Films > Film Reviews

Wonder Woman

Cinema City

03/06/17

Does the DC film universe finally get it right with Wonder Woman? It's time to use the characters very own Lasso of Truth to find out.

It's safe to say that the past couple of DC films have had mixed receptions. With Justice League releasing later in the year it felt like a lot was riding on Wonder Woman. It had to show that a standalone DC film could still be relevant and deliver a good experience to restore confidence in a film franchise that has desperately needed a hit for some time now. Overall, however, Wonder Woman is not particularly good or particularly bad but as a result fails to make any real impact or impression.

The film starts out during the events of Batman v Superman after Bruce Wayne has sent Diana (Gal Gadot) the photo of her from WWI. Naturally, the photo prompts Diana to remember the events that lead up to that photo and what came afterwards as well. Anyone who's seen a few comic book films in their time will feel right at home here as the first quarter or so of the film dives right into the origins of this character. The kind of origin story stuff that makes sense to come before rather than after a film like Batman v Superman but there you go. Of course the origins of any comic book character is important but this part of the film can really drag as it covers content you’ve already seen a dozen times elsewhere. It's only after the introduction of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) that the film really starts to gain pace but even then the film takes its time before pushing forward with the main bulk of its actual story rather than the origin story content. The overall premise is that Diana believes that Ares the god of war is responsible for WWI and sets out from her home of Themyscira with Steve to kill Ares and end the war.

Unfortunately, Wonder Woman fails to deliver anything other than an average experience - this is down to numerous factors rather than any one major issue. With the exception of Gal Gadot and Chris Pine who have numerous great scenes together and play their parts wonderfully the rest of the characters and the actors who play them leave much to be desired. The villains, for example, fail to leave any real impression, the film focussing mainly on General Ludendorff and Dr Maru. They're certainly not terribly acted but as villains they lack any real presence and the threat they pose seems almost trivial - a plotline that spends far too much time and attention on a new deadly gas weapon. There are supporting good guys that don’t get introduced until around halfway through the film, attempts are made to develop these characters further at least but by the end the role they play is insignificant. Most disappointing is another character who I shan't name due to spoilers who should have had a large and impactful presence on screen. Unfortunately, the actor who plays the character just seems to be terribly cast and as a result one of the most pivotal parts of the film lacks any true impingement. There are also a few other nitpicks to be had, such as why German characters insist on speaking English to each other.

If there is one thing that Wonder Woman is good at it's kicking ass and thankfully most of the action scenes in the film are highly enjoyable to watch. There is a nice mixture of fights and battles throughout the film but there is one section, in particular, that is by far the highlight of the film, especially when that now iconic Wonder Woman theme kicks in. Seeing Wonder Woman singlehandedly storm no man's land and take on a garrisoned town is truly magnificent to behold. Still, there are issues here as well. Namely, the 12A rating holds back the action scenes. Normally a 12A rating should be no problem for a comic book films action scenes it certainly wasn’t an issue in Captain America – The First Avengers' WWII setting for example, but in a WWI setting against completely normal human adversaries the lack of gore and maturity, for the most part, was very noticeable in some fights. Also, the fact that Wonder Woman is mostly up against normal guys with bolt action rifles and bayonets means there is little threat or danger present in the action - this is a character who can go toe to toe with Superman after all. Hilariously by the end of the film, they make a big deal over the fact that many of these German soldiers are in fact just young boys. It would be a nice sentiment were it not for the fact we see Wonder Woman go slightly overkill numerous times. By the time the stakes are raised in the fight scenes it starts to borderline on silly and also becomes needlessly dragged out and a tad anti-climatic due to some predictable and cliched moments.

The overall production of the film cannot be faulted. As mentioned when that awesome theme kicks in its hard not to smile and the rest of the soundtrack is great as well. The film is also very gorgeous to look at from the paradise on earth of Themyscira to the bleak misery of no man's land on the Western Front. Equally the costume design is great with Wonder Woman stealing the show with her iconic armour and deadly weaponry. While the setting is not used that much there are also some nice details for all the history lovers out there to spot and appreciate. It's also not all action and plot development - there are some sections in the film with some genuinely good humour and light heart, and the heartfelt and personal scenes between Diana and Steve make for some genuinely touching moments.

Elsewhere it seems that Wonder Woman is being well received. This film certainly is not bad but I can't exactly recommend that you rush out to see it either. If you're not a fan of DC films or comic book films in general then this film will certainly not change your mind. Thankfully the tie into the rest of the DC film universe is minimal and thus this film can be enjoyed as a standalone experience. That said, the character development given to Diana is immense and thus watching her role in Batman v Superman again or the upcoming Justice League film will likely be more enjoyable for those who go out and see Wonder Woman. In conclusion, not great not bad just a good action film with enough heart to make it worth watching at some point.