Wonder Woman

There are plenty of reasons to see the new Wonder Woman movie. Yes, it is a superhero film directed by and starring a woman. In the testosterone sea that Batman, Captain America, and Iron Man have floated upon for years, supporting Wonder Woman sends a message to the producers saying, “Women can also direct action. Women can also be the center of this kind of story. This genre doesn’t need to be a boys club in front of or behind the camera.” This is a good reason, for sure. Noble.

But this is not actually the first big budget, big screen female superhero movie, however, and I would no more recommend that anyone go see Catwoman, Elektra, Sheena, or Red Sonja than I would suggest sending a 20 dollar bill through a paper shredder or eating gas station sushi. Any of those experiences would waste money and likely leave you feeling queasy. So even though sending a message of equality to movie studios is a good thing, what good would it do if the female-centric films made were bad?

So this brings me to the other reason to see Wonder Woman: it’s good. Very good, actually. I can safely say it’s the best DC-based superhero movie since the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy and the first two Christopher Reeve Superman movies. In its characterization, cinematography, plot, humor, and action, it is every bit superior to the muddy, pouty Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman as well as the ridiculous, Hot Topic-flavored Suicide Squad.

The key ingredients to the film’s success are the economical direction from Jenkins and the human Roman candle that is star Gal Gadot. Jenkins establishes the story quickly with enough detail to satisfy longtime fans but not so much that it bogs down the film, quite a trick for a character over 75 years old.

Gal Gadot is the perfect combination of strength, intelligence, innocence, and fierceness. Like Superman, Wonder Woman is a character with so much baggage and so many interpretations, it’s near impossible to cast someone who satisfies everyone. Gadot, a little-known actress and former Miss Isreal prior to being cast as Wonder Woman, turns out to be as close to perfect as possible. You believe her naivety, having been raised on a completely isolated island, and she is also convincing as a butt-kicking warrior driven by compassion and a desire for justice.

Set during World War I, the film is about Diana’s quest to stop Ares, the god of war, before he destroys the world with battle that will never end. It takes her to the front of the fighting, inside muddy trenches where soldiers have been stuck for over a year. When she finds out there are innocents on the other side of the so-called No-Man’s Land, she strides out into the blasted, pocked wasteland to move the battle forward. Of course, the symbolism of a strong woman moving across No-Man’s Land is lost on no one, and the sequence is electrifying.

As good as the film is, it’s not perfect. It does fall victim to Zach Snyder-itis by the end. The climax is a fiery nighttime battle between Wonder Woman and Ares. There are explosions, slow-mo action, and a sense of let-down in that neither the writers nor the director could do something more inventive than what was done in any of the other most recent DC superhero movies. A movie like this needs a bang at the end, but why does it have to be the same kind of bang every time?

The supporting cast is uniformly charming and engaging. Chris Pine continues his streak of affable, sensitive performances as Steve Trevor, the U.S. spy who is the first man Wonder Woman ever meets. And Lucy Davis as Trevor’s secretary Etta Candy provides wonderful comic relief. Knowing that Davis probably won’t be in future Wonder Woman projects is one of the other small disappointments in an otherwise excellent film. Whatever your reason for seeing Wonder Woman is, you should definitely go.

P.S. This is a comment I wrote in response to someone on Facebook. It gets at something I neglected to talk about in the review:

The thing I wish I had said more about in the review but didn't have space for is that it hits at the heart of what superheroes are actually about. Recently, Marvel has been largely about snark. DC has been about darkness and moodiness. WW is about someone strong, powerful, fast, and smart who believes in compassion, goodness, truth, fairness, and helping those who can't help themselves. Superheroes are often Christ-figures - and sometimes that symbolism is too heavy handed and on-the-nose (Superman Returns) - but here, it is a woman (and not just a male character rewritten to be female) who believes in and does Good. That is why superheroes are so resonant, I think. They echo what it is we need in our lives - someone bigger and more powerful than us to intervene when life is too overwhelming for us. Superheroes can represent the Divine or merely the Divine within each everyday joe or jane when we choose to reach out and help those who are trapped "behind the enemy lines" of life, so to speak. I loved Wonder Woman because she believes in acting fiercely and unquestioningly for the benefit of those in need. It's not about the costume, the special effects, the witty banter - ultimately, it is about being willing to delve into the fray and even sacrifice yourself entirely for the greater good.