(Warning: Contains Minor Spoilers)
Go see it. Right now. What are you doing on your computer reading this? Are you doing homework? It's summer! I don't want to hear any excuses! Seriously, go to the nearest movie theater and SEE THIS MOVIE!!! And not just any movie theater. Go to a movie theater with a HUUUUUUUGE screen with the sweetest sound system in the UNIVERSE!!!
Based on its historic opening weekend box office, chances are you have probably seen the movie everybody's talking about right now: Wonder Woman. If you haven't seen it yet, it is either because you are busy, are not into superhero movies, or have hard time trusting anything with the DC logo. If it's that last part, I honestly can't say I blame you.
When it comes to movies, DC's track record has been divisive at best. While Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad were all financial successes, they left critics and audiences with a sour taste. Plus a movie starring BATMAN and SUPERMAN should have at least made $1 Billion (Dr. Evil pinky) just based on its premise. And yet it only made around $800 Million.
This year, DC is releasing two movies: Wonder Woman and Justice League. Each movie is already a huge gamble in an of itself. Especially Wonder Woman. And for more reasons than you think.
Wonder Woman is without a doubt one of the most iconic superheroes in history. Even if you never picked up a comic book in your life, chances are you know who Wonder Woman is. Created by psychologist and feminist William Moulton Marston, the Amazon Princess made her first appearance in All-Star Comics #8 in 1941 during WWII, a time when the world needed heroic figures. She along with Superman and Batman is one of the longest running comic book characters in history. And she along with Batman and Superman make up the DC Trinity.
She's appeared in countless comics, and a famous TV show in the 1970s starring Lynda Carter as the Amazon Princess. But whereas Batman and Superman have both had major movie franchises, Wonder Woman had not starred in her own feature film, let alone make an appearance, until recently. But why is that? How can Ant-Man have his own movie before Wonder Woman, one of the most iconic superheroes in comic book history?
Do you remember Catwoman? Remember Elektra? Supergirl The Movie? I'm sorry for bringing back painful memories. All of those movies were gigantic flops.
Basically, whenever a blockbuster with a female lead flops, Hollywood gets reluctant to make more movies with female leads. This is why Marvel has not made a Black Widow movie yet. And yet there are countless movies with male protagonists that flop everyday. I mean, since Baywatch flopped, are we done making movies starring men?
And if you think movies STARRING women is a risk for Hollywood, wait until you hear about women directors. It's sadly the same case. When a blockbuster with a woman flops, Hollywood gets the idea that they're too risky. It's not fair and it makes no sense, but it's sadly the thought Hollywood had for decades.
Thankfully, times are slowly changing. We've had two Star Wars movies in a row with female leads, and both were monumental successes at the box office. And not to mention animated films like Frozen and Moana, both starring female protagonists who save the day without a love interest, have been huge hits. And now, Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins, an independent film director who directed the critical darling Monster starring Charlize Theoron. I have not seen that film yet as I am typing, but after seeing this film, I really want to watch it! Warner Bros. could not have picked a better director for this project! Not only does the film have great action and beautiful set pieces. It is also really funny, really charming, and has a lot of heart. Some of m favorite parts are the scenes where Diana Prince and Steve Turner just talk to each other. They give the movie a chance to breathe, and allow you to care for the characters. It's rare for a comic book movie these days, especially a DC movie, to give the audience a chance to breathe.
Gal Gadot absolutely slays as Wonder Woman! She's tough, she's independent, she's funny, and full of heart. Gadot's performance reminded me of Christopher Reeve's as Superman/Clarke Kent. Both performances were really funny, maintained a strong presence, and had a lot of heart. You didn't just see Christopher Reeve as Superman. You SAW Superman! You don't just see Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. You SEE Wonder Woman! Making a larger-than-life comic book hero feel human is a feat that few actors can pull off. And Gadot more than succeeds. She was one of the highlights of Batman v Superman. And in her first film in a starring role, she does not disappoint! And I look forward to seeing more of Gal Gadot as Diana Prince in the future!
Chris Pine makes for a very compelling love interest and provides great comic relief. He has some of the funniest scenes in the movie. He always has pitch perfect timing in movies. He's great at reacting to extraordinary situations with witty remarks. He reminds me of Harrison Ford when it comes to charisma and humor.
One of the hardest things to do in a superhero movie is the romance. It needs to be believable and feel genuine, and also not ruin the flow of the film. Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, Robert Downy Jr. and Gwyneth Palthrow, Chris Evans and Haley Atwell, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are a few examples I can think of that worked really well. And a lot of it was due to the chemistry of the actors. Chris Pine and Gal Gadot both have excellent chemistry. They really feel like a real couple, and not just two actors reading lines. You really root for them to end up together, which I don't say about many couples in superhero movies.
What I really admire about the movie is its themes of conflict and compassion. Early in the film, Wonder Woman believes that humans are good people and worth saving. She has an idealistic view of the world like everyone does when they're young, but has her views challenged when coming face-to-face with the evils of mankind. She begins feeling conflicted.
That's how society has been feeling as of late: Conflicted. In a time where truth is unrecognizable, where empathy is viewed as weakness, where the future seems uncertain, a movie like Wonder Woman not only feels like much needed escapism, but it also feels important. We need to think about themes of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, and love vs hate. These are themes that we need to discuss lately. Wonder Woman explores these themes in a mature and thoughtful. They don't feel hammered in. They feel necessary to the story.
Man of Steel tried to explore adult themes with a comic book character, but didn't work as well. Mainly because it focused more on the ideas of Superman than the character. Wonder Woman explores the ideas of the character, but also focuses on the character herself. If we don't care about the main character, why should we care about their struggles? Because we sympathize and identify with Diana Prince, we're willing to follow her on her journey and face these battles with her. She's a character who inspires us.
That's the word I feel best describes this film: Inspiring. When I left the theater, I felt inspired. Inspired to do good for the world. Inspired to stand up for what is right. Inspired to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. That is what a great superhero film is supposed to do. It should make you want to do good for the world.
"It's not what people deserve. It's what you believe." - Wonder Woman
After the movie, I saw little girls outside the theater, as well as women wearing Wonder Woman shirts. It makes me so happy for little girls and women everywhere to see a strong woman superhero on the big screen. Between this, The Force Awakens, Rogue One, Frozen, Moana, and Ghostbusters, it's really exciting that little girls have more role models on the big screen.
And in a time where the world is full of darkness and hatred, we need more strong women. We need love. We need compassion. We need strength. We need Wonder Woman.
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