After what felt like 100 years of news and build-up, Wonder Woman has finally been released on the big screen. The Warner Bros Company had until now released 3 major films within the DC universe, and each one had generated major criticism with both fans and critics. So by now, the quality bar had been set very low despite the bar set by DC fans still being incredibly high. The strange part is everyone is dying to see the DC films succeed, the box office numbers prove that much, but they hadn’t found the perfect formula. Until now. As a fan of DC super heroes as a whole, and while not particularly well versed in Wonder Woman lore, I felt without a doubt that director Patty Jenkins and the wonderful Gal Gadot cleared both bars with room to spare.

Wonder Woman is the origin story of our titular character named Diana, Princess of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), Queen of the Amazons. Derived from the lore of the Greek Gods, Hippolyta begs Zeus for a daughter, which she molded from clay for Zeus to bring to life. I would go further into the plot, but I think it’s probably best experienced first hand. Simply put, Diana sets out with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and a band of hired guns to put an end to the war to end all wars in 1918. The plot unfolds against one of the best WWI era backdrops I have seen in a long while. Its concise, but still full of fantastic set pieces and costumes. There are little moments scattered throughout that just keep laying the foundation for authenticity. It doesn’t quite feel like a comic book and at the same time you feel yourself turning the pages as the characters move through it. This finally put the Zack Snyder’s blue hue overtone to good use and relegated it to the trenches where it belongs. Jenkin’s wasn’t afraid to use some color and it really helps the film shine.

I do not intend to unpack all of the feminist pinings of the film in this writing. Honestly, I was too busy enjoying myself to truly grasp the entirety of it. In its best moments, it makes points in single breaths. Diana is largely naive and innocent of the world outside her island, but the kind that challenges your notions of normalcy and complacency. She isn’t lacking wisdom or knowledge, but it’s the kind of academic knowledge that lacks first hand experience. Her world is very black and white, and we get to watch her navigate the murky grays of the human condition. This grey world is the thematic backbone of the story, a mirror of present day in the past. Sadly, I have a feeling this is as poignant as the DCEU will ever get, especially the closer we get to Justice League.

Wonder Woman is filled with fantastic story points and visual treats, but you can tell quite a bit of this story hit the editing room floor. At 2 hours and 21 minutes, you wouldn’t think it but it feels very lean. The biggest drawback to the film is the nuances between scenes. They are just magically at the next location they need to be at and you get the sense that the last scene didn’t really come to a close. These cuts ultimately feel minor, but there is surely going to be an extra 20 minutes in the director’s cut, if not more. Especially scenes concerning the villains of the film, Ludendorf (Danny Huston) and Dr. Maru (Elena Anaya), who were both excellent but don’t get a lion’s share of the screentime.

I realize this review is a bit all over the place, but I really am surprised that they pulled it off. I had so many thoughts running through my head while watching it in the beginning, but by the end my mind was clear, I was just enjoying myself. They did an amazing job making a succinct action packed adventure that generates heroes that you can actually love. It isn’t perfect, but it should have been the first film in the DCEU, laying the groundwork like Iron Man did for Marvel. Wonder Woman is not only the one of the strongest and oldest DCEU characters, she’s more relevant now than ever before. Not only because she is a woman, but because she embodies a strength and understanding we could all stand to find within ourselves.

~* 9/10 *~