Collective Consciousness: Wonder Woman

Hussein Wasiti
 
This is the definitive best DC film since The Dark Knight. It blows the previous DC films way out of the water in every way imaginable. I hope this is a sign that the next films in the franchise will have this more hopeful air to them. Wonder Woman was last seen in last year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, appearing near the end of the film to join Superman in his fight with Doomsday. Here she gets to shine in the most unique and fun superhero film since possibly Richard Donner's 1978 Superman: The Movie.
 
I couldn't help but notice how entirely fresh the film felt, despite how some traditional superhero elements came into play, as well as other aspects that would be considered cliché. Diana wanting to become a warrior, wanting to leave Themyscira in order to live a better life for herself, and so on. We've seen that kind of stuff before, but director Patty Jenkins was able to bring out a really lively and curious performance from Gal Gadot, who I've been indifferent to in the past, especially as her first turn as the character last year. She fell kind of flat to me then. She clearly needs a much better story in order to fully shine.
 
Her interplay with Chris Pine's Steve Trevor was heartwarming and just fun to watch. Other films would normally skip the banter but they're able to form inside jokes and the screenplay by Allan Heinberg gave consideration to their relationship and how it affects Diana since Steve is the first man she's ever met.
 
The action scenes were also very impressive, cut very well and shot very cohesively. Diana's first true action scene is one of the most thrilling and beautiful superhero entrance scenes ever put to film, by far surpassing Christian Bale's first appearance as Batman in Batman Begins, and shadowing any Marvel film introduction.
 
In a year crowded with superhero films, Wonder Woman just might stand out on top. They might not reach the level of focus and care this film has for its main character. 
 
Stephen Gervais
 
I’ve both been dreading and anticipating this movie for several months now. I thought the 8-10 minutes Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman was in Batman v Superman were by far the best parts of the movie! I was hoping to get a whole film filled with that type reaction and not a film filled with unpleasantness of the rest of B v S. I, like many others, had my doubts that we’d finally get a DC production that I could stand behind 100%. Well all those worries were quelled Saturday night when I got the chance to watch what I consider a pretty perfect Wonder Woman origin story.
 
I had no doubt in my mind that Gal Gadot would be a perfect Wonder Woman, which she was. It was more the script and story that I was anxious about. I’ve given Zack Snyder much criticism in the past and now it’s time to give him his due. Along with fellow writers Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs and director Patty Jenkins this movie had all the ingredients of a sure fire summer blockbuster. Yes it still had a darker feel all the DC films are known for but it also had great dialogue with some actual humour which has eluded all recent DC ventures. The action was pretty constant and I have to say the battle near the beginning on the beaches of Themyscira was one of the best action sequences I’ve seen in a long time!
 
I can’t praise Gadot enough. She was just absolutely amazing in the role. She was perfect at portraying whatever emotion the scene needed and you can tell she must have trained non-stop before and during production because her fight scenes were incredible. I normally find the slow mo scenes kind of cheesy but Gadot looked pretty darn breathtaking in every one! The supporting cast all played their roles perfectly as well and I never felt as if their development was filler or not needed. Everyone complimented each other to a tee.
 
As you can tell I am a big fan of this film and I of course will recommend it to anyone who has their doubts. One last note before I wrap this up I’m really glad there were no other super hero cameos in this movie. I wanted a Wonder Woman story that proved she could stand on her own and deliver a knock out and I feel this achieved both of those objectives. Go get your ticket and see it now! Who knows you may find me there…
 
Ryan Lahaise
 
The DCEU has not been as successful as it had hope to be but all that changes with Wonder Woman. This movie really blew me away with how well it was done and the message that it conveys. The acting in the movie is top notch and Gal Gadot proves any critic wrong that said she wouldn't be able to hold her own movie.
 
This movie is one of the most inspirational superhero movies ever. The message of loves comes across strong and clear and it really helps to drive Wonder Woman's motivation for becoming a hero in the first place.
 
When people ask me why I like comic books and superheroes I will give them this movie to watch because it is the quintessential definition of why you should believe in heroes, period.
 
Travis Williams
 
Wonder Woman feels like a bit of a cultural event, especially in light of recent gender politics in the United States.
From the beginning of the film, I was choked up seeing young Diana, thinking about the countless young girls her age that were watching the first major superhero movie headlined by a female character. I imagine that there was an enormous amount of pressure to not screw this up, lest it contribute to a backlash against female superheroes in film. Thankfully, they went beyond the call of duty and delivered a very enjoyable film, one that stacks against the very best from Marvel Studios.
 
I’m not super familiar with Diana’s backstory in the comics, so I can’t speak to the fidelity of this adaptation of her origin story. I was stuck with how heroic of a character she is, compared with the juvenile antics of Batman and Superman in “Dawn of Justice”. They also made her very impressive in a fight, tossing around tanks and deflecting bullets with pinpoint accuracy. Beyond that, Gal Gadot is hypnotic. I hope that when Justice League rolls around they don't make her take a backseat to Bat-Affleck and the rest of the testosterone crew.
 
On some level, I felt like the story was irrelevant, or more charitably, that it did the job. Again, I'm not familiar with Ares in DC Comics, so I don't have any baggage in that respect. I'll go along with the premise that Wonder Woman won the Great War without getting any credit. I did think that the frame story was completely unnecessary, especially since they don't address Diana's heroic activities since 1918. Thankfully, they didn't devote too much screentime to the modern day storyline and focused on a much more enjoyable story. Go Wonder Woman!
 
Kalem Lalonde
 
You would be hard pressed to find someone who hates BvS and Man of Steel more than me. Zack Snyder turned Superman into a morose mummy and decided it was a good idea to use Dick Cheney's famed "One Percent Doctrine" as Batman's motive for fighting Superman. How am I supposed to be excited about any movie in a franchise where the world's greatest detective's motive is the most devastating fallacy of the 21st century? I am not a fan of Bruce Cheney and Supermope, so why should I get my hopes up for Wonder Woman?
 
The DC characters are so close to my heart and I didn't want to vehemently despise another one of the film adaptations. I prepared for Wonder Woman by lowering my expectations and retracting any shred of excitement I felt for the film even though everyone kept cautiously repeating that this would be the one to right the ship.
 
I have never been so overjoyed about being so extraordinarily wrong in my entire life.
 
The reason Wonder Woman is the first great entry into the DCEU is that it averts the franchise's endless character problem. The film's beating heart is the shift of Diana as a naïve princess into a true compassionate warrior. As opposed to the idiotic Bruce Cheney, and the uninspiring evolution of Superman, the audience actually cares about Diana's character progression. The different between the journeys is that Diana starts off as a likable character. Why am I supposed to care about Superman because he just hasn't become Superman yet and I'm supposed to wait for that to happen? Why am I supposed to care about Batman now because he's redeemed himself from attempting to murder Superman for the dumbest reason possible?
 
Diana wants to save the world from the evil plague of Ares' influence. She wants to do good. She wants to save people. She wants to use her good to inspire humanity. She doesn't spend half her film questioning whether she should help, she just does it. That's what the DC heroes like Wonder Woman and Superman are all about. They aren't supposed to doubt whether to help people, they're pure and good enough to do it out of love.
 
Patty Jenkins makes the wise decision to root the film in the love story between Diana and Steve Trevor, the first man to set foot in Themyscira. The chemistry between Chris Pine and Gal Gadot is reminiscent of the work between Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve in Superman: The Movie. The natural bond between the woman who wants to save the world and the man who understands the limits of his influence on the world is the emotional pull that previous entries in this franchise did not have. The film finds the perfect balance between this romance and the spectacle of the Great War. Thankfully this places Diana in a position of being equally loving as she is powerful.
 
Being a short review, I don't even feel like I have addressed half of what made Wonder Woman such an epic and inspiring experience. DC finally did it. They took their comics and slapped them onto the big screen with enough love and care to make a comic guy like myself the happiest person in the world.
 
Looks like I'll be getting excited for Justice League this November!