Film Review: Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (2017)
starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright,
Connie Nielsen, Danny Houston, Lucy Davis
starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright,
Connie Nielsen, Danny Houston, Lucy Davis
Watch the final trailer for Wonder Woman
Official Synopsis
Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full powers and true destiny.I saw Wonder Woman on its opening day last Friday (June 2nd), and I love, love, loved it! It was what I've been waiting for, especially for a very first live-action female superhero in the male crowded Comic Book Film genre. It was worth waiting for and surpassed my expectations of this film marvelously. I loved everything about this movie from beginning to end. The buzz for this film was well-deserved. It didn't disappoint and it was as great as everyone was saying it to be (before I saw it). The awesome trailers alone made me super pumped and excited to see this movie. It most certainly delivered and was all that and more!
The Casting in this film was simply perfect especially the main ensemble cast...
Gal Gadot as Diana Prince (aka Diana, Princess of Themyscira)/Wonder Woman was absolutely WONDERful, charismatic, beautiful, fierce, funny, charming, heroic, glorious, and kickass in the title role. She did a superb job portraying the dual persona of her character as the young, naive, and inexperience of the man's world, Diana Prince and as the fierce, courageous, and powerful Wonder Woman, not too mentioned she slayed and nailed her character perfectly. She is the heart and wonder of this film. Her hard work and efforts in preparing for this iconic role has most definitely paid off as her performance was top notch and it showed in the film. Having first seen her debut and extended cameo as Diana/Wonder Woman in a scene-stealing part and one of the highlights of last year's Batman v Superman [read my BvS film Review here] film (starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Amy Adams), I was already a fan (even bigger now after seeing her in her own solo, standalone origin film, her first leading role too) and got super excited and was very much looking forward to seeing her very own first solo film...and WonderGal sure delivered and didn't disappoint. Also, it was very nice to hear that her "Is She With You" Wonder Woman theme in BvS (I even downloaded my copy of that track as I loved it) plays prominently in the trailers and this film. It is so memorable and unforgettable that I get super excited every time I hear it, just like in BvS. Her awesome action scenes (especially in that epic "No Man's Land" scene) and fight choreography were the best I've seen in a long time and were a triumph in this movie, makes me even more excited and super pumped to see her again in another repeat or multiple viewing of this movie as well as in Justice League and a possible Wonder Woman sequel!
Chris Pine as Captain Steve Trevor, a heartthrob American spy/pilot, was very good, charming, handsome, and funny in this movie. His character, while he wasn't a superhero, he was a hero in his own right and shines on his own moments, and he compliments Gal's Diana/WW perfectly as her sidekick and love interest.
Gal Gadot & Chris Pine had such an amazing on-screen chemistry as Diana/Wonder Woman & Steve Trevor. These two were just WONDERful and amazing together. Steve & Diana are my new favorite OTP (one true pair), after Lois & Clark/Superman and Elizabeth & Darcy, of course! Love all their scenes together and their banter in this movie was fun and entertaining to watch.They complimented each other very well and while there was very little romance in their relationship in this movie, I could see these two were a perfect match and they were just beautiful together.
Connie Nielsen as Diana's mother, Queen Hippolyta did a wonderful job playing her role even though she had a small part. Her scenes were memorable especially with the very young Diana and when she was saying goodbye to older Diana.
Robin Wright as Diana's aunt, Antiope was awesome and bad ass as the General and mentor to Diana. Unfortunately, here role in this movie was brief, but was most certainly memorable and unforgettable.
Lucy Davis as Etta Candy was quite a scene-stealer and she added humor to Diana and Steve's scenes in London with her one-liners in her few, but still memorable scenes. As Steve's friendly secretary (or as Diana calls her work "slavery" in where she came from, haha), she immediately liked Diana and I heard in WW comics they were BFF.
The rest of the cast including the two younger Dianas (especially the youngest Diana did a fantastic job playing her part and she's very cute and adorable too) were noteworthy.
Patty Jenkins did a fantastic job directing Gal Gadot (and cast) and the whole Wonder Woman film. She perfectly balanced the dramatic and comedic tones along with some amazing action/stunt fights sequences and romance between our main OTP.
Favorite WW Quotes...
"I used to want to save the world, this beautiful place. But the closer you get, the more you see the great darkness within. I learnt this the hard way, a long, long time ago." -Diana Prince
"You're a man." -Diana Prince
"Yeah... I mean... do I not look like one?" -Steve Trevor
"I will fight, for those who can not fight for themselves." -Diana
"I can't let you do this." -Steve
"What I do is not up to you." -Diana
"I'm Steve Trevor's secretary." -Etta Candy
"What is a secretary?" -Diana
"I go where he tells me to go, I do what he tells me to do." -Etta
"Where we come from, that's called slavery." -Diana
"I like her!" -Etta
"That sword doesn't suit you." [to Diana] -Etta
"At all." -Steve
"It's about what you believe. And I believe in love. Only love will truly save the world." -Diana
"I can not stand by while innocent lives are lost!" -Diana
"It is our sacred duty to defend the world. And it is what I am going to do." -Diana
"I am Diana, Princess of Themys..." -Diana
"Prince! Diana Prince!" -Steve
"What are you?" -General Erich Ludendorff
"I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta!" -Diana
"If you choose to leave, you may never return." -Queen Hippolyta
"How will I be if I stay?" -Diana
"It's wonderful!" [as she tasted her ice-cream] -Diana
"What is this place? Who are you people?" -Steve
"You are a bridge to a greater understanding." -Diana
"You have been my greatest love. Be careful, Diana. They do not deserve you." -Queen Hippolyta
and many more...
Favorite Scenes...
-The opening scene with Diana in the modern setting working at Louvre in Paris and seeing that Bruce Wayne Enterprises truck delivering a package to her was a nice little Easter Egg linked to BvS and that JL part of the license plate is a nice teaser for upcoming Justice League film, which Wonder Woman is a part of with Batman, Superman, and the rest of the JL team
-All the Themyscira scenes from when young Diana appeared to her training to her adult years before Steve Trevor crashed-landed in their island.
-Diana's London arrival and how she was fished out of the water (the film captivated her innocence and vulnerability) upon seeing the humans in Steve's world for the first time, eating ice-cream and praising the ice-cream vendor (I just learned it was an Easter egg and a homage from WW comics that she does love ice-cream), lol.
-The wonderfully choreographed fight scene in the alley where Diana saved Trevor from getting shot at, blocking those bullets with her magical gauntlet.
-All of Diana & Trevor scenes together (and separately) were awesome!
-Wonder Woman's warehouse slow-mo fight scenes were epic!
-Wonder Woman entering the trenches of "No Man's Land" running and blocking those soldiers' bullets with her gauntlet and shield. The best part and best scene in this movie. It was epic and heroic!
-Wonder Woman fighting General Lunderdorff and her epic fight with Ares in the end!
and many more!
Overall, while these film's not perfect (and no movies ever are) and has minor flaws (which, is easily overlooked as the many great things about this film far outweighs the few minimal flaws, which didn't bother me at all), I thought Wonder Woman is a top quality superhero female live-action film we've all been waiting for! It is a Winner! It sure was (and I will use as many positive adjectives here because it totally deserved all the love and phrase) an absolute WONDER, courageous, heroic, epic, fresh, thrilling, entertaining, exciting, amazing, visually stunning, filled with heart and humor, best action with mind-blowing stunt fights/fight choreography, lovely little romance, with a spectacular visual effects, uplifting (with a message of love and hope), and one of the best and most incredible Comic Book films I've ever seen especially with a female lead (and female director). Mad props to director Zack Snyder (Man of Steel/BvS/Justice League), Jason Fuchs, and Allan Heinberg (who wrote the screenplay) for such a WONDERful story. Great Musical Score by Rupert Gregson-Williams for most of the music in this film and the familiar and popular Hans Zimmer "Is She With You" (Wonder Woman Theme) from BvS. The Production/Set designs by Aline Bonetto were beautiful. The Costume Designs by Lindy Hemming (especially Diana/Wonder Woman's costumes) were stunningly gorgeous. The Visual Effects were amazing and very impressive, the Cinematography by Matthew Jensen was visually stunning, most especially the beautiful landscapes in Themyscira as the home of the Amazons (and WW herself) scenes. I will definitely be watching this movie multiple times. That's how wonderful and amazing it was. It leaves you feeling in an awe and wonder and still thinking about it long after the end credits roll on the big screen and on the way home! I highly recommend you see this movie, if you haven't already, with your family and friends. It appeals to general audience, young and old, men and women. Go see it!
My Wonder Woman Film Rating:
(10/10; A+)
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