Cinemanalysis: Wonder Woman (2017)

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Wonder Woman brings hope to the DC Movie Universe.

The first trailer for Wonder Woman was released almost a year ago. I remember because I kept muttering “please don’t suck, please don’t suck, please don’t suck” as I watched it. I chanted those words with each additional trailer and commercial, and as the positive reviews kept coming in. Having seen the film, I add my voice to the growing number of people who really enjoyed Wonder Woman. The movie fits in with the other DC movies (Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad) but also has humor, joy, and clear storytelling.

Reason for Optimism

There were reasons to be optimistic going in. Gal Gadot’s portrayal of the Amazonian Princess Diana was one of few highlights in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. She was believable and seemed to enjoy being in the movie. Fans wanted more, and a live action Wonder Woman movie has been on generations of fans’ wish lists (quick plug for the solid 2009 animated Wonder Woman). But then Suicide Squad happened and, well, there was doubt. What if Wonder Woman was bad?

Thankfully, that question goes unanswered.

Wonder Woman Fans and Newbies Will Enjoy This

I went to see it with five people:

• My mother and my best friend who both watched the television show Wonder Woman and saw Batman v Superman;
• My two children who have watched Justice League, Justice League Unlimited and Justice League Action. They have also seen Batman v Superman;
• And, my husband who has watched most of the DC animated movies featuring Wonder Woman, saw Batman v Superman and has read a few comics.

I have read fairly respectable amount of the comic books (including the New 52 and Rebirth), watched the television show, the animated Justice League television series, most of the animated movies and saw Batman v Superman.

We all left happy. The boys (including my husband) enjoyed the action scenes, my mother and friend enjoyed the portrayal of the Amazons and the humor, and I enjoyed seeing my vision of Wonder Woman realized on the big screen. She is strong, elegant, compassionate, wise, and joyful.

So, in short, whether you know who Etta Candy or didn’t realize there was an invisible jet to miss, this movie works for all fan levels.

From Here, There Are Spoilers

The film opens with Wonder Woman, in modern times, going to work in the Louvre. She receives a package from Wayne Enterprises – the World War I era photograph of Diana and four men which featured in Batman v Superman.

From there, the story moves to the past. Diana is a child on Themyscira, the island home of the Amazons. The story is Zeus has hid the island from the rest of the world, especially from the eyes of Ares, the god of war, who brought discord to the otherwise good humans. The Amazons, including Diana’s mother Queen Hippolyta, fought Ares with the gods once and both dread and prepare for Ares’ return. Diana wants to fight but her mother refuses. War, Hippolyta explains, is not something anyone should want.

On The Island

Character development on Themyscira is really well done. Hippolyta (Colleen Nielsen) and her sister Antiope (Robin Wright) disagree with how Diana should be raised. However, their affection for each other and the logic behind the discord are quickly and easily presented. Young Diana was charming. She disobeyed her tutors but there is a real joy about her. In the comics, there have been some depictions of her as spoiled and entitled brat. This was not in the film.

Also neither present nor missed in the film was the great challenge to decide which warrior would leave the island, in which Diana disguises herself and wins. Instead, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) is followed to Themyscira by a group of German soldiers. The hints in the trailer of the Germans versus Amazon battle do not do this scene justice. It is well shot and even if the Amazons are out-gunned, those warriors defeat the invaders in a believable and elegantly shot sequence.

Trevor needs to get back to the “War to End All War.” He works as a spy for British Intelligence and stole a notebook from Doctor Maru ( Elena Anaya) who is producing a new, deadlier form of mustard gas with German general Erich Ludendorff. Again, for fans who know Dr. Maru, aka Dr. Poison, it was a nice addition. For those who have no idea who she is, the movie sets up the evil level well by showing us the gas which kills all living things, including those wearing gas masks. The movie does not waste time with her backstory. The notebook and her current plans for the gas are important here.

In Man’s World

Of importance to Trevor is getting that notebook back to London. He believes that can end the war. Diana takes the war as proof of Ares return and takes it upon herself to fulfill the Amazon’s duty of stopping him. Although she disobeys Hippolyta as she prepares to leave, Diana finally receives her mother’s blessing but Diana she can never return.

Diana in London is one of the better “fish out of water” segments I have seen. She curious by what she sees, but she never assumes it is either better or worse. London fashion baffles Diana in an amusing montage. The point is still driven home; she will comply the traditions of Man’s World but only so far. Etta Candy (Lucy Davis) does an excellent job here as a “regular woman” who doubts it is possible to make Diana “less distracting” but also needs Diana to just make up her mind.

One can only “fish out of water” for so long as it is time the team assemble so Diana can stop Ares and Trevor can stop Ludendorff and Maru. They gather Steve’s team: a spy Sameer, the sniper Charlie and the smuggler Chief and head to Belgium and the Western Front. There was some real danger of having these characters be only three stereotypes, and although I will not claim anyone took real risks portraying these characters, they have more depth to them than I expected.

At The Front

Diana in No Man’s Land is all the works in this film. As she walks through the front lines, she wants to stop and help, but is told there is no time to stop the suffering she sees. They have “bigger” work to do. At one point, Diana just snaps and opts to make the time to help by crossing No Man’s Land, in order to liberate a village from German occupation. The symbolism is on full display as Diana fights in full armor, although I suspect my sons were too busy whispering “awesome” to see it.

The village is not far from a castle where Ludendorff is hosting a gala. Trevor sneaks into the gala, telling Diana she cannot attend. Trevor believes Diana will keep him from eliminating the gas. Diana wants to kill Ludendorff, who she believes is Ares.

Final Thoughts

I am going to skip a lot and just say the final fight between Diana and Ares sets up Diana’s role in the DC Universe. Humans are flawed. They do not deserve Wonder Woman, but that is not the point. Diana has a duty to protect humanity, even from itself. She accepts the light and the dark in humanity.

This is a good movie and a great superhero movie. But it is a blockbuster, which means it gets a little CG-happy during the final battle. Diana’s acceptance of humanity’s failings happens as she throws tanks and dodges explosions. Is it cool? Yes. It is over the top? Slightly, yes. Do I want to go back to that world? Absolutely yes.