Wonder Woman is Wonderful

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2017)

Thank you DC and Warner Bros. for finally getting the message. Thank you for finally figuring out that the reason Marvel Studios movies work isn't because they have a fun soundtrack or because they do a bunch of cameos, but because they actually make decent movies that are true to the spirit of their heroes. Thank you for finally making a live- action Wonder Woman movie. And last, but certainly not least, thank you for making a female led superhero movie that doesn't suck.
As you might've been able to guess, "Wonder Woman" is an astonishingly good movie. After the disasters of "Batman v Superman" and "Suicide Squad", it seemed like the studio had no idea how to run a successful superhero franchise. This was particularly sad since Warner Bros. essentially invented the genre with 1978's "Superman". However, "Wonder Woman" dodged all the problems that made "Batman v Superman" and "Suicide Squad" so abysmally bad.
"Wonder Woman" gives us a true to comic book version of the character without any shame. It's dark sure, but it also has levity. It embraces Greek mythologies and a hidden island of warrior women completely. It even manages to mix two of her origins into the movie seamlessly.
Director Patty Jenkins and screenwriter Allan Feinberg must be given the most credit. Many might be tempted to handle the silly aspects of Wonder Woman's story with a wink to the audience. But instead they treat it with all the gravity needed to give the world a Wonder Woman that is both strong and human.
Part of that also comes down to the performance of Gal Gadot. Although sometimes her line delivery leaves a bit to be desired, she carries herself as a hero. The whole cast here should be commended. Chris Pine's Steve Trevor is a good man in a world where sometimes good men must make hard decisions. David Thewlis and Robin Wright also provide strong roles that essentially just push the plot forward, but it feels natural here.
I actually find myself wondering if "Wonder Woman" is actually as good as I thought or if my expectations for the DCEU are so rock bottom that the movie appears all that much better when compared to other entrants. No matter what, the fact that Wonder Woman finally presents a strong female superhero and is, at the very least, a decent movie makes it worthy to check out.
The question we now have to ask, is Wonder Woman the course correction the DCEU desperately needed, or was it just a fluke? With Justice League is just around the corner, we'll know the answer soon.