Wonder Woman (2017)
Patty Jenkins
Writers:
Allan Heinberg (screenplay), Zack Snyder, Allan Heinberg, Jason Fuchs (Story). Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston (1893-1947).
Cast:
Gal Gadot (Diana), Chris Pine (Steve Trevor), Robin Wright (Antiope), Lucy Davis (Etta), Connie Nielsen (Hippolyta), Danny Huston (Ludendorff), David Thewlis (Sir Patrick), Saiid Taghmaoui (Sameer), Ewen Bremner (Charlie), Eugene Brave Rock (The Chief), Elena Anaya (Dr. Maru), Lilly Aspell (Young Diana), Lisa Loven Kongsli (Menalippe), Ann Wolfe (Artemis), Ann Ogbomo (Philuppus), Emily Carey (Diana 12), James Cosmo (Field Marshall Haig), and Wolf Kahler as a German Commander.
Opening Credits:
Two weeks ago the film Wonder Woman came out, and the reason the Reeltime wasn't there is because of a surgery i went through. I had a vasectomy done on June 2. I know. To much information. I was thankful i went through the whole ordeal. It's done and over with, now i could jump back on the train.
So here I'am two weeks late, and reviewing a huge DCEU film. With that being said, no worries i will try and give the best, honest review out there. not much to say, but without further ado; Wonder Woman.
Review:
The Louvre. Paris, France. A van pulls up; It reads Wayne Enterprises on the side. Diana (Gal Gadot) walks in to an office with stacked boxes. She receives a brief case sent by Bruce Wayne. She opens it and finds an old WWI picture of the people she will always remember. That's where it all started. Her story begins, beyond her friends Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), Sameer (Saiid Tagmaoui), The Chief (Eugene Brave Rock), and Charlie (Ewen Bremner.
Diana runs throughout the island of Themyscira, stopping and watching the Amazon warriors training in the arts of battle. General Antiope (Robin Wright) sister of Queen Hippolyta (Connie Neilsen) watches young Diana as she mimics the warriors moves. The Queen on the other hand doesn't like that her daughter is near the training area. Her motivations are clear, her daughter Diana mustn't learn the art of fighting, because it leads to war which will lead to Ares. The island was a gift from the god Zeus, it is protected by a mists that surrounds it, and an invisible barrier. The gods have treated the Amazons well, but their purpose goes far beyond.
"The war to end all wars! Weapons far deadlier than you can imagine! Whoever you are, you are in more danger than you realize!" -Steve Trevor-
Let's get right into it, shall we. Batman Vs Superman (2016) film introduced Wonder Woman. They even went into the connection. The old WWI pictures of the team back in the day. The film was hated by critics. Not by me but the main stream big wigs. The audiences world wide had another point of view; They enjoyed BVS and it reflected in the box office numbers. Right before BVS which i failed to mention was the iconic man in blue himself, Superman. The Man of Steel (2013) film did well, it grossed a whopping 680,000,000 world wide market. So seeing that i messed up the order, the next film the critics pretty much hated it as well. Let me just say i really disagreed with them on Suicide Squad. The gross to that film was 325,100,054. These films in my opinion were all good, a great start to the DCEU. Did they connect all the characters correctly, i really think the set up was done all wrong. Not including Wonder Woman, because her set up was good. Diana had good reason to be in that city.
I could go on about the connections, and the whole DCEU issues but that's for another time. By the time Wonder Woman came along, finally the universe gets the credit it deserves. Diana (Gal Gadot) is more than a superhero. She starts with a mission, a reason for the character to grow. She works at the hero thing, a head strong ambitious Amazon warrior on a mission to destroy Ares. But the mission begins to change into something else. That's the beauty of the Wonder Woman film, she begins to learn, the character has flaws, and as part of the audience you get that feeling as well. The island of Themyscira a beautiful place where the Amazons live in peace. But their peace gets disrupted by the German's chasing Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), a spy that had taken something very important from Dr. Maru (Elena Anaya) aka Dr. Poison. The wicked women works with Ludendorff (Danny Huston) a German Officer. Together they have created an insane gas that would burn through the protective masks the soldiers wear.
The first Act was amazing, the close up fighting sequences establish every character in a smooth pace. You ever watch a film and it drags so much you wish it could just end. That is not this film. Wonder Woman brings it, in every way possible. They even established Antiope (Robin Wright), Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), Menalippe (Lisa Loven Kongsli), Artemis (Ann Wolfe), and Philippus (Ann Ogbomo). These characters had very little screen time, but when they were in the shot, they shinned. The characters had substance, you felt their happiness, sadness. All this in the first Act, especially when Diana and Steve first meet. Both Gal Gadot and Chris Pine have a strong connection on film. These two are a great pair. The scene with both characters kissing, falling for one another is beautiful.
Moving along to Act 2 Diana goes with Steve to help him on his mission, but he must help her find Ares. She must end the war, but what she is not seeing that man is evil, they have made the decision to go to war. Her mother Hippolyta made a point before she left the island. "You have been my greatest love. Today you become my greatest sorrow. Be careful, Diana. They do not deserve you." That was an emotional scene, which opened Act 2, and closed Act 1. In Act 2 Diana is introduced to a whole new world. As they crossed over the film quality looks grainy, like you were watching an old film. The villains loomed but did not saturate the story. I especially love the way Dr. Poison experimented with her many different formulas until she finally got it right. Those scenes were enough, the story wasn't a huge villain takeover. The main bad guy was Ares and he was just part of the Myth. The bad guys knew their Que, It was like watching a composer moving his hand with grace, each movement transforms the music the audiences hears. It echoes, and the feeling is with in.
"It's about what you believe. And I believe in love. Only love will truly save the world." -Diana Prince-
"I can save today. You can save the world." -Steve Trevor-
So Act 2 was the bad guys getting acquainted, a look into the weird, insane mind of Dr. Poison. Despite all the problems the story is solid. Diana doesn't stray from her part, Steven and the rest of the guys are straight forward, they are all in character just like the beginning. So many movies, especially superhero films stray from what the actual content. Act 2 is the build up to what is to come, and for once i will not spoil it. Let's just say by Act 3 you will be happy, a great ending to a wonderful story.
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