Wonder of Wonders, They Got One Right
Grab your seats, class is in session.
Howdy Boss Family. The Professor is checking back in and giving you my take on the latest of the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) movies. This is the one a lot have been waiting for as it finally gives people a strong, female lead in a comic book movie. We’re of course talking about:
As per usual, let’s get this out right up front: this is a very good movie. Surprisingly so, you might even say. I’ll explain. I have yet to be a fan of any of the recent DCEU movies, as you can very easily tell from previous reviews. I didn’t really like Man of Steel. I had a lot of issues with Batman v. Superman. I won’t even get into my opinion of the mess that was Suicide Squad. Give me three straight movies that I consider to not be very good, and while I’ll continue to give you a chance, I’ll be going in with seriously low expectations. So that’s what I did. I went into Wonder Woman expecting to not enjoy it, expecting to get something very similar to the previous three. Thankfully, I did not. I saw a well written, well acted, and well put together movie.
There is a lot to like here, and I’ll try to give you what I can without giving anything away. As I’ve said before, that’s tough to do, but I’ll give it my best. If something slips, I apologize ahead of time. First and foremost, let’s talk about Gal Gadot. She was one of the only things I did actually like about Batman v. Superman and she continues to be one of the only things I like about the DCEU movies. She brings exactly what I think people want to see in a female lead. When it’s time to be soft and compassionate, she’s able to do that with a style and grace that can be read from facial expressions alone. It reminds me a lot of why I so enjoyed Stana Katic from her years on Castle. Words don’t need to be said to understand what she’s trying to say, she just has a way to let you know. But on the flip side, when it’s time to be strong and a force to be reckoned with, she brings it with a strength that we haven’t really seen yet from a female comic book lead. She may not be the biggest woman physically, but she carries an aura about her that exudes power. I will not be at all surprised if she is asked to do more action movies in the future. Her main counterpart in this one is Chris Pine, who plays Steve Trevor, a spy for the British (relax, it’s not really a spoiler). He arrives in her home of Themiscyra by accident, which in turn sparks the story into gear. It leads to the two of them making a deal and heads straight on into the whole purpose behind the movie. Chris has always been good in everything I have personally seen him in, I’ve always been a fan, and this movie is no different. I can’t say much more about his role without giving parts of the movie away, so let’s just say that the part he’s asked to play, he plays perfectly, bringing both his own strength and compassion to the film. What I may have enjoyed most about the movie is that finally, a DC movie was written with one true story line, and it stuck to it. It didn’t try to cram too many different bits into two hours without making sense of one. Once the purpose is revealed, that’s the story and they stick to it. It makes for a much easier film to follow and enjoy. It’s also another movie that just gets the visuals right. From the sets in the beginning with the amazingly beautiful Themiscyra to the desolate WW1 war zones that they travel to, the surroundings always match the mood to a tee.
So, what did I not like. Not a whole lot, to be honest. While I did feel the last third of the movie kind of gets away from what made the movie good, it didn’t stray far enough away to change my feelings. I would have preferred a different direction, but I’m ok with how it goes. I think the main villain of the movie would have used a little more development, but I kind of see why they didn’t. I also think the twist they throw in is a little obvious, despite the elderly woman behind me not seeing it. For the record, ma’am, nyah nyah I was right and you were wrong. Next time try not whispering through the entire movie and I wouldn’t have heard you be wrong so loudly. The only other thing I didn’t really like is something I can’t get into here, as it’s a fairly major spoiler, so if you’re curious what it is I’ll tell you privately.
Final verdict? If you’re a fan of super hero movies, you should go see it. If you are looking for a movie that has a strongly acted, powerful female lead, then you should definitely go see it. The movie will bring you exactly what you are looking for. It’s also worth going to see in the theaters. Is it a MUST see in the theater? Probably not, but worth it for sure.
Far as I know, the next time we’ll meet will be for the movie I am personally waiting for this year, Spider-Man Homecoming. I can guarantee you I will like this movie no matter what, as the Professor is an absolutely Spider-Man fanboy. I can admit it. July 7th, you’ll be hearing from me for sure.
Until next time…
Class dismissed.
