, which don't go overboard. Like how Dawn of Justice felt like it was shot in Noir/grey mode, this movie will expose you to the Sepia mode. One should realize that these modes set the tone of the movie. Effects are good and don't look over the top. Pace is bit uneven but it doesn't matter much. Rupert Gregson- Williams' score compliments both action and non-action scenes. Tina Guo's cello gives aggression to the Wonder Woman theme, originally composed by Hans Zimmer in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In terms of performance, all supporting actors have done justice to their roles. I wish Robin Wright had got some more screen time. Chris Pine plays Steve Trevor who handholds Diana when out of her comfort zone and is also her love interest. Now let's talk about Gal Gadot. She fills up the role of Wonder Woman with the soul it deserves; you can feel her struggle, strength, innocence & love. When she was cast as Wonder Woman, it received lot of criticism, but after watching this movie I can say that she has proved herself with her stunning performance. There is a scene where she feels a snowfall for the first time and her astonishment is so genuine that one can relate to it. (Four months ago I experienced snow for the first time and I had a similar reaction.) Her expressions while she is having ice cream for the first time or while wearing glasses are so innocent that you see a child in a woman who is a born warrior. Her muscles are toned, not bulky but visible enough to display the physical training Wonder Woman has received from childhood. She has carried herself effortlessly in all the costumes. You can also see how much effort Gal has put in for all the action scenes when you see her fighting. In short she nails the role of Wonder Woman. This movie is not about war but it is about taking measures to stop it. War is created by someone who can't see people happy and wants to manipulate them with hideous intentions. Verdict: 4/5