4.5 Out of 5 Stars
With DC gearing up for its big moment in the fall with Justice League, this summer sees the release of a film featuring of the best things to come out of the Cinematic Universe so far, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). The long in gestation project helmed by Patty Jenkins (Monster) is the director’s second attempt at the bringing the character to the big screen, after having to step away from an earlier incarnation due to a pregnancy back in 2005. Beating Marvel to the punch, Wonder Woman makes Patty the first woman to direct a superhero film with a female protagonist, which given the current glut of superhero films hitting our cinemas is hard to believe.

Wonder Woman is an origin story taking place during the final days of World War I.With the end of the war in sight General Erich Ludendorff has been hard at work creating a super weapon, a hydrogen-based gas that could burn through gas masks to turn the tide of the war for the Germans. Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) an American spy is on his way to alert the Allies of the threat when he is shot down on the outskirts of Themyscira, a secluded island paradise and the home of the Amazons. Saved by Princess Diana, daughter (Gal Gadot) of Hippolyta, Steve warns the Amazons of the Great War currently raging in the outside world, which has Diana convinced it could be the return of the god of war Ares. A bit naïve and full of hope Diana leaves her home with the sacred weapons of her people on a mission to save the world by finding and defeating Ares.



Wonder Woman is a bit more nuanced than your typical superhero origin story, thanks to a script by Allan Heinberg who’s experience comes from not only comics as you would probably expect, but writing for such TV shows as Party of Five, Grey’s Anatomy and yes, Sex and the City. When we first meet Diana as a young girl she wants nothing more than to fight alongside her people, like her mother and lead them into glorious battle. The problem we soon find is Diana is not truly an Amazon since she was crafted from clay and given life by Zeus. It’s her struggle with finding her identity amongst the people she will one day lead that compels Diana to journey to eradicate Ares to find purpose. Once she’s out in the world these issues are only compounded by the fact she’s a woman in the early 1900s. Of course, since she’s Wonder Woman every man who makes the mistake of underestimating or even second-guessing her is left dumbstruck in her path.

There is an unflinching sincerity to Gal Gadot’s take on the character as a stranger in a strange land who’s sole drive is to save these people from their self-destructive nature. While Diana does her best to make the best choices she can, we also see her fail and that is a very powerful moment since her intentions come from the best possible place. Patty Jenkins has eased back on the testosterone that flowed through Zack Snyder’s previous DC adaptations instead giving us a film that is actually funny and focuses on building strong characters and relationships to further the narrative. Not to say Wonder Woman skips on the action as Jenkins has infused the film’s battles with a grace and power that reinforces just why Wonder Woman is such a badass.


Wonder Woman simply put is the best film to come out of the DC Cinematic Universe. It’s a superhero film that truly gets the character and translates her almost perfectly to the big screen. Gal Gadot is flawless in the role as she uses the narrative to get to the core of Diana’s struggle, while still being able to take out anyone stupid enough to get in her way. It’s a tough balance that never even once objectifies its heroine for even a moment. Instead, the film is about empowerment and equality and filling us in on why Wonder Woman turned her back on humanity so many years ago. Now that DC has the first solid offering under their belt we can only hope they continue to learn from their mistakes. Wonder Woman is the kind of film you expect from Marvel, and finally a glimmer of hope for the DC cinematic universe.