Wonder Woman - great movie!

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2017)

Wonder Woman opens with Diana Prince in Paris, probably in 1980. We see the Eiffel Tower, the Seine and the Pyramid in front of the Louvre. A vehicle from (Bruce) Wayne Enterprises delivers a picture taken during World War I. Then, we flash back to Diana's childhood on the island of Themyscira. Diana is an Amazon, intrigued by combat and training. Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielson) is protective of her daughter and hopes she never has to fight. Hippolyta sculpted Diana from clay, and Zeus brought her to life. Hippolyta recounts how Ares, the god of war, rebelled and killed all the gods except Zeus. Hippolyta takes young Diana to a tower and shows her the sword known as the God Killer. Time passes, and Antiope (Robin Wright) begins to train Diana. Antiope knows Ares is alive and will return. Grown-up Diana (Gal Gadot) stands on a cliff looking into the Aegean Sea. Steve Trevor's (Chris Pine) plane crashes into the water, and Diana dives in to save him. She drags him to the beach. She has never seen a man! The German's are pursuing Trevor because he is a spy and has stolen Dr. Isabel Maru's (Dr. Poison) book of formulas. There is a battle on the beach, and the Germans are no match for the Amazons. But Antiope is killed with her final word being "God Killer!" Hippolyta thinks Trevor is a German and wants to kill him. Diana assures her mother that he fought on her side. The Lasso of Truth compels Trevor to tell his story. He infiltrated the Germans, grabbed Dr. Poison's book and ran. Trevor tells the women about the war to end all wars, and Diana is certain that Ares is behind the conflict. Trevor bathes in healing water. Diana climbs the tower to get the God Killer. No easy task even for her! Gal Gadot looks like Wonder Woman! She and Steve leave the island by boat after a touching goodbye scene with her mother. Hippolyta gives her Antiope's tiera, and it is off to the war! Diana and Steve have some sex talk on the boat while sailing to London. They pass under the Tower Bridge, which I crossed on foot in 1994. Enter Erich Ludendorff (a real general in World War I) and his deadly chemist. Dr. Poison creates the mustard gas for which the war is famous. We meet Etta Candy, Steve's secretary and a comic character, who helps Diana choose appropriate clothes. Gal Gadot is charming as she tries on various outfits. She is stunning in her hat and glasses. Steve and Diana are followed and have to fight off assailants. Thank goodness for "bullets and bracelets!" The couple deliver the stolen notebook to Steve's superiors, and we encounter Sir Patrick Morgan (who is actually Ares). Diana translates the formulas written in Sumerian. Amazons know hundreds of languages! Diana is still convinced Ares is behind the war. She and Steve head for the front after Steve enlists the help of 3 oddballs. These are Sammy (a womanizer), Charlie (a marksman) and the Chief (a smuggler). Sammy likes women and when Wonder Woman does her thing, he is "both frightened and aroused." Steve wants to destroy a second weapons facility. At the front, Diana confronts the horrors of war! It is trench warfare. Frustrated by the lack of progress, she transforms herself into Wonder Woman and leads the charge across "no man's land." It is an inspiring scene with Wonder Woman taking all the fire, deflecting it with her shield. Goddess Gadot! She has that look! We stare into Gal's eyes! Or does she stare into ours? She uses her lasso, tossing Germans left and right. That eerie music from the soundtrack starts, and Wonder Woman demonstrates her strength. The Belgium town of Veld is liberated, and a period of calm follows. A picture is taken, the same one we saw at the beginning of the movie. Sammy says he wanted to be an actor but is the wrong color. Charlie sings and plays the piano. It starts snowing as Steve and Diana get romantic. They dance, then retire to an upstairs room where they make love. Diana now believes Ludendorff is Ares and sets out to kill him. She thinks it will stop the war. They crash the German high command's party. Gal is gorgeous in the blue dress! Diana and Ludendorff dance. Steve and Dr. Poison talk. Steve wants to find and destroy the gas. Diana realizes that all men are to blame for war, not just the Germans and not just Ares. As Wonder Woman, she follows Ludendorff and kills him. But the war continues! Great quote: "It's not about what you deserve. It's about what you believe." Suddenly, Sir Patrick shows! He is Ares! An epic fight ensues: Wonder Woman versus Sir Patrick! The God Killer proves useless, and Ares says only a god can kill another god. Steve hijacks the plane carrying mustard gas to London. He blows it up while sacrificing his own life. Ares is a formidable foe, even for Wonder Woman, providing the comic book violence so prevalent in modern movies. Steve gives Diana his watch to remember him by before running down the plane. She watches the plane explode and Steve die, and this gives her the adrenaline to defeat Ares. Gadot expresses emotions well. She was born to play Wonder Woman! She conveys her passion! Steve tells Diana he can save the day, but she can save the world. "I love you!" are his last words. With Ares' demise, the war ends. Should our history books give Wonder Woman credit for stopping World War I? We cut to celebrations and flag-waving in London. Diana touches a picture of Steve next to his plane. It is 1980 again, and she confides that only love can save the world. She has found her mission! Forever!