It is done! Patty Jenkins manages to do what Zack Snyder and David Ayer failed to conquer with DCEU. Wonder Woman Movie finally breaks DC’s relentless curse and establishes a proper stronghold in its very own universe. Wonder Woman is everything we expected our superhero to be like, and Gal Gadot does her a resounding justice once again after her badass cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice last year.
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman
Gal proves yet again why she was outright perfect for the heroic role. She is an absolute knockout, acts well and fits the outfit like a glove. We had been looking for someone like her all our life, and she was right there in front of us all along. There is this bedazzling charm about her that doesn’t mess with her powers. She remains alluring even when she is mad as hell, forcing you to keep your opinions about her unvaried throughout.
Gal Gadot is gorgeous, powerful, cute and empathizing all at the same time. She leaves those locks open and it’s hard not to swoon. How can any man possibly not fall in love with this woman?
Wonder Woman movie portrays her in an avatar we were rooting for all along. She is probably one of the best we will ever get.
Direction of Wonder Woman Movie
Wonder Woman movie is unlike other prequels and spinoffs that were flung at us as part of DCEU. All thanks to its director Patty Jenkins who chose to let us live its gushing story-line instead of barging in with characters or stretching it beyond limit for us to lose focus. She keeps it lovely by going into a recollection of sorts to show us the Amazonian’s past and how the princess flourished in Themyscira.
It begins with her upbringing looping us in on important plot points in the form of artistic frames to fill us in on the Greek backstory of Zeus and Ares. Her frames don’t linger but chug forward to fast forward in time so as to keep things invariably interesting. When the actual plot arrives, Patty dives into it in the form of discovery without steering away from the actual story and lets Wonder Woman roll out as we would have expected her to. It doesn’t compromise her superpowers, plays well alongside her naivety into the world of men, and elevates altogether during its impactful culmination.
Satire on War
Wonder Woman movie is far more than a mere comic adaptation. There are so many lessons and so many things to take away from the movie, and it wraps them all beautifully making us ponder on so many occasions. Like this one line that underlines war to be akin to a purpose.
What do people do when there isn’t a war?
It compels you to contemplate of a time written in past. However hideous it might sound but war does give man a purpose. That’s why people fight. For them, a life without it is like a stagnant pit of job, marriage, and children. They have something to do, something to prove their might against, not to mention the thrill to live on the edge. But if you really look at it, at what cost? Why can’t people see that?
Wonder Woman couldn’t emphasize enough when she shouts at the plight of poor innocent villagers trapped amidst chaos.
Children!
Those innocent souls that are yet to realize a life’s worth. Your chaos is killing them, not giving them a chance you were bestowed with. It is deeply poetic and all of it paints on the big screen with the pain Diana carries for them. She empathizes with them beyond limit, trying her level best to save the ones who didn’t ask for war. I think it’s very powerful and is capable of pushing you into a whirlwind of thoughts.
Plot of Wonder Woman Movie (Spoilers)
After the incidents of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Princess Diana receives her World War – I photograph from Bruce Wayne.
I used to want to save the world, this beautiful place. But the closer you get, the more you see the great darkness within.
She recollects her life growing up on Themyscira aspiring to be an Amazonian warrior. Her mother Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) forbids it by telling her a story about Ares, God of War, and how he had poisoned the souls of men with malice turning them against each other. She tells her that Ares had killed every God except Zeus, who as a final resort had provided the Amazonian with a weapon capable of slaying Ares if he ever returned. Diana calls it the Godkiller.
Hippolyta has her convinced that Diana was made with clay which she truly believes as well. Her aspirations to learn how to fight are taken care of by her aunt Antiope (Robin Wright). She trains Diana the hardest making her the best.
The Fated Intruder
In comes Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) a spy trying to escape German soldiers after his mission goes rogue. He had stolen Dr. Maru’s (Elena Anaya), an evil German scientist’s notes with hopes to curtail colossal damage. His plane crashes into the sea which is luckily overlooked by Diana. She goes on to save him by bringing him to the coast, however, the soldiers in pursuit attack their island. Amazonians fight however Antiope and many other are forced to pay the price.
On interrogating Steve with the lasso of truth they come to know about the World War. Convinced it’s an act of Ares himself, Diana wishes to go fight the war for men. Forbidden to do that, she tries to sneak out by plundering their inventory that had a lasso of truth, a shield, an outfit, and the Godkiller sword. She then leaves Themyscira with Steve alongside.
Hippolyta: If you choose to leave, you may never return.
Diana: Who will I be, if I stay?
On reaching London and delivering Dr. Maru’s note to higher authorities which included Sir Patrick Morgan (David Thewlis), they realize there’s an armistice at play. However, Steve knows about General Ludendorff’s (Danny Huston) ulterior motives. The guy headed Ottoman Empire’s weapon facility alongside Dr. Maru. He knows about Dr. Maru’s and General’s plan to release a rare form of mustard gas capable of mass murder even though both sides had called for a truce.
The Self-Proclaimed Mission
Diana, now believing Ludendorff to be Ares himself, wishes to go to the front to kill him. With Sir Patrick taking care of their money issues, Steve and Diana along with a team of three more – Sameer, Charlie, and Chief venture into the German lines. Affected by the lives of the innocents, Diana heads into the No Man’s Land herself, giving the allied forces an upper hand against the Germans.
I will fight, for those who can not fight for themselves.
She leads them into a German occupied village, freeing the villagers in the process in a rad display of her fury.
With an intel about a gala being held at a nearby castle, where Ludendorff was going to be present, Diana wishes to slay him right there. But Steve interferes stopping her from killing him so as to not jeopardize their plan of destroying all chemical bombs first. Ludendorff releases his gas bomb in one of the nearby villages taking thousands of lives in the process. Furious at Steve for letting people die, Diana goes off on her own to kill Ludendorff, the root of all problem.
What I do is not up to you.
She slays him only to realize the bombing doesn’t stop. She understands the bitter truth that corruption isn’t in just one soul but in entire mankind.
Ares the God of War
Just then Sir Patrick emerges out of nowhere declaring himself to be the real Ares. Ares tells her that he had simply slithered the idea of killing each other into human brains, but the inevitability of war was inbred in them all along. A fight ensues as Ares reveals Diana’s true origin. He tells her that she was the Godkiller and not the sword, since only a God could kill another God. He reveals Diana to be the last child of Zeus, and that she herself was a weapon. While fighting he tries to convince her that humanity doesn’t deserve to be saved.
Meanwhile, Steve chooses to steal the plane that carries all the gas bombs taking it away to safety and sacrifices himself. He destroys the plane, mid-air, saving countless lives in the process. Realizing the selflessness of it all, of Steve’s sacrifice towards the greater good, Diana understands that there is still good left in the world that’s worth saving. She chooses to spare humanity. Realizing her boundless powers, absorbing energy she unleashes it in one theatrical display of pizzazz to wipe out Ares. With that, the war ends as the remaining team celebrates it gravely.
Back in the present day, Diana thanks Bruce for the photograph before continuing to serve as Wonder Woman. Fade out.
The Abstract Form of Ares
Comics and movie adaptations are nothing but theatrical representations of abstract notions. Even if you play Ares as one, you realize he is nothing but a personification of a bitter truth. That farrago of squabble that goes on in our head, of how evil we are in our ways, of how badly we look for war to prove our mettle every now and then. Ares acquaints us with it, mankind’s true nature. It is ugly, it is wicked and it does not need a body to lead itself into fire. We are incessantly burning with it. We are looking for a fight at all costs.
The final epic clash with Ares in Wonder Woman movie might as well be an abstract brush of her conscience with her mind. Trying to reason with herself if mankind is indeed worth saving. Steve’s selfless act is like a key that opens that shut door in her, that makes her realize there are people worth fighting for too. And she responds with the epiphany with her final answer:
Only love can truly save the world.
It’s an answer for us too. Not just for the sake of theatrics.
Mankind is not all scathed. We can change our thoughts for one another, and compromise on some things. We can accept terms of others and learn to live in peace. That’s the solution she comes up with. That’s the world she is willing to live in, to save those who need to be saved, to forgive, and to find love.
It was a great decision nevertheless to rope Ares in since there wasn’t anybody competitive enough to fight Wonder Woman.
You can order the movie from here:
The Chemistry
The chemistry between Diana and Steve is deeply satisfying. Though they get to spend little time together, they both make it count. You could feel the realism in all the right vibes with Steve playing one of those shy and gentlemanly characters that we all adore him in, letting go of him was the hardest. You could feel the energy emanate in the wrath intermingled with intense mourning in Diana when she realizes that he had died.
I wish we had more time.
That brief moment of farewell is poignant enough to bring tears to your eyes. Trying to make her understand what he was about to do, while she was too busy to listen, it’s brilliantly pulled off.
The Final Verdict
Wonder Woman movie is definitely a kind of flick we were all hoping for DC to deliver. It delivers it in style with Patty’s thoughtful direction and the magnificently written screenplay it becomes something more. Gal Gadot takes it to a different level altogether. Chris Pine even though wasn’t at the center of it, somehow manages to be there tied to her all along. He makes the love angle really real and fun to watch.
There might be some unrealistic things at play, but that’s comics for you, everybody! You can choose to ignore that and celebrate this rare form of female dominant superhero movie that came into existence after a whopping 12 years of drought. I say go watch Wonder Woman movie today!
PS: There are no post credit scenes here, so don’t stick around.
Check out the trailer of Wonder Woman movie here:
Wonder Woman
Pros
- The Wonder Woman movie we all deserve
- Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman
- Extraordinary build up
- Great plot
- Outstanding Direction
Cons
- Some unrealistic bits
- Boss fight cliches
