2017 Movie Review - "Wonder Woman" Wows The World with Wisdom
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.
Please note that the following review may contain some spoilers:
FIRST ACT (THE HOOK):
The opening act in Wonder Woman is a breath of fresh air: Never before I have seen a pure combination of physical beauty and strength portrayed with women especially in a superhero genre. Queen Hippolyta and Antiope, played by Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright respectively, couldn't be written perfectly as a nurturing mother and aunt - shielding her family from danger and fighting soldiers with a heroic pride. I was also so blown away by the rich cinematography (colorful tone, beautifully choreographed fighting scenes) so much that I wouldn't object if we have stayed a little bit longer in Themiscyra.
These directions set the tone and shapes of the character - Wonder Woman. My optimism definitely carries on once I have seen how Gal Gadot embodies qualities of a hopeful innocent warrior through her acting. The charismatic Chris Pine also fits remarkably in the ensemble cast of new generations of empowering females.
It is, without a doubt in my opinion, one of the most classic yet inspiring origin stories of a superhero.
SECOND ACT (THE NO MAN'S LAND):
It's been a while since I have seen a well-written course of character development especially in the second act of summer blockbuster flicks. Most of the times, it skipped or blurred entirely from a lengthy setup to climax in a heartbeat. Wonder Woman without a doubt conquers Hollywood's biggest problem.
Through character interaction, Diana gets a crash course in humanity, from the ills (i.e. the sexism standard communicated by a general who prefers to hide behind his troops) to the good (i.e. the innocence of a baby or even the sense of purpose of an ice cream seller, etc). Steve Trevor as the male protagonist / love interest, refreshingly, also has been portrayed as a good character with problems. He's basically the mansplainer of the film, grabbing, questioning and ordering Diana what to do. Therefore, at the end of the second act, when "No Man's Land" was introduced as a wake-up call, I cheered entirely that Diana has grown to break off the chain from Steve's masculine control figuratively.
THIRD ACT (THE ENDING):
The execution of its final act is slowed down by several narrative pit stops but due to the assertiveness of its titular character in capturing wisdom, alacrity, and strength in defining moments, I was thoroughly impressed. Despite a call-back to another superhero film, Captain America: First Avenger, I found that both of the heroes only share similarities due to their symbol of optimism in the darkness of wartime and loss of significant ones. In the end, the characters have a very different origin stories, personal arcs and character development throughout their entire tales.
THE VERDICT (NO SPOILER):
Wonder Woman, as advertised, does not shy away from becoming the 1st female led blockbuster film in recent times. It may not challenge the tropes of the superhero movie, but conclusively brings the humor, heroism and uplifting message that's been missing in DCEU. Based on the box-office success, Wonder Woman answered most of our expectations and might even serve as an inspiration for a new generations of fans. After the casting of Christopher Reeve as Superman, I haven't seen any revelatory portrayal of a hero as perfect as Gal Gadot in embodying her persona as Wonder Woman. I'm proud to say that I'm happy I'm able to live in a golden time when we're able to celebrate the female power that the world appreciates. That's wonderful!
