Wonder Woman: Warner Bros. Gets Its Act Together

Originally written 6/5/2017.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to discuss films which are part of franchises as their own work. For example, ten years ago you couldn’t have sold me a superhero movie where the protagonist’s unique ability was to shrink to the size of an ant. And yet, I paid my money to see 'Ant-Man' in theaters because it was a part of the lauded Marvel Cinematic Universe and I didn’t want to be left out of part of what had become a cultural phenomenon. Despite being designed to be just another cog in Marvel’s grand scheme, it was semi-directed and written by known comic auteur Edgar Wright and his lingering cinematic touch brought a special life to a movie that made it stand out when it was clearly meant to blend in. 'Wonder Woman' is very much the flip side of the same coin. It is helmed by a film personality with a distinct cinematic flair, it comes at a crucial time in its franchise’s development, and is very much meant to be a filler so that the studio behind it can safely move on to more expansive projects. The only major differences come in character iconography and franchise success.

Inarguably, the character of Wonder Woman, born from, of all things, bizarre combination of proto-feminsim, an open BDSM relationship, and a psychology professor, is a more famous comic book character than the Ant-Man. Also inarguably, the MCU has proven that the Marvel formula of ‘transition beloved and lucrative character from comic to screen, cast entertaining actors, micromanage as needed’ prints more money than the mint and the DC Extended Universe formula of ‘Copy everything Marvel does but out of order, with perverse focus on Christopher Nolan’s ‘gritty’ style, and with Michael Bay-inspired, over-the-top, nonsensical action sequences’ only serves to not only weaken the superhero film genre but to delegitimize the entire industry as a whole.

And yet, in a world where the context of a movie can make as much an impact as the quality of the movie itself, this makes all the difference. As a society, we seemed to make an unspoken agreement about both 'Ant-Man' and 'Wonder Woman.' Together, we silently decided that if Marvel was ever going to make an out-and-out flop, it would be 'Ant-Man' and if DC couldn’t pull it together with 'Wonder Woman,' then it would be the final nail in the coffin for a franchise that never really got to live in the first place. Well 'Ant-Man' turned out to be a brighter blip on the cinematic radar than anyone could have assumed and I’m here to tell you that 'Wonder Woman' is proof that finally, after three feature-length attempts, DC and Warner Bros. might actually know what they’re doing.

The film is a deceptive one, beginning with the childhood of protagonist Diana (Gal Gadot), princess of a mystical island of Amazon warriors. As she begins to discover that she may be more than your average Amazon, Diana witnesses the magical barrier of her island being broken by the American spy, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) who is pursued by a German battleship. After a brief battle to round out act one, Trevor explains that while the amazons have been huddled away from society, the world has gone to war with itself with millions caught in the crossfire. Suspecting this is the work of the Amazon’s sacred enemy, the war god Ares, Diana takes Steve back to 1918 London where hijinks between a (even more) sexist time period and a feminist warrior princess ensue. Bureaucratic and military disagreements cause Diana, Steve, and their team being throw the front lines of World War I where Diana kicks a fair amount of ass, has a romantic interaction with Steve, and hunts down Ares, who she believes to be incarnated in the body of German general Ludendorff (Danny Huston).

Though it may sound complicated, the story is actually about as cut and dry as one could imagine. Interspliced with horrific war imagery, it’s essentially a fish-out-of-water story and while the script does provide many memorable moments and funny lines, it can’t mask the overuse of several clichés that are starting to seem almost inherent to the superhero film genre. Almost every major twist, the few that there are, are predictable from their initial set ups and several B stories are started and never continued. This is especially troubling considering how they’re the most defined anchors in the movie. A big deal is made about Scottish sniper Charlie (Ewan Bremner) having shell shock and its effects on his efficiency in battle, but is later shown to have miraculously recovered from his PTSD with no explanation given.

Additionally, the film introduces an enjoyable stoic character called the Chief (Eugene Brave Rock) who serves no further purpose to the plot than to be there. He has no special skills or presentable attributes outside of his ethnicity, which do the character and the film a disservice. There’s also Sameer (Said Taghmaoui), a wisecracking con artist who at one point confesses to Diana that he wanted to be an actor but couldn’t because he was brown. This personal conflict is never referenced again and even Diana seems unfazed by her introduction to the concept of racism. It feels more like an eye-roll at the audience, a shared elbowing of the ribs and a “Hollywood, amirite?” than an actual character trait. These may seem like minor quibbles or concerns, but superhero movies already ask for a substantial suspension of disbelief from their audiences. When that effort is not met halfway by a tangential script, then plot holes which should appear minor stick out like a bouquet of sore thumbs.

Thankfully, the actors are more than ready to pick up any and all slack. Gal Gadot proves that her outstanding performance in the condemnable 'Batman V. Superman' was no fluke. Her smoky voice and expressive face perfectly nail both the hardened battle-readiness of a soldier and the wide-eyed naivety of an unprepared traveler. Whatever she’s doing, it works brilliantly and she needs to keep it up for the studio’s sake if nobody else’s. Chris Pine is balanced as her love interest, hiding his frustration and infatuation behind a suave spy’s training. All members of their team throw in great comic performances as does Lucy Davis who plays Etta, Trevor’s fast-talking assistant who stands out as being the funniest part of the movie.

Huston delivers the appropriate amount of ham as what is essentially a cartoon villain being handed the keys to the kingdom and his sidekick, Dr. Maru (Elena Anaya) is equally as over-the-top and entertainingly evil. Though their time in the film is brief and contained to the forgettable first act, Connie Nielson and Robin Wright both deliver noteworthy performances as regal Amazon leaders who carry the weight of their roles with sinewy shoulders. However, all hats off to Mr. David Thewlis who plays the British peace-monger Sir Patrick. His performance is needlessly good and every syllable is sincere and legitimate, weighed down by a world-weariness and reluctant responsibility that I’m not sure Thewlis himself doesn’t feel.

Any remaining praise must be denoted unto the film’s director, Patty Jenkins. The film is a visual clinic and the action scenes, while still using Zack Snyder’s signature slow-mo, still manage to be fresh and engaging with fluid motion and action. The cinematography shows an ambition for a film beyond the genre’s conventional limitations, prescribed not by directorial ability, but by nature of the necessary narrative style.

Overall, 'Wonder Woman' is the best film in the DCEU thus far. That may not be saying much considering the trio of cinematic catastrophes that proceeded it, but it is cognizant enough to recognize its superiority and safely plays to its strengths, presenting an ensemble cast confident enough to carry the film to completion. It’s not a great movie. There aren’t many films in the superhero genre that could qualify. But if you like superhero movies, pop culture, or are even just remotely curious as to what the big deal is, I can assure you that your money will be well spent on a 'Wonder Woman' ticket. 3/5.

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