Wonder Woman (2017)

Patty Jenkins's "Wonder Woman" is told as a flashback. Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) is working at the Louvre when she receives a picture from Bruce Wayne. You see a photo with Diana and four men taken during World War I. We are then transported to Diana's past.

This film is thankfully nothing like the Christopher Nolan or Zach Snyder films we've received from DC in the past. There are still dark moments, but those come naturally from the events in the film. "Wonder Woman" is the female superhero this generation needed and Patty Jenkins delivers.

"Wonder Woman" has a lot more heart than its DC predecessors. It still has all the action needed to make this a pleasing superhero film as well. The film is also genuinely funny with great jokes and deliveries. Patty Jenkins had been trying to make this film for awhile and it shows in all the detail she put into this film. It adds that Gal Gadot does a wonderful portrayal of the titular character.

"Wonder Woman" starts its flashback on the beautiful island of Themyscira. Diana is surrounded by fierce female warriors and wants nothing more than to be like them. Her mother, Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) prevents Diana from getting this training, but Diana begins training with her aunt Antiope (Robin Wright) in secret. Diana's ideal life comes to an abrupt halt as an adult when Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) flies into the zone of the island on a German warplane while being pursued by the German army. Diana learns of World War 1 and the biggest horror that is yet to come in the war: poison used as a weapon of mass destruction. Diana decides to join Steve so that she may help in ending the war.

Diana is convinced that the war will end once she kills the god of war Ares. She finds Ares disguised as General Ludendorff (Danny Huston) and she sets out to kill him. She does not understand why Steve is not as concerned as she is in defeating this one man. Gadot portrays Diana well from her fierceness to her naivete once she gets off of Themyscira.


Up until this point we see glimpses of Diana's true powers. We also see her interact with the men and women who live in London. Through out we get good laughs out of all the characters reacting to one another. Little by little we see Diana begin to fight as we head to the final battle. True to fashion things do not work out as she would like. It's awesome to see her finally fight in full Wonder Woman gear. The way the men fight alongside her is also cool to see. Diana, Steve and the rest of their team head to Ludendorff. The men want to stop the poison from being used and Diana wants to kill Ares. All the battle scenes are cool, but the one that takes place in no man's land and the village just beyond it is the best.

Seeing Diana go into battle simply because it is the right thing to do. I definitely appreciate her willingness to do what is right without expecting anything out of it. Steve Trevor knows that you cannot save anyone in this war and up until this point, this truth has prevented him from doing more. That is saying a lot as Steve already does a lot to try and save as many innocent people as he can. Wonder Woman is also filled with awful truths. Diana believes destroying Ares will bring an end to all the evil in the world. This is simply not true and Diana loses hope after this realization.

Diana's upbringing actually proves to provide more trials than advantages. She grows up being trained for battle, but her upbringing is still incredibly sheltered. Diana is also unprepared for her growing feelings for Steve. She finds this feelings wonderful, but of course, love also brings a lot of pain.

It is also cool, and unfortunate, to see how the events taking place in the past are still taking place today in many ways. There are people who see war as the only solution. You hope that defeating these evils will bring peace, but one evil is defeated another arises. It is easy to blame those who are different for the evil in the world even when those like you prove evil can live within them as well. Humans can be inherently evil, but there are many who want to do good.

Wonder Woman passes down knowledge from person to person and generation to generation.The stories we are told are meant to teach us something and will hopefully keep us from repeating history. It is a warning for us. We can all be Wonder Women if we fight for what is right for no other reason that to do good. There may not always be a reason to fight, but when that need arises take it.