Wonder Woman Review

We saw Wonder Woman this weekend.

I really enjoyed it. My wife really enjoyed it. My daughter enjoyed it somewhat less but took monumental satisfaction in nitpicking liberties taken with Greek Mythology.

Robin Wright tore great chunks out of the scenery and shoveled them into her mouth with both fists and then she chomped those chunks until there was nothing left but dust.

I want a General Antiope movie now!!!

I was one of the people who were initially very skeptical of Gal Gadot’s casting back in the run-up to Batman V Superman. I had only seen clips from her Fast & the Furious appearance and I didn’t think she could pull it off. I was dead wrong about that. She’s got the technical proficiency to inhabit the role and the screen presence to bring it to life. She made this movie what it is.

I don’t think that I’ve ever not actively hated Chris Pine in a role. I loathed his smirking, entitled frat boy Kirk. Let’s look at his filmography. He was fine in Rise of the Guardians. Certainly not the best part of it (that would be Alec Baldwin’s Russian Santa), but he did an okay job. I see he’s going to be Meg’s dad in A Wrinkle in Time.  You’d better not ruin one of my favorite books for me, Pine!

To my considerable surprise, he was actually really good here! For the first time, his presence adds to rather than detracts from a movie! Trevor was a likable, interesting character and Pine played him well.

Etta Candy was just the right amount of comic relief.  I also enjoyed Trevor’s ragtag team of misfits. Ewen Bremner as Charlie was my favorite.

In large part because of the scene where he chokes when faced with the sniper in the church tower. In my opinion, the most human element of the movie.

Elena Anaya gave another standout performance, especially in that scene near the fire. It was particularly impressive because half of her face was covered, yet she still manages to convey so much inner life with just a furrowed brow. General Ludendorff was also a good villain, and they’re well-matched. (Also, I didn’t know that he was an actual historical figure until I started looking into it. It’s my understanding that the movie took some liberties with some elements of his life.)

I had really hoped that Professor Lupin wasn’t going to turn out to be a baddie. I held out hope that they were going for a subversion of the trope and I was a little disappointed that everything with him unfolded in an entirely predictable manner. And while I like Ares as a villain, his mind over matter Akira powers didn’t seem to fit thematically for the God of War. I thought he should be more visceral in his violence. However, I did like that he paralleled Diana in a meaningful way. His offer to her to join him seemed logical and meaningful in a way that these things seldom are.

Overall, a great movie. Possibly the best DC superhero movie ever made.