Considering that DC has had a bit of a rough run with the reception to their attempt at a film franchise, I approached Wonder Woman with an air of caution. I made a point of being particularly unassuming as, unlike most of the other superhero films that have been released over the last 10 years, I have no real background knowledge for Wonder Woman as a character. It also didn’t help that I have formed an unfortunate habit of judging a film based on the director, and again, I had no background knowledge of Patty Jenkins or her work. However, I can safely say any fears of misgivings I had were completely unfounded, and so are yours.

I’m not gonna mince words here. Wonder Woman is a fantastic film, both within and outside the genre of superhero films. For a film set in a universe that has proved to be exceedingly dark and brooding, Wonder Woman is the light bursting through the tunnel, lighting the way forward. In fact, one of the big claims is that it is the only successful film in the franchise thusfar, which I disagree with (that’s an entirely other kettle of fish).

As viewers, you’ll get to watch Diana grow from the naive child that we sympathise, into the strong, dedicated, yet flawed woman that we can all empathise with. Given her time spent with the Israeli army, Gal Gadot handles the combat sequences with grace and form. However, the real selling point is the vulnerability that she portrays in key moments, as well as the naivete of her character that comes into play.

Each shot of the film feels purposeful, driving the film to it’s inevitable conclusion with enthusiasm. The script comes alive thanks to the characters and the direction with which each scene was filmed, with no one character’s part in the film feeling like it hinged on another, or was even missing certain characters. Given that a lot of films have a tendency to sideline, or even water down female protagonists, it’s clear that Patty Jenkins was clearly up to the task of making sure that Wonder Woman did not fall into these pitfalls.

The film is well structured and paced, with a simple focus on telling a story that isn’t bloated with easter eggs and references. Now, while I appreciate these things as a comic fan who will recognise them, there are some films (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2), that are so oversaturated by the need to jam these in, that they lose time and sight of the story that they are meant to be telling.

If I had to name one thing that I truly disliked about the film, it would have to be the character design for Ares. More accurately, his helmet. In the midst of promotion for the film, when the toys were released, Ares’ featured a Ram skull as his helmet. Seeing a picturesque portrayal of the violence he would sow, I was ridiculously hyped up to see him in such a primal visage. However, the film opted for the more traditional spiked helmet that the God of War dons. While this isn’t a problem, I can’t help but feel that it would have been a nice aesthetic touch, but I understand that the film had to cater to a less “we paid for blood” audience.

Overall, Wonder Woman is a fantastic film. It’s well made, it’s well thought out, and it’s easily one of the better superhero films to be released in recent years. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it rivals Iron Man for the title of “Best Superhero Origin Film”. If that doesn’t make you want to see it, there’s something wrong with you.

 

Story: 5/5

Structure: 4/5

Rewatchability: 5/5

Pacing: 4/5

Overall: 4.5/5