Wonder Woman Brings a Great Hero Into the Spotlight and Its Anchored by Good Central Performances and a Unique Setting

Rating: 9/10 (7 June 2017)

*Minor Spoilers Ahead* We join Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) at the Louvre. She tells us a little about her past and her mixed views on mankind. She's working at her desk when representatives from Wayne Enterprises come into her office. They come offering gifts however and Diana accepts the briefcase they give her. Inside is the original photograph of her and her compatriots: Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), Sameer (Said Tagmhaoui), Charlie (Ewen Brenner) and The Chief (Eugene Brave Rock). They fought together in war-torn Belgium during the First World War. With the photo comes a note from Bruce saying that someday Diana has to tell Bruce her story. The photo is precious to Diana and she begins to fill us in on what happened to her so long ago.
When I was watching Batman v Superman and the same photo appeared with Diana in that World War 1 setting, my first thought was "I want to see that movie instead." Part of that was the WW1 setting and I'm so glad they chose to set Wonder Woman in this time period. It provides a unique backdrop and there were so many interesting moments like Wonder Woman's fight across No Man's Land. WW1 is rarely covered in Hollywood and they make connections to real WW1 issues like the introduction of gas attacks into warfare. I thought it was impressive that they capitalized on such a strong concept, I have to credit the writers and director Patty Jenkins for doing such an excellent job.
It wasn't that long ago that Warner Bros. and DC were hearing tons of complaints about Gal Gadot being cast as Wonder Woman. Admittedly, she's not known for being a serious actress but I really think she did an impressive job. She's strong yet vulnerable and she completely holds up her end as Diana from both dramatic and action oriented standpoints. They made a good call casting somebody of Pine's calibre beside her. He has a cool character to work with but he also balances his character's responsibilities as a spy and a guide to Diana for this new world she's experiencing. Danny Huston and Elena Anaya are both good but they're undercut by their characters in the end. I really liked the other members of Diana's crew even if they're not as central to the plot as they make them seen. I especially thought Said did a good job, he helps sell some of the nuanced emotional moments. Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen are also really good, the stuff with Diana's past could have been hokey but they handle it so well that it actually works.
Wonder Woman includes everything you want in the superhero genre. The action is well shot, it's not necessarily anything mind-blowing but there are a few nice set pieces. It joins Deadpool and Captain America: The First Avenger in being one of the few superhero movies where they have a romantic subplot that actually sells. There are also some funny moments, most of them at Diana's expense of not knowing what the world was like in the 1910s. Lucy Davis is largely there as comedic relief as Etta and she does a decent job helping keep things light.
For all the glowing reviews Wonder Woman, its not perfect. They do a great job setting up the villains and they even throw a curve ball at the end. But I didn't think they were very memorable and you're not going to remember Wonder Woman for their characters. They also gouge a few of the background villains pretty badly to lend some credibility to the main villain which wasn't my favourite choice. The ending wasn't poorly done but it devolves into the same fight we've seen in a dozen other superhero movies. I get we need a big finish but the rest of the movie deserved a better finale.
I've been a little more forgiving of some of DCs franchises so far (I thought Man of Steel and Suicide Squad had their redeeming parts) but this is easily DCs best movie since Christopher Nolan was in control of Batman. They take advantage of an underused setting, Wonder Woman is a great protagonist and the cast (specifically Gal Gadot and Chris Pine) deliver strong performances. The movie isn't flawless however and I think the hype train has gotten a little out of control. It actually falls victim to some pretty typical minor issues for the genre. We should celebrate the fact that DC gave us a well-made and satisfying origin for Wonder Woman, if you have a chance to go see it, I would recommend it.