It's no secret that DC's attempt at building a cinematic universe similar to the Marvel-verse has been bumpy at best and dreadful at worst. From Man Of Steel to Suicide Squad (maybe the worst superhero movie of all time), DC can't quite seem to figure itself out. It has entrusted its franchises and tone to Zach "Sucker Punch" Snyder, and the results have been... meh. From struggles with tone to sloppy storytelling, each outing seems like a preseason football contest. You trot your stars out to get reps, but with an incomplete playbook. The DC-verse has felt like its learning how to be a franchise without a coherent direction. Critics have voiced their venomous displeasure while audiences have shown up in droves (however, I can't seem to find a single DC movie fan).
I tend to be less harsh than others when it comes to the DC movies. I actually kind of love Man Of Steel more each time I see it. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is a flawed movie, for sure, but one whose director's cut is a vast improvement over its theatrical release. Like Darth Vader, there's still some good in that one. The one DC film I just can't get behind is last summer's abortion of a film, Suicide Squad. My friend Adam put it best when he said "it looked like I think Four Loco tastes." I don't know if there's ever been a better description of a shitty movie ever written. Looking at these films, even I can admit that they are not even in the same league as Marvel's well-oiled cinematic machine. I went into Wonder Woman last night realllly hoping that it would be the first step in the right direction... and I am happy to report that, for the first time, DC's cinematic brain trust finally got it right.
Wonder Woman is a movie in three distinct parts. An original tale, a quirky comedy, and a superhero smash and bash ending. The film opens with the story of Diana, the Amazon princess, desperate to learn the ways of her fighting, all-female, clan. It's the first time in the DC-verse where the tones and colors on screen aren't flat and gray, but rather vibrant as hell. This pays dividends as we see that this ain't your father's DC movie. It's a good start, albeit one that uses a tried and true formula. The movie picks up when Chris Pine's character literally crashes the party, turning a paint by numbers action epic into an almost romantic comedy style action film.
Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, lets her comedy chops shine during this middle section. I felt that she struggled showing her more serious side, but absolutely knocked it out of the park with her interactions with Pine's character. She explores London with an almost childlike wonderment, which leads to some definite LOL's. I'm really glad that the film went in this direction. For one, it finally breaks the "no fun rule" which has been the go to direction of the DC-verse. It's a much needed infusion of charm and laughs after a couple films of brooding silence. I hope the films keep with this mix of humor and action going forward (and judging by the Justice League trailer that played before the film, it seems my hopes will be answered).
The final act of this film reverted back to a more standard CGI-infused superhero formula, but it was still exciting. There's an incredible battle across a World War I battlefield through a Belgian town that is the action highlight of the film.
I absolutely enjoyed Wonder Woman. It was the perfect summer movie escape. I'm giving it 3 out of 4 stars. It is not a perfect film, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. I'm actually excited for Justice League.
It has its flaws, for sure. The director tends to favor Zac Snyder slow motion style action sequences a little too much, and as my co-worker described to me, the score seems a little out of place at times. The main villain is also completely under-developed. The big reveal/spoiler fell a little flat, to me. However, my complaints are minor. It was a really fun introduction to one of the most classic characters of all-time.
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