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locker_monster(I am lacking a Wonder Woman icon. An icon featuring Supergirl play strangling Green Arrow and the Flash will have to do.)
I went to see Wonder Woman this morning, which has in turn delayed my viewing of Doctor Who until this evening, but that's all right. Wonder Woman was worth missing Doctor Who.
Finally, a female centric superhero movie that doesn't suck! Is Wonder Woman perfect? Not completely, but in the end, it's a fun movie with an awesome main character who doesn't compromise herself to win the day. If DC can keep this up this quality for the other solo movies, then their cinematic universe may stand a chance after all.
The one compliant that you'll probably hear a lot is that the movie is too long. It's over two and a half hours, with a lot of set up at the beginning. You have to establish Diana's world before she leaves it and set up the mythology for her slice of the DC verse. There may be an argument that you could cut a lot of the early stuff, and lay out the background about the gods in a voiceover or something, but adorable kiddie Diana is just the best and she alone makes the early scenes great. They also set up the Amazons' fighting style, which influences the later fight scenes. So there's a reason for everything, but if you go into the movie expecting to see Diana beating up the bad guys on the battlefield within the first twenty minutes, then you're in for a long wait.
I'm glad the movie has time to breathe. You get to spend more time with the characters. Diana's motivation to leave the island to stop the war isn't because she suddenly meets a man. She hears about the atrocities that are happening and she can't stand idly by while innocents are hurt. Her compassion and her conviction is just amazing. Even when she's thrust into this foreign land, she doesn't waver from her goal. Diana has optimism, which is something that's been sorely lacking in this DC movie verse. She probably could have made her way to the Western Front without Steve, though maybe with less subtly. But damn, when she does get there, wow. The fight scene in No Man's Land / Veld is so great. Diana just barrels her way through and the guys in the trenches are just dumbfounded.
The middle bit is definitely the showcase of the movie. Diana cuts down so many bad guys in Veld. There are a lot of slow mo moments, just because Diana's fighting style is very flowy, but nowhere is there a move where Diana takes down a guy like a luchador, which is sometimes the trap when a woman enters a fight scene. She's a great mix of brute force and elegance, which sets her apart from Superman and Batman. After the battle is wonderful, too. The town is saved and everyone is grateful and Diana and Steve have a quiet moment where he tries to teach her how to dance. The nice things is, the scene doesn't become a clichéd scene where he flirts with her and charms his way past her defences. They talk more about the war and what ordinary people would be doing if the war wasn't happening. And then is starts snowing and Diana is totally taken away with the beauty of it. The movie uses the time to expand on why Diana would fight for this world and I just loved it.
Steve also benefits from the extra time. He isn't some one note hunk that lures Diana away from Themyscira. He wants to end the war, too. His backstory isn't extensive, but he's a lot like Diana; he can't sit back and watch as the world ends. I liked that he had a different skill set from Diana. He's the spy. He doesn't just barge in, he sneaks in. It's a nice contrast and it plays into different stereotypes. The guy in the action story usually isn't the careful one. The writers probably had a very hard time writing Steve. He can't take over the story, it's Diana's story through and through, but he can't be completely useless either. He has to be a capable man that can keep up with Diana but he also can't be dumb and try to hold her back from being who she is. The nice thing about Steve is that he takes it all in stride. The alleyway scene when the enemy spies gang up on them is a nice example. Steve starts off the fight, but then Diana totally takes over and he smart enough to know not to get in the way. In summary, Steven isn't a misogynistic jerk.
As for the plot, it's straightforward enough. There's a scientist lady, Doctor Poison, who has created a deadly new poison gas and Steve thinks if he can stop her, then that's the end of the war. Diana also happens to think that Ares, Greek god of war, is behind WWI so her main motivation is to kill him. Most of the movie is spent getting to the Western Front. You get some lovely fish out of water stuff when Diana first lands in London. Like, she sees a baby and just melts because, obviously, she's never seen a baby before. The movie also takes a detour to a Selfridges so Diana can get some clothing and you get some commentary on the clothing of the day and a woman's place in the 1910s. You also get to meet Etta Candy, the only other woman Diana meets while in Man's World. Etta's a joy; too bad her role wasn't bigger. There's also the prerequisite team of misfits that takes Diana to the Western Front. It's a small group, only three guys plus Steve and Diana, but you avoid any comparisons to the Howling Commandos.
The main bad guy is some German general and you're led to believe that he's Ares in disguise. I caught on pretty early that he's just a red herring. It was too obvious. Diana does meet the true Ares and it's here that you learn the real truth about Diana's background. The whole sculpted by clay thing is a total lie. Turns out, Diana is a demigod and it's her destiny to kill the last god, Ares. I kind of groaned here. The demigod thing is from the New 52 reboot. Like, being sculpted from clay wasn't bad ass enough so they made Diana part god. Maybe it's the way they play up the mystery that makes the reveal kind of fall flat. If they hadn't made a big deal, maybe the impact would have been bigger. I don't know.
The final battle between Diana and Ares is a big CGI slugfest, but that's a summer movie for you. Ultimately, Steve sacrifices himself to stop the deployment of the poison gas, but not before he declares his love for Diana. It's that moment that stops Diana from giving into her rage during her fight with Ares. Once again, compassion and optimism; the best parts about Diana. Though, Diana totally kills Ares because hey, he's the bad guy and evil. Doctor Poison does make it out alive, so Wonder Woman has that going for it over Man of Steel. Basically, Diana comes away realizing that mankind can be horrible and ugly to each other, but they can be good and wonderful as well.
There's no set up for Justice League, which is totally fine. Diana's solo outing is about her and not about hinting what's to come. I really want a Wonder Woman sequel sooner rather than later, but the other League members need to have their time. I don't know where you could go with a second Wonder Woman movie. Do you set it in the past again? Or do you bring it forward? I think it's made clear that Diana never went home to Themyscira so there's a big span of time to fill in. Bringing it forward echoes Captain America, so I don't know if DC would want that. Maybe set the next one in the 1970s, to mirror the TV show. :-D
Random thoughts: Diana has a moment where she eats ice cream for the first time and she's all "this is the greatest thing ever!" While funny - she tells the ice cream seller that he should be very proud of himself - it was also a bit silly. Like, Diana is a woman, so she must love ice cream. I know the moment is more about Diana tasting something brand new for the first time, but it still could be viewed the other, more clichéd way. Diana wears a pair of glasses for a short bit for no apparent reason. I think Steven was trying to get her to blend in more. Either way, it's a nice shout out to Diana's look from the TV show, where her Diana Prince alter ego was this nerdy, dressed down secretary. Steve dying wasn't a huge surprise. Even if he had lived, he'd be dead in the present day anyway. By killing him off, his death means something to Diana. Some of the CGI during the fights was a bit off. It especially looked weird during the beach seige at the beginning of the movie. Some of the Amazons were a bit too bendy. Overall though, it seemed like it was the real Gal Gadot, or her stunt double, for most of the action sequences. I thought I read somewhere that the TV Wonder Woman theme song would be worked in to the movie, but maybe it was cut. Or maybe it was an orchestral version I didn't notice. I'm glad there wasn't a cameo for Lynda Carter. It would have taken you out of the moment.
I'd totally be willing to see this movie again. I feel bad for the movies that have to follow Wonder Woman in the summer viewing schedule. They're going to have a hard time trying to beat her.
I went to see Wonder Woman this morning, which has in turn delayed my viewing of Doctor Who until this evening, but that's all right. Wonder Woman was worth missing Doctor Who.
Finally, a female centric superhero movie that doesn't suck! Is Wonder Woman perfect? Not completely, but in the end, it's a fun movie with an awesome main character who doesn't compromise herself to win the day. If DC can keep this up this quality for the other solo movies, then their cinematic universe may stand a chance after all.
The one compliant that you'll probably hear a lot is that the movie is too long. It's over two and a half hours, with a lot of set up at the beginning. You have to establish Diana's world before she leaves it and set up the mythology for her slice of the DC verse. There may be an argument that you could cut a lot of the early stuff, and lay out the background about the gods in a voiceover or something, but adorable kiddie Diana is just the best and she alone makes the early scenes great. They also set up the Amazons' fighting style, which influences the later fight scenes. So there's a reason for everything, but if you go into the movie expecting to see Diana beating up the bad guys on the battlefield within the first twenty minutes, then you're in for a long wait.
I'm glad the movie has time to breathe. You get to spend more time with the characters. Diana's motivation to leave the island to stop the war isn't because she suddenly meets a man. She hears about the atrocities that are happening and she can't stand idly by while innocents are hurt. Her compassion and her conviction is just amazing. Even when she's thrust into this foreign land, she doesn't waver from her goal. Diana has optimism, which is something that's been sorely lacking in this DC movie verse. She probably could have made her way to the Western Front without Steve, though maybe with less subtly. But damn, when she does get there, wow. The fight scene in No Man's Land / Veld is so great. Diana just barrels her way through and the guys in the trenches are just dumbfounded.
The middle bit is definitely the showcase of the movie. Diana cuts down so many bad guys in Veld. There are a lot of slow mo moments, just because Diana's fighting style is very flowy, but nowhere is there a move where Diana takes down a guy like a luchador, which is sometimes the trap when a woman enters a fight scene. She's a great mix of brute force and elegance, which sets her apart from Superman and Batman. After the battle is wonderful, too. The town is saved and everyone is grateful and Diana and Steve have a quiet moment where he tries to teach her how to dance. The nice things is, the scene doesn't become a clichéd scene where he flirts with her and charms his way past her defences. They talk more about the war and what ordinary people would be doing if the war wasn't happening. And then is starts snowing and Diana is totally taken away with the beauty of it. The movie uses the time to expand on why Diana would fight for this world and I just loved it.
Steve also benefits from the extra time. He isn't some one note hunk that lures Diana away from Themyscira. He wants to end the war, too. His backstory isn't extensive, but he's a lot like Diana; he can't sit back and watch as the world ends. I liked that he had a different skill set from Diana. He's the spy. He doesn't just barge in, he sneaks in. It's a nice contrast and it plays into different stereotypes. The guy in the action story usually isn't the careful one. The writers probably had a very hard time writing Steve. He can't take over the story, it's Diana's story through and through, but he can't be completely useless either. He has to be a capable man that can keep up with Diana but he also can't be dumb and try to hold her back from being who she is. The nice thing about Steve is that he takes it all in stride. The alleyway scene when the enemy spies gang up on them is a nice example. Steve starts off the fight, but then Diana totally takes over and he smart enough to know not to get in the way. In summary, Steven isn't a misogynistic jerk.
As for the plot, it's straightforward enough. There's a scientist lady, Doctor Poison, who has created a deadly new poison gas and Steve thinks if he can stop her, then that's the end of the war. Diana also happens to think that Ares, Greek god of war, is behind WWI so her main motivation is to kill him. Most of the movie is spent getting to the Western Front. You get some lovely fish out of water stuff when Diana first lands in London. Like, she sees a baby and just melts because, obviously, she's never seen a baby before. The movie also takes a detour to a Selfridges so Diana can get some clothing and you get some commentary on the clothing of the day and a woman's place in the 1910s. You also get to meet Etta Candy, the only other woman Diana meets while in Man's World. Etta's a joy; too bad her role wasn't bigger. There's also the prerequisite team of misfits that takes Diana to the Western Front. It's a small group, only three guys plus Steve and Diana, but you avoid any comparisons to the Howling Commandos.
The main bad guy is some German general and you're led to believe that he's Ares in disguise. I caught on pretty early that he's just a red herring. It was too obvious. Diana does meet the true Ares and it's here that you learn the real truth about Diana's background. The whole sculpted by clay thing is a total lie. Turns out, Diana is a demigod and it's her destiny to kill the last god, Ares. I kind of groaned here. The demigod thing is from the New 52 reboot. Like, being sculpted from clay wasn't bad ass enough so they made Diana part god. Maybe it's the way they play up the mystery that makes the reveal kind of fall flat. If they hadn't made a big deal, maybe the impact would have been bigger. I don't know.
The final battle between Diana and Ares is a big CGI slugfest, but that's a summer movie for you. Ultimately, Steve sacrifices himself to stop the deployment of the poison gas, but not before he declares his love for Diana. It's that moment that stops Diana from giving into her rage during her fight with Ares. Once again, compassion and optimism; the best parts about Diana. Though, Diana totally kills Ares because hey, he's the bad guy and evil. Doctor Poison does make it out alive, so Wonder Woman has that going for it over Man of Steel. Basically, Diana comes away realizing that mankind can be horrible and ugly to each other, but they can be good and wonderful as well.
There's no set up for Justice League, which is totally fine. Diana's solo outing is about her and not about hinting what's to come. I really want a Wonder Woman sequel sooner rather than later, but the other League members need to have their time. I don't know where you could go with a second Wonder Woman movie. Do you set it in the past again? Or do you bring it forward? I think it's made clear that Diana never went home to Themyscira so there's a big span of time to fill in. Bringing it forward echoes Captain America, so I don't know if DC would want that. Maybe set the next one in the 1970s, to mirror the TV show. :-D
Random thoughts: Diana has a moment where she eats ice cream for the first time and she's all "this is the greatest thing ever!" While funny - she tells the ice cream seller that he should be very proud of himself - it was also a bit silly. Like, Diana is a woman, so she must love ice cream. I know the moment is more about Diana tasting something brand new for the first time, but it still could be viewed the other, more clichéd way. Diana wears a pair of glasses for a short bit for no apparent reason. I think Steven was trying to get her to blend in more. Either way, it's a nice shout out to Diana's look from the TV show, where her Diana Prince alter ego was this nerdy, dressed down secretary. Steve dying wasn't a huge surprise. Even if he had lived, he'd be dead in the present day anyway. By killing him off, his death means something to Diana. Some of the CGI during the fights was a bit off. It especially looked weird during the beach seige at the beginning of the movie. Some of the Amazons were a bit too bendy. Overall though, it seemed like it was the real Gal Gadot, or her stunt double, for most of the action sequences. I thought I read somewhere that the TV Wonder Woman theme song would be worked in to the movie, but maybe it was cut. Or maybe it was an orchestral version I didn't notice. I'm glad there wasn't a cameo for Lynda Carter. It would have taken you out of the moment.
I'd totally be willing to see this movie again. I feel bad for the movies that have to follow Wonder Woman in the summer viewing schedule. They're going to have a hard time trying to beat her.
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Date: 2017-06-04 05:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-06-06 12:33 pm (UTC)