Wonder Woman

WONDER WOMAN

Director : Patty Jenkins
Year : 2017
Genre : Superhero
Rating : ***1/2

As regular readers of my reviews will know, I have not been the biggest fan of DC's dull and dreary Cinematic Universe - both 2013's 'Man Of Steel' and 2016's 'Batman v Superman : Dawn Of Justice' appeared in my respective "worst of" year countdowns while last Summer's 'Suicide Squad' proved to be one of the most disappointing films of the past decade. But with the release of Patty Jenkins' eagerly awaited 'Wonder Woman', the franchise has finally started to show some artistic promise  - and all it took was a little girl power.

The film begins on the mythical paradise of Themyscira, a beautiful island cut off from the dangers of the outside world by an invisible force-field impervious to both weather and time. Adorned with the monolithic sculptures and palacial castles of ages past, this strange land is populated by the strong and powerful Amazonians, a race of women created by Zeus to protect the Earth from the wrath of Ares, the vengeful God of war. They themselves are ruled by the mighty Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). a fearsome yet just figure who despite her talks of strength and honour, vehemently refuses to allow her young yet determined daughter Diana (Gal Gadot) to learn the arts of combat for fear of injury or even death.

But fate begins to smile on the young yet ambitious Princess when an American pilot (Chris Pine) crash lands on the beach of Themyscira and promptly tells the women of the horrific war that is ravaging the world beyond the horizon. Believing this to be the work of none other than Ares himself, Diana decides to take matters into her own hands destroy the nemesis once and for all. However, upon leaving the safety of her realm, she soon finds herself in the midst of a very different conflict - World War I.

The first feature film to focus on the sword wielding, whip cracking heroine, 'Wonder Woman' is a truly revolutionary movie for reasons that go far beyond its thrilling action sequences and universally likeable characters. For decades, comic book fans have been eagerly awaiting Diana Prince's first big screen appearance and thankfully, the film doesn't disappoint - with well choreographed action set pieces and visually stunning CGI landscapes sure to please both die hard aficionados and relative newbies (like myself) to the character. But while these aspects certainly work in 'Wonder Woman's favour, what is even more impressive are the many statistics surrounding the movie. 

Not only is it the first superhero film in over 13 years to predominantly centre on a female character (following 2004's risible Razzie-winning flop 'Catwoman' ) but it is also marks the first time in the history of the subgenre that a female director has been at the helm and thankfully, Patty Jenkins has done a pretty stellar job of bringing everyone's favourite tiara toting warrior to the multiplexes of the world - at least a good enough job to break the record for the highest grossing movie ever made by a female director. 

Before 'Wonder Woman', Jenkins was known for making the truly devastating 2003 bio-drama 'Monster' and she effortlessly makes the gigantic leap from small budgeted Academy Award winners (Charlize Theron won the Oscar for her extraordinary performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos) to multimillion dollar franchise blockbusters in a way that is both impressive and exciting. For too long now, hack directors such as Zack Snyder and Michael Bay have ruled the roost when it comes to action blockbuster cinema. Hopefully, Patty Jenkins will blaze the trail for a new breed of talented and ambitious ladies who can deliver the necessary thrills and spills without having to sacrifice flair, flourish and above all, fun.

While Wonder Woman has her iconic whip and sword, Patty Jenkins' greatest weapon in her arsenal is her leading lady. As empathetic as she is charming and as powerful as she is beautiful, Diana Prince is the most interesting hero the genre has had in a very long time and Israeli-born actress Gal Gadot plays her with both a dignified grace and an unconquerable defiance, making her the most complex and compelling character in the DC universe so far.  As has become typical with this franchise, the script really isn't up to very much at all but Gadot manages to rise above the pitfalls of the dialogue and, working with closely with Patty Jenkins, manages to bring to the screen a Wonder Woman just as iconic as that of previous WW Linda Carter. It's a wonderfully dynamic performance and one that I hope brings the hugely talented actress many more great roles in the future.

Great too are the supporting performances - former Captain Kirk Chris Pine is both funny and charming as Diana's first love while Danny Huston chews the scenery with reckless abandon in his gleefully sinister role as the film's key villain. But as should be the case, Wonder Woman is the star of the show and Gal Gadot more than successfully rises to the challenge. 

There is a lot to enjoy here but the film isn't perfect. As is the case with most blockbusters released today, 'Wonder Woman' is too long and while I did enjoy the hair raising action and the well developed characters both protagonist and antagonist, the film doesn't quite manage to reach either the comedic or emotional heights set by Marvel's superior rival franchise. But thanks to a number of barnstorming action scenes, a compelling and surprisingly thoughtful finale and Gadot's electrifying central performance, 'Wonder Woman' is a very entertaining injection of energy into DC's otherwise drab, murky and wholly underwhelming Cinematic Universe and one that may just have saved the entire series from it's descent into the dustbin of motion picture history.