Now Showing: Wonder Woman
June 7, 2017
Although labeled a superhero movie, “Wonder Woman” feels more like a romance or a romantic comedy even during a sizeable portion of the movie. Despite this, the movie holds its own in the superhero genre by balancing that romance with intense action scenes.
The plot, which follows the original Wonder Woman lore, does a good job introducing the reasoning behind her behavior. Wonder Woman, or Diana of Themyscira (Gal Gadot), eats, trains and lives with the Amazons, a large group of warrior woman living on an island without men. Their duty is to protect the world from war, but when war comes to them in the form of German soldiers chasing a spy, Steve Trevor, (Chris Pine) on an important mission, they are all too eager to simply ignore the problem.
This leads to Diana, who has no knowledge of common practices of modern society, setting off into the world alone during the chaotic times of World War I, hoping to stop war and bring peace to all humans.
Throughout the movie, the audience is led to believe they are watching a simple evil-guy-makes-super-weapon plot, but complications near the end of the film reveal that the story is a bit more than meets the eye. It is well paced and most scenes have an adequate build-up.
Trevor serves as Diana’s link to the “real world.” He hits it off with her and they discuss, in a very innocent way, as Diana has never seen a man in her life, the foreign practices of love and marriage. The tone shifts into romantic comedy, making the first part of the movie feel a bit goofy as Diana feels out her way in the human world.
On the way to the battle, the duo pick up some help in the form of three very different men, each with their own war-related story. Each character is relatable in their own way and they allow the audience to catch a glimpse into the lives of those involved in World War I.
The action scenes of battles with World War I era weaponry felt just right and would surely hit home with anyone who has played the popular “Battlefield One” game. Although these battle scenes were unreasonable in the context of World War I, this is easy to ignore as the epic battle-cries of the soldiers and the gunfire made up for the logical inconsistencies. These action scenes were balanced out by intimate moments between the main characters and an obvious growth in Diana as she solidifies the morals and guidelines that make her the hero she is at the end.
The atmosphere of the film was nearly perfect, with each scene matching spectacularly well with its setting, whether it was the war-torn no man’s land or the paradise island of Themyscira.
Special effects used during the action scenes were immersive and not overdone, although near the end the effects became excessive as it seemed like the entire world was engulfed with flames and explosions in the final battle between Diana and her enemy. Besides some dramatic action scenes, the movie was clean of effects that otherwise would have bogged down the superb atmosphere achieved throughout the film.
Moviegoers looking for pure action best look elsewhere, as the movie was not especially action-packed. However, anyone open to a skillful combination of romance and action along with great pacing, atmospheres and effects should definitely give “Wonder Woman” a try.
