A Visual Extravaganza Brimming with Heart and Reason

Rating: 10/10 (2 June 2017)

Patty Jenkins' 'Wonder Woman' movie begins with a rocky, uneven start. But this very flawed pace allows the origin story of the amazonian warrior mature in a compelling build- up, and eventually navigate towards the rest of her story in a riveting seismic progression. It gathers an affectionate sentimentality that sustains its potency even amidst the imposing explosive sequences that often triumph to take the audience's attention away from the oddly satisfying distraction, that is Gal Gadot. There are these resonating anthems that remain ablaze throughout the film's 140-minute duration: love and peace, sacrifice and courage, and while it gets extremely preachy sometimes, the narrative rarely gets boring. Jenkins' take on the genre doesn't abandon the idea of terror, and mass destruction, but it singularly escapes the confines of superhero clichés that eliminate its players' moral form. In 'Wonder Woman', Diana Prince's humanity is held by Gadot's portrayal with a bracing commitment, something she never loses even when confronted with the deceptive appeal of evil and darkness. Her heroic verve gets an unexpected reinforcement from Chris Pine's Steve Trevor, with whom she shares a surprisingly inherent chemistry. This is the first DC film in a very long time, to ever sustain such visceral distinction, a visual extravaganza brimming with heart and reason.
Diana Prince's story takes us to a mysterious island known as Themyscira, hidden by Zeus in a protective dome of dim and mist, far from the grasp of humanity. She grows to believe that it is her sacred duty to protect her world, not knowing such 'world' will include what is beyond the clouds. But when the first man arrives in a suspicious water- crash landing, she expands her understanding and begins to welcome the idea of defending whoever needs help in the other side. But this eagerness barely entirely rests on a moral responsibility; she believes that Ares, the God of War, and her inevitable nemesis, is what causing the war waged by humans, and she needs to kill him in order to restore peace to both worlds. In one spine-chilling moment within her breathtakingly choreographed fight sequence with Ares, Diana rises from a fall, and virtually carries out her meteoric ascent, a symbolic assumption of her superhero status.
But in spite of the amount of physical tension and visual explosion, Jenkins balances the flavor by injecting humor and romance, utilizing them even in places where gripping action sequences are imminent. Chris Pine shines in his own moments, a remarkable feat for a character in a saga that seems to underscore women empowerment. There is a powerful moment where he grapples for words to ask for Diana's help to win the war; he practically breaks down, a stirring and moving scene to behold. Part of the film's colossal allure is its heart--it never loses it, doesn't intend to, and it grows to more awe-inspiring forms as it reaches a resonating, albeit predictable, resolution.
It is ironic to think that Diana Prince isn't human, but appears to be the most one, when compared with her colleagues in the looming 'Justice League' film. In the end, 'Wonder Woman' isn't a film free of blemishes as it still stumbles upon political truths it rarely gets justified, and minor expositions it doesn't seem interested to shed light on. But it has soul, humor, and wonder-- a narrative spectacle one seldom finds in a film of its sort.