SPOILER-FREE MOVIE REVIEW
I had such a hard time in choosing which Wonder Woman poster to use for this review, simply because all of them are so nice *cries*.
Seriously, though. What a remarkable promotional campaign the movie had with such glorious posters and excellent trailers.
However, I finally settled on this one which is my favourite of the bunch.
Anyway.
75 years it took for Wonder Woman to be brought to the big screen, and that was 75 years too long.
In all that time, she has repeatedly claimed her rightful name/status as the most iconic female superhero/comic book character ever created simply due to what her character stands for, which is equality, peace and most important of all, love.
Through her ever-evolving characterisation in the comics to her iconic portrayal by the one and only Lynda Carter in the 1970's TV series, Wonder Woman always stood for justice and in the process became an undisputed feminist and cultural icon.
If Lynda Carter was Wonder Woman for her generation, the same, if not more could be said about Gal Gadot. She totally owns the role and is frankly bloody brilliant as the Amazonian warrior princess.
In all honesty, when she was announced as the new Wonder Woman, I was a little sceptical. Not because I didn't think she was capable, but more of her not having the physique (she was really skinny).
My word, did she prove me wrong.
She bulked up so much and looks more than competent. A stunning transformation and in my opinion, she was the DCEU's best casting decision of them all (and pretty much all the casting has been spot on apart from Cara Delevingne as Enchantress in Suicide Squad).
Talk about casting perfection.
After her scene-stealing introduction in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) - a movie in which she was widely regarded as one of the rare few shining lights in a movie which was so undeservedly panned by critics, fans waited to see what the DCEU had in store for the character next.
And now, we have 2017's Wonder Woman, directed by the same woman who did the acclaimed Monster (2003) and an inspired choice she was.
Brimming with style and attention to detail, she brought some very character-driven drama along with some wonderfully (no pun intended) structured action set pieces to the fore.
Her direction for the movie is very clear as a whole, and I'm glad it was considering how she was attached to the project years before any pre-production work had started.
What Wonder Woman is thematically is "origin story meets fish-out-of-water," and to many, that might seem like something that's done quite frequently in film.
Happily, the theme doesn't feel repetitive or "done before" at all. In fact, the theme aids in bringing even more character to Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) as she adopts to life outside of her homeland of Themyscira where every thing is done differently and in ways in which she isn't used to.
It makes for some brilliant comedic moments between Diana, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and Etta Candy (Lucy Davis) as the former adjusts to life in the "outside world". I liked the manner in which these comedic scenes were executed as well, in which the movie detours for a few moments in order to have these character-building scenes where they could incorporate some excellent comedic relief into.
The same can be said to an extent about the action as well, with some terrific use of slo-motion and "slo-fast-mo" which gives certain scenes just that little bit extra in terms of epicness and wow factor. My only gripe with that is that the technique is rather overused over the course of the film.
When the technique was used in the initial bits, the effects were stunning but as the movie progresses and you see more of the technique in scenes which don't necessarily require it, it becomes quite repetitive and boring in terms of variety in style.
Just a minor issue, that, and I find myself saying the same about the movie as a whole too. I really struggle to find that many issues with it.
Okay, maybe the pacing could have been a bit better around the mid-way point of the film where it drags slightly (but it drags in order to fit in character-building scenes which is totally forgivable in my book), or the CGI looking cheap in some areas, or the main antagonist being rather underwhelming.
On that last point, I liked what they did to reveal the film's main antagonist but not so much that of the actor cast to play the character. Clearly, I'm refusing to reveal any details about this because spoilers and because I wish for every one who watches Wonder Woman for the first time to be as pleasantly surprised as I was when we're introduced to the baddie.
Another slight issue I had lay in the supporting characters like Sameer (Saïd Taghmaoui), Charlie (Ewen Bremner) and Chief (Eugene Brave Rock) who frankly don't have that much to do throughout the movie. As much as I liked the characters for their quirkiness and chemistry, and not to mention how brilliantly diverse the casting of these characters was, should the movie have removed them entirely from the final cut, it wouldn't have made a difference to any outcomes or events.
That's pretty much all the issues I had with the movie.
On to the better bits, and can I just say that Gal Gadot is one very talented actress. Let's just say that in many cases, models-turned-actors don't usually have a very smooth transition into the movie industry.
In other words, just looking good isn't good enough. They need the acting chops as well, and many of these models-turned-actors lack that and it painfully shows. Take Cara Delevingne in Suicide Squad (2016) for example who struggled to shed a tear during crying scenes or Kate Upton in The Other Woman (2014) whose role in the entire movie was just to look hot in a bikini while running in slo-mo on the beach.
In Gal's case (and with a completely unbiased mindset, obviously), she completely knocks it out of the park with a performance worthy of a solid leading lady. She's amazing in all the action sequences (I mean, the lady was trained in the Israeli army for crying out loud), has great screen presence, shared electric chemistry with Chris Pine (which shows in the completely improvised scene on the boat) and is really good when it came to the more dramatic and emotional scenes which, arguably, is the hardest of the bunch.
She's way more than just a pretty face (a stunning face, actually. She is beautiful). Gal Gadot is a talented SERIOUS actress and I sincerely hope she'll have no issue in getting better and more diverse roles in Hollywood in the future.
I appreciated the very realistic characterisation of Diana in which she's portrayed as being naive, rash in decision-making and all-round imperfect.
Quite easily, they could've introduced Wonder Woman as the indestructible goddess that she's known to be instead of bringing her down to earth and making her relatable. Hence, the fact that they went with the latter truly speaks volumes of DC's vision to bring to us an empowered female hero whose imperfections make her relatable to all of us.
I thought the story and themes were excellent, especially the titular character's message of love and humanity. It's very different from the usual superhero fare where all we see is crash, boom and bang. Wonder Woman is about so much more than just that, and her character and this movie is such an inspiration for both women and men.
On the topic of gender, the movie also portrays men and women as equals unlike garbage like Ghostbusters (2016) which so deliberately portrayed men in such a derogatory manner. I have great appreciation for media that doesn't let pettiness and past grudges affect the manner in which a certain group is portrayed, especially on topics such as race or gender. We are all equal and I hope gender will be portrayed in this way for good.
On a technical level, the film is excellent - especially Patty Jenkins' character-driven direction which is so refreshing in a genre that has lost a lot of its focus on character in favour of more explosions and destruction.
Already this year, we've had two-and-a-half solid character-driven films in Logan, Wonder Woman and the last half being Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Exciting time to be alive with all this goodness emerging from the big studios.
The cinematography is stunning (especially the scenes that take place in Themyscira) and the film has such a beautifully vivid colour palette which is like the total opposite of the more desaturated colour tones of the likes of Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
There's also the score by Rupert Gregson-Williams which is nothing short of wonderful (again, no pun intended). It was a mammoth task to create a body of music to surround the glorious new Wonder Woman theme by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL which debuted in BvS.
The score has a nice variety of different themes used in different scenes and also builds-up to the iconic theme seamlessly and with the same level of grandeur. I think it's safe to say that he exceeded all expectations with the soundtrack.
For a taster of it, check out the track called "No Man's Land" on the soundtrack. You're welcome.
All in all, Wonder Woman has successfully brought the DCEU back on track with the critics after the dismal reviews the previous two instalments had undeservedly received.
It's a film for all ages. Literally every one and anyone would enjoy it unless they're just haters (like a certain reviewer who shall not be named from The Straits Times) in which case they can just sod off and suck their thumbs.
It is a classy, well-made and thoroughly epic adventure which does justice to a character worthy of greatness.
Plus, what a way to celebrate women. What a powerful film this was.
8.5/10.
Seriously, though. What a remarkable promotional campaign the movie had with such glorious posters and excellent trailers.
However, I finally settled on this one which is my favourite of the bunch.
Anyway.
75 years it took for Wonder Woman to be brought to the big screen, and that was 75 years too long.
In all that time, she has repeatedly claimed her rightful name/status as the most iconic female superhero/comic book character ever created simply due to what her character stands for, which is equality, peace and most important of all, love.
Through her ever-evolving characterisation in the comics to her iconic portrayal by the one and only Lynda Carter in the 1970's TV series, Wonder Woman always stood for justice and in the process became an undisputed feminist and cultural icon.
If Lynda Carter was Wonder Woman for her generation, the same, if not more could be said about Gal Gadot. She totally owns the role and is frankly bloody brilliant as the Amazonian warrior princess.
In all honesty, when she was announced as the new Wonder Woman, I was a little sceptical. Not because I didn't think she was capable, but more of her not having the physique (she was really skinny).
My word, did she prove me wrong.
She bulked up so much and looks more than competent. A stunning transformation and in my opinion, she was the DCEU's best casting decision of them all (and pretty much all the casting has been spot on apart from Cara Delevingne as Enchantress in Suicide Squad).
Talk about casting perfection.
After her scene-stealing introduction in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) - a movie in which she was widely regarded as one of the rare few shining lights in a movie which was so undeservedly panned by critics, fans waited to see what the DCEU had in store for the character next.
And now, we have 2017's Wonder Woman, directed by the same woman who did the acclaimed Monster (2003) and an inspired choice she was.
Brimming with style and attention to detail, she brought some very character-driven drama along with some wonderfully (no pun intended) structured action set pieces to the fore.
Her direction for the movie is very clear as a whole, and I'm glad it was considering how she was attached to the project years before any pre-production work had started.
What Wonder Woman is thematically is "origin story meets fish-out-of-water," and to many, that might seem like something that's done quite frequently in film.
Happily, the theme doesn't feel repetitive or "done before" at all. In fact, the theme aids in bringing even more character to Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) as she adopts to life outside of her homeland of Themyscira where every thing is done differently and in ways in which she isn't used to.
It makes for some brilliant comedic moments between Diana, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and Etta Candy (Lucy Davis) as the former adjusts to life in the "outside world". I liked the manner in which these comedic scenes were executed as well, in which the movie detours for a few moments in order to have these character-building scenes where they could incorporate some excellent comedic relief into.
The same can be said to an extent about the action as well, with some terrific use of slo-motion and "slo-fast-mo" which gives certain scenes just that little bit extra in terms of epicness and wow factor. My only gripe with that is that the technique is rather overused over the course of the film.
When the technique was used in the initial bits, the effects were stunning but as the movie progresses and you see more of the technique in scenes which don't necessarily require it, it becomes quite repetitive and boring in terms of variety in style.
Just a minor issue, that, and I find myself saying the same about the movie as a whole too. I really struggle to find that many issues with it.
Okay, maybe the pacing could have been a bit better around the mid-way point of the film where it drags slightly (but it drags in order to fit in character-building scenes which is totally forgivable in my book), or the CGI looking cheap in some areas, or the main antagonist being rather underwhelming.
On that last point, I liked what they did to reveal the film's main antagonist but not so much that of the actor cast to play the character. Clearly, I'm refusing to reveal any details about this because spoilers and because I wish for every one who watches Wonder Woman for the first time to be as pleasantly surprised as I was when we're introduced to the baddie.
Another slight issue I had lay in the supporting characters like Sameer (Saïd Taghmaoui), Charlie (Ewen Bremner) and Chief (Eugene Brave Rock) who frankly don't have that much to do throughout the movie. As much as I liked the characters for their quirkiness and chemistry, and not to mention how brilliantly diverse the casting of these characters was, should the movie have removed them entirely from the final cut, it wouldn't have made a difference to any outcomes or events.
That's pretty much all the issues I had with the movie.
On to the better bits, and can I just say that Gal Gadot is one very talented actress. Let's just say that in many cases, models-turned-actors don't usually have a very smooth transition into the movie industry.
In other words, just looking good isn't good enough. They need the acting chops as well, and many of these models-turned-actors lack that and it painfully shows. Take Cara Delevingne in Suicide Squad (2016) for example who struggled to shed a tear during crying scenes or Kate Upton in The Other Woman (2014) whose role in the entire movie was just to look hot in a bikini while running in slo-mo on the beach.
In Gal's case (and with a completely unbiased mindset, obviously), she completely knocks it out of the park with a performance worthy of a solid leading lady. She's amazing in all the action sequences (I mean, the lady was trained in the Israeli army for crying out loud), has great screen presence, shared electric chemistry with Chris Pine (which shows in the completely improvised scene on the boat) and is really good when it came to the more dramatic and emotional scenes which, arguably, is the hardest of the bunch.
She's way more than just a pretty face (a stunning face, actually. She is beautiful). Gal Gadot is a talented SERIOUS actress and I sincerely hope she'll have no issue in getting better and more diverse roles in Hollywood in the future.
I appreciated the very realistic characterisation of Diana in which she's portrayed as being naive, rash in decision-making and all-round imperfect.
Quite easily, they could've introduced Wonder Woman as the indestructible goddess that she's known to be instead of bringing her down to earth and making her relatable. Hence, the fact that they went with the latter truly speaks volumes of DC's vision to bring to us an empowered female hero whose imperfections make her relatable to all of us.
I thought the story and themes were excellent, especially the titular character's message of love and humanity. It's very different from the usual superhero fare where all we see is crash, boom and bang. Wonder Woman is about so much more than just that, and her character and this movie is such an inspiration for both women and men.
On the topic of gender, the movie also portrays men and women as equals unlike garbage like Ghostbusters (2016) which so deliberately portrayed men in such a derogatory manner. I have great appreciation for media that doesn't let pettiness and past grudges affect the manner in which a certain group is portrayed, especially on topics such as race or gender. We are all equal and I hope gender will be portrayed in this way for good.
On a technical level, the film is excellent - especially Patty Jenkins' character-driven direction which is so refreshing in a genre that has lost a lot of its focus on character in favour of more explosions and destruction.
Already this year, we've had two-and-a-half solid character-driven films in Logan, Wonder Woman and the last half being Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Exciting time to be alive with all this goodness emerging from the big studios.
The cinematography is stunning (especially the scenes that take place in Themyscira) and the film has such a beautifully vivid colour palette which is like the total opposite of the more desaturated colour tones of the likes of Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
There's also the score by Rupert Gregson-Williams which is nothing short of wonderful (again, no pun intended). It was a mammoth task to create a body of music to surround the glorious new Wonder Woman theme by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL which debuted in BvS.
The score has a nice variety of different themes used in different scenes and also builds-up to the iconic theme seamlessly and with the same level of grandeur. I think it's safe to say that he exceeded all expectations with the soundtrack.
For a taster of it, check out the track called "No Man's Land" on the soundtrack. You're welcome.
All in all, Wonder Woman has successfully brought the DCEU back on track with the critics after the dismal reviews the previous two instalments had undeservedly received.
It's a film for all ages. Literally every one and anyone would enjoy it unless they're just haters (like a certain reviewer who shall not be named from The Straits Times) in which case they can just sod off and suck their thumbs.
It is a classy, well-made and thoroughly epic adventure which does justice to a character worthy of greatness.
Plus, what a way to celebrate women. What a powerful film this was.
8.5/10.
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