Wonder Woman
“Sometimes It Takes a Strong Woman”
Rating: PG-13. Run time: 2hr 21mins.
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nelson, Robin Wright, and Danny Houston.
review by Sean Mitchell
It has been argued that there is nothing sexier, than a gorgeous woman who knows how to handle herself. Runway model material from head to toe, but behind those sultry eyes is a “no holds bar”, spit in your face, cussing, whopping ass machine. There have been various notable actresses to portray badass female characters during the course cinematic history. There was the scintillating sexy Pam Grier in Foxy Brown in 1974. Sigourney Weaver lead a crew of gung-ho marines to take on the mother of all Aliens in its 1986 sequel. Also, Linda Hamilton reprised her role as the tough “mission minded” Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991. And who can forget, Uma Thurman as a martial artist bloody sword yielding bride in Kill Bill in 2003. Now, add Gal Gadot to that list as the beautiful Amazon princess from Paradise Island, Wonder Woman.
While Princess Diana goes against her mother’s wishes and trains to become a warrior, a WWI pilot crashes on Paradise Island. Conflicts of the outside world comes to fruition as told by her ancestors, the arrival of Artemis. She must leave home to fight the war to end all wars, or so she believes. During this, she discovers her true destiny and the powers she possesses.
The story by Zach Snyder (screenplay by Allan Heinberg) is both intelligent and funny which is a far cry from the disastrous and convoluted Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice in which he directed. The action scenes rivals that of Superman: Man of Steel. The use of slow motion makes the fighting scenes more dramatic (probably needs to cut down on the soliloquies of the “why” behind the fight) and intense like that of a high octane martial arts film.
Casting plays a big part in the success of the film. Like we picture Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark’s Iron Man, Gal Gadot will be forever known as Wonder Woman. She is stunning as Princes Diane with just the right mixture of “beauty and brawn”. With her accent and innocence of a woman raised on a beautiful island, out on her own for the first time solidifies the realness of her character. This also adds some comedy relief with her male costar Chris Pine. Their chemistry is undeniable and is the heart of the film as Diana questions her beliefs as she sees “first hand” that the world is much more complex than she anticipates. The film’s stand-out performances are by Lucy Davis as Steve Trevor’s (Pine) secretary, Etta Candy and Robin Wright as Diane’s aunt, Antiope. Davis’ wit and sense of comic timing makes the film uniquely entertaining. Adversely, Wright’s strong presence and “kick ass” attitude as the Paradise Island top Warrior and trainer contributes to the film’s top action scenes and the root of Wonder Woman’s strength and determination.
Sometimes it takes a strong woman to help a franchise rise from the ashes of death. Wonder Woman has help breathe life into the DC movie franchise that was once flat lining on the death bed of comic book film lore. When the credits started to role, members of the audience were clapping, ensuring that Wonder Woman will grace the silver screen once more. D.C. welcome to the party, we all have been waiting.
Editor’s note: Wonder Woman is now showing at the NCG Acworth Theater and NCG Marietta Theater. Cobb County, GA