All Sexes are Equal, But Some More So Than Others

Rating: 4/10 (2 June 2017)

Attention girls, women, and Hillary supporters, you finally get your chance to enjoy the most popular movie genre as we step into summer. We already know the usual men's enjoyment concept from the comic book movie, where Batman fights Superman, or Captain America fights Iron Man, or Harley Quinn flaunts a sparkling tight thong. Now, a female superhero stars in her own female-directed movie, in armor built to expose her arms, legs, face, and shoulders!
Does Wonder Woman automatically pass as certified fresh? Is it considered sexist to criticize a movie by a female director? No, and no.
The first few moments progress with the velocity of a tuckered-out tortoise. It begins with our hero, Diana, remembering her childhood, when she felt inspired to fight for her fellow female warriors on their Zeus-created island. This repetitious, slow prologue only establishes facts that later get repeated.
Things still start off rather slow in the first act, but women may love the immediate role reversal to give them well overdue credit. Right away Diana rescues a man from drowning, following a fight between the united Amazon women and a technologically advanced German army. These battles look less like the usual fan service kind of write-in, and more a choreographed ballet of steel mesh fit for the most committed of DC followers. The male viewers will offer praise as well, such as key scenes which tribute all the classics of guy's-night-in cinema, and a direct connection to Wayne Enterprises.
The DC Universe could finally find its footing, yet improvement advances just by a hair compared to the loathed predecessors of the cinematic universe. The more forgetful characters here contribute nothing important, both in writing and direction, making the world around them equally shallow in cinematic exploration. The most accurate Greek mythology fact stated here is the women's birth origins from clay. Oh, and the island somehow coexists with the rest of the world, only accessible by a portal. It seems DC's cinematic universe cannot decide on its own reality.
However, both the theme and artistry picks up from here. As the pilot/spy takes her from her home into civilization, he teaches her about his way of living as she arrives in London. The detail of her unfamiliarity parallels any immigrant arriving in a new home. As Diana takes on the city, fine dresses interfere with her ability to fight. She refuses to accept society's standards of being a lady, nor does she tolerate their form of government. From her experience, good generals fight amongst their other soldiers rather than sit in offices. She cleaves against her sword and shield, and sees the contradicting wide lacy indigo dresses as a straightjacket to her destiny. So, we can conclude one applicable takeaway: women empowerment means showing lots of skin. Does that also give women the right to sexualize their wardrobe along with practicing brute strength? Celebrating sexual freedom should never be a sign of fighting for others.
Outside of the Israeli-Aztec heroine, the characters either hit or miss your memory as they come. Her spy/boyfriend works alongside a trio of soldiers who each voice strong opinions about bringing a woman on the battlefield with them. The first, a Moroccan, adds needed male flavor with his zesty interaction with the female hero. The other contributes sympathy as he generates a needed soul on the piano. The third, named "Chief," gives a great backstory to America for Diana's understanding. Outside of the heroes, a great female villain, addressed as Dr. Poison, compels your curiosity of her backstory thanks to her hazy performance behind a secretive phantom mask. So what went wrong here? Their accents resemble two days' worth of dialect classes rather than someone who breathes the culture. If these American films continue to misrepresent other cultures, why bother attempting to please an international audience? After all, no one can buy into a Greek island of Amazon woman descended from Israel, Britain, and Africa.
By the time the third act rolls into play, the drama declines as you come to realize how little puts Diana in a real mode of conflict. The surround sound sure enough shakes your seat, but the male villain she confronts belongs in Marvel's long index of forgetful final bosses.
Should this define 21st century feminism? Should we celebrate making women feel empowered by blaming their problems on men? Wonder Woman focuses on painting women as the only true saints in the world, whilst all the men cause the world's problems. Ever heard of Aileen Wuornos? Whose biopic starring Charlize Theron was also directed by Patty Jenkins? Was she not responsible for all sorts of problems? Men are not the sole blame for chaos, pride is; which everyone who has ever lived and ever will live falls short of.