Woeful Woman

Rating: 3/10 (17 July 2017)

To quote a popular Internet Age meme: WHAT THE F*** DID I JUST WATCH?! More pertinently: WHY IS THIS FILM BEING (i) SHILLED FOR, AND (ii) WHY DOES IT GARNER AVERAGE SCORES IN THE HIGH 7's HERE AT IMDb AND 90%+ AT RT...?!
I never before thought much of the whole "feminazi" or "SJW" conspiratorial take on how social engineering is said to be taking place―through the agency of entertainment, its content and subsequent promotion. However, 'Wonder Woman' has caused this reviewer to stop and take pause. For this film is one, woeful pile of garbage (even in the context of a comic book schlock), that should be given a Razzie for its crimes against the filmic medium; not garner ridiculously unwarranted praise.
From its horrid casting and barely passable acting (was Gal Gadot away sick during the 'acting module' of her JIDF training tenure?), to its amateurish stunt work and ensuing overuse of CGI effects―necessitated in an attempt to futilely smear over the the film's said substandard chop-socky / pew-pew sequences―Wonder Woman is one of the worst, if not THE worst comic book film I have ever had the displeasure of running afoul of.
From go to wow, the film is an aural and visual 'turd de faeces'. There is so little to redeem a film like this, that one must wonder what was going through the minds of those who crafted it: Did they watch the dailies? Did the actors have any input in the creative process, whatsoever? Was it all "green screened"...? Surely this was all filmed blind... blind drunk, that is!
Even for those pushing the film as an empowering vehicle for female actors ― they have very little to grasp at here. The male "co-star" (Chris Pine) is given the bulk of the film's der-dumb dialogue; thus, insultingly relegating the titular character to playing second fiddle. So much so, in fact, that for most part, Gadot's role arguably fails the very 'Bechdel test' the film (and those who champion it) strove to emancipate the yoke of. Of course, this must all be tempered with what the director and screen-writers had at their disposal (with respect to acting clout), which was patently very, very little (*assuming the drivel was not all spouted ad libitum ― a suggestion not as fanciful as it might normally seem).
In short: The dialogue was stilted. The interactions wooden. Obligatory "love" sceNE (*singular), ham-fistedly shoehorned and cringe-worthy to bear. Little character development to speak of. Barely a thread of connection was established between viewer and the characters they were meant to invest in. The acting was sub par, at best... A literal failure on every, objective, filmic measure. Even rusted-on Wonder Woman fans would struggle to find tenable arguments for the existence of this film, in the egregious form that it has been rendered.
I normally do not write reviews for films of this shabby stock--in any capacity. However, given the hubbub surrounding 'Wonder Woman' and its association with "the women's movement", I felt compelled to throw my 2¢ worth into this well of bubbling, fetid waste. For I feel we must speak out against blatant shilling for that which patently does not deserve it on merit; and we must fight against the inclination to 'grade on a curve', that has gripped our societies since the advent of the Internet.
Moreover, the 'process factory' structure that the industry applies to the production of films in this genre, all but guarantees one schlock after another. These films are clearly produced only to make money. As such ― given money inherently corrupts all that it comes into contact with ― the end results are fait accompli. This is not a propitious philosophical model, nor a mindset anyone should advocate for.
This race to the bottom, which we are embarked upon, does a disservice, not only to the art form, but also to wider culture and society.
Wonder Woman is not the female-helmed comic book film you were looking for. Move on.