SPOILERS: WONDER WOMAN - 7 Things That Worked And 3 That Didn't
Wonder Woman is now in theaters and while it's scoring rave reviews, what exactly does the movie do right and how about the things it gets wrong? Here's an in-depth look at the DC Comics adaptation.
Wonder Woman is an incredible movie, but like pretty much all comic book adaptations, it's not quite perfect. While this take on the DC Comics property does most things right, there are a few times it misses the mark and what you'll find here is a look at both its plus points and those not quite so good.
From Ares' plan to the movie's shocking twist and the quality of the characters, action scenes, and score, what you'll find here is an in-depth look at all the things Wonder Woman does right and wrong.
It goes without saying that MAJOR SPOILERS follow from here, so you may want to stop reading if you've yet to watch the movie. Even if you haven't, though, this will prepare you for what to expect.
Didn't Work: Ares' Convoluted Plan
As superhero movie villains go, Ares certainly isn't bad, but his plan isn't the best. We learn that he's been manipulating mankind and making their wars more ferocious, a neat twist and one that makes him (and humanity) a lot less two dimensional. However, the fact he's been going undercover as to try and arrange an unsuccessful armistice is an odd choice, especially when he could have made the war so much worse in literally a dozen other roles.
As great as it is when we learn is the God of War, it feels like Wonder Woman just wanted to go with the character we would least suspect rather than one who makes the most sense. Ares' plans for Diana also should have been better explained and while some we'll put together flashbacks explain his motivations, more definitely could have been done to make him an even more effective and memorable bad guy.
Did Work: Wonder Woman Walks Across No Man's Land
Wow. Left distraught by the horrors of war, Diana sheds the clothes she's been using to blend in with mankind and walks across No Man's Land in her iconic armour in a sequence which may very well be one of the best I've ever seen in a superhero movie. As she walks and ultimately runs across the battlefield, we get to see Diana really testing the limits of her powers and growing more confident in her abilities with each step.
It's a very powerful and inspiring moment and one of those scenes which will stick with you and remind you of all the reasons Wonder Woman is great. The fact this is followed by an insanely awesome action sequence really is the icing on the cake and you'll be left in awe as you watch the Amazon warrior unless her abilities on the Germans who have taken a town hostage and inflicted until horrors upon it.
Did Work: Doctor Poison
I went into Wonder Woman not expecting an awful lot from Elena Anaya's Dr. Maru, but Doctor Poison proves to be an excellent secondary villain who will almost certainly creep you out in a big way. The movie does a great job of emphasising the horrors of war, but an irate Poison using a twisted pully system to tear off the gas mask of the man she fails to kill with her new formula when it doesn't eat through the protective apparatus he's wearing is seriously messed up.
Visually, the villain is also fascinating and the moment her face is exposed proves to be surprisingly memorable and powerful. It would have served Wonder Woman well to devote more time to Poison, but I can't fault what we got and she's still leaps and bounds ahead of the vast majority of superhero movie bad guys who end up with relatively minor roles.
Didn't Work: Less Than Flawless CGI
In terms of special effects, Wonder Woman certainly isn't bad, but there are definitely some questionable moments. Themyscira is visually stunning, but the green screen work is sometimes very easy to spot and that makes Diana's home look more than a little phoney in places. Some of the movie's otherwise stellar action scenes also suffer as there are moments when the characters performing larger than life feats look like video game characters.
This is easy to spot both on the beach and during some fast-paced flight scenes involving Diana later on and could perhaps be blamed on the fact the movie has a lower budget than a lot of similar superhero movies. Ultimately, this is far from the end of the world, but it can be a distraction and we've come to expect better from this genre in 2017.
Did Work: Wonder Woman's Big Twist
Depending on how closely you follow spoilers, you'll have known a while that David Thewlis is Ares, not Danny Huston's German General Ludendorff. However, even going in with that knowledge, Wonder Woman still did an amazing job of making me think that was Ares, and for those not in the know, this twist must have come as a real gut punch.
It might not have hurt to have us spend a little more time with, but I still think this worked really well and added another later yo the movie that would not have been there had it taken a far more straightforward (and arguably safe) approach to the villain's identity. Wonder Woman herself being revealed as the "God Killer" was also a smart move and once which leads to an awe-inspiring sequence as we finally get to see the Amazon warrior unleash her powers on the unsuspecting God of War.
Did Work: Visit To Themyscira
We don't get to spend anywhere near as much time on Themyscira as I would have liked, but the movie devotes just enough to it to ensure that we'll all still walk away satisfied. Outside of Diana, Antiope and Queen Hippolyta get the vast majority of screentime, and both characters are extremely compelling as they attempt to come to terms with the fact that the future Wonder Woman must be raised as a warrior.
Though we get just a glimpse of life for the Amazons, seeing them in action proves to be immensely satisfying, something the well-constructed beach fight sequence against the invading Germans really highlights. With any luck, future instalments of the franchise will take us back here as it really does feel like there are a lot of stories which could be told through this society and iconic comic book location.
Didn't Work: No Justice League Set Up
Wonder Woman has present-day bookends, but sadly makes very poor use of them. There's a nod to Diana's relationship to Batman, but no real sort of build to Justice League and literally explanation as to what the hero was up to before the events of Batman v Superman. That's probably deliberate as it means Warner Bros. can explore different time periods with the hero, but it makes this adventure a little less satisfying than it probably should be.
While it does seem that Wonder Woman has now made herself known to the public, that too isn't expanded on and it feels like something which can be blamed on the studio's lack of direction and long-term planning. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't hurt the movie that much, but it makes the scenes set in the present feel wholly unsatisfying.
Did Work: Steve Trevor
There are a lot of different directions Wonder Woman could have taken Chris Pine's Steve Trevor in, but the movie manages to find the perfect balance between love interest, dude in distress, and hero in his own right to make the character one of the best additions to the DC Films Universe to date. Steve is incredibly likeable and a lot of fun to spend time with, but he never steals the spotlight from Diana, something which is essential in this female-led superhero movie.
It's sad we won't see more of the Steve (unless Pine returns to play his great grandson) in this world, but his sacrifice feels earned and leads to an amazing display of acting from Gadot along with the chance to show Wonder Woman fully unleashing her powers on Ares as she finally accepts her role as more than Amazon; she's a God.
Did Work: The Score
While it's often something which blends into the background, forgetting the importance of a good score is a big mistake. Thanks to composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, Wonder Woman has one, but there's one way, in particular, the movie excels. The character's arrival in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was one of its best scenes, something emphasised by the awesome theme tune which played when the iconic hero first showed up on the battlefield.
I wasn't keen on the way that was shoehorned into the trailers, but it works perfectly within the context if the movie and it never fails to help make Wonder Woman's action scenes even better when we start to hear it kick in be it quite subtly or very obviously. This is really very minor addition in the grand scheme of things, but one that makes all the difference in ways you probably wouldn't expect.
Did Work: Redemption For Female-Led Superhero Movies
Superhero movies are bigger now than ever before, but it's clear to see that there are nowhere near enough female characters making their presence felt on the big screen in either the Marvel or DC Universes. While Elektra and Catwoman attempted to change the game (well, they were more quick cash-ins than legitimate tries to shake the genre up), both set things back for the likes of Wonder Woman by years and it's no real wonder we've had to wait until 2017 for the Amazon warrior to get her own solo outing after those flopped and soured studios on the idea of a comic book adaptations with a female lead.
Wonder Woman redeems things, though, and is good enough to prove that it doesn't have to be a man wearing the cape to make these movies a success. It's about damn time and Diana Prince has opened the door for everyone from Captain Marvel to Black Cat to be every big as huge.
What do you guys think did and didn't work about Wonder Woman? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.