Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins)

[TGM]

WONDER WOMAN

Director: Patty Jenkins

imdb

[TGM]

I honestly left a little underwhelmed, but I think that has more to do with the fact that the last 10-15 minutes are seriously really bad, entering into that generic 2000s superhero movie territory all of a sudden. But the thing is, prior to that, the movie's honestly really great, so it's a bit of a shame that it leaves off on such a sour note, and really unfair to the rest of the movie. I really wish they could've found a better and more tonally appropriate way to end it.

[Henry Gale]

Hey! They made a good one!

The best thing I can say is that it really knows when and how to slow down and give us beautiful character moments with almost tranquil, humming warmth to them.

It's not without its faults but in the end I care less about those things and more about how impressed I was overall. Even managed the whole eliciting real, significant emotions outta me that this universe had yet to prior to this point.

[Mal]

This movie killed me. I am dead.

[Skitch]

This movie killed me. I am dead.

What?

[Wryan]

Spoilers ahead:

This was nice, sometimes even quite good, with some odd moments and surprisingly dodgy special effects here and there (apparently we still haven't quite gotten the bodies-flying-thru-air thing to look good, but I was forced to see it in 3D so maybe it all looked better in non). Probably the best thing about it is its earnestness. Pretty much anytime the movie has Diana coming to terms with the reality of man's behavior and slowly dismantling her own preconceptions about them, the movie is in fine form. Those personal moments might be better than the action, really. Weirdly, it kind of reminded me of the first X-Men movie--exciting because it is what it is but also clearly "surpassable" in future movies. The writing was not so good at times, and that moment when Ludendorff and Poisonette gas the staff and share a cackle outside the room made me think we'd wandered into a Rocky and Bullwinkle episode. Some of the slow-mo twirling looked pretty bad. Also has perhaps one of the most unintentionally funniest parts when Thewlis disappears inside the tower and then reappears outside like "Hey gurl, now I'm out here, lemme continue to holler at chu." On that note, while I'm glad they didn't go with a fully cgi Big Bad, the halfsies helmeted Thewlis was also a little...silly. Gadot is more striking at a glance than she is a good actor, but she acquits herself well enough.

[Wryan]

Also I thought the resolution with the smiling young German boys completely undercut the very moment of character building not 20 minutes earlier when she realized that cutting the head off the snake doesn't immediately solve everything and that some people just have different perspectives (or genuine darkness in their hearts) that can't be magically changed or healed.

[Mal]

What?

It is incredibly refreshing to watch a superhero movie that is a dramatic, uncompromising fluff-free vision and not some kind of audience-serving jerk off/pop culture reference fest that doesn't earn its moments. Diana is an awesome, fantastic character. And seeing a female warrior experience and discover what her power, potential is - and for her NOT to reject it and apologize - is breathtaking. Sure, the cgi wasn't perfect a couple times, and WWI villains aren't groundbreaking (don't need them to be anyway). The heart is there from start to finish however and I can't imagine any better way to tell this story.

[Skitch]

Okay, cool. I wasn't sure if "so great I'm dead" or "so terrible I'm dead".

[Spinal]

Probably the best thing about it is its earnestness. Pretty much anytime the movie has Diana coming to terms with the reality of man's behavior and slowly dismantling her own preconceptions about them, the movie is in fine form. Those personal moments might be better than the action, really.

This was what moved me so much. It was beautiful to watch a superhero talk about love and have it feel so convincing. I thought the movie was awfully funny in places too.

[Izzy Black]

I thought the action scenes kicked ass. I could tell what was going on and I thought the bullet time effects were awesome superhero iconography. It might've helped that I didn't see it in 3D but in 2D 4K with wide color gamut which was incredible. Colors were jumping off the screen, which is a welcome change for a DC movie.

[Izzy Black]

And for the record, I hate CGI use in 99% of action movies, but didn't bother me here.

[Peng]

Judging from the wide range of reactions from those I follow, I think you're either going to fall for the earnestness or think that aspect is clumsily executed as hell. Parts of it are clumsy, sure, but I mostly find it so infectious that I succumb to the film just right after the girl turns into Gal Gadot (before that it's so exposition-heavy that for a second I get a worrisome flashback to Thor 2's first half). She and Chris Pine are what makes that earnestness lands so well.

Speaking of, I am sure this is mostly on the source material, but the similarity to Captain America, especially the first one in structure, makes for a rather interesting compare-and-contrast. Gadot exudes purity and energy in the same way that Chris Evans does, maybe even more gratifying because she haven't had a role before that suggests this kind of charisma, so it truly feels like a star-making turn. She's allowed more time to develop her rapport here with Pine, earning the story a rare truly romantic sweep in a superhero film, with an endgame that's also more satisfying just by gender and role reversals.

Mostly delivers on the action front too (opening beach battle is aces, and the No Man's Land sequence is an instant classic of raw heroic awe), at least until some Snyderism unfortunately creeps into the finale, with explosions and loud crashes in the darkness. Still, a much more solid thematic foundation and a great casting choice helps not to turn this into MoS or BvS despite the aesthetic bleed-in. Emotional stakes have already been established and they mostly land right. A shame that we have this present-day framing device, though, so we couldn't leave the film on a better note; it only confirms how I will look forward to Wonder Woman's adventures throughout the years more than present-day rushed assembling of Justice League. 7.5/10

[Henry Gale]

I thought the action scenes kicked ass. I could tell what was going on and I thought the bullet time effects were awesome superhero iconography. It might've helped that I didn't see it in 3D but in 2D 4K with wide color gamut which was incredible. Colors were jumping off the screen, which is a welcome change for a DC movie.

I actually got to see both this and Batman v Superman in non-IMAX 70mm, and even BvS had a more vibrant look to it with that screening that I've seen with it anywhere else. But needless to say this just looked awesome for the reasons you said with the celluloid blow-up (BvS did have a bunch of IMAX 65-shot stuff) as it already had a more wide-ranging palette, with the film projection further cementing the movie feeling like it was from another era with a projection that had lovely imprecisions to it over the sumptous colours and detail.

I'm not sure what other cities are going to have it, and it's probably not the most glowing example of 70mm since the film's digital intermediate was apparently only mastered in 2K (vs BvS's 4K), but I still definitely recommend it.

[Mal]

Absolutely do not see this in 3D. I saw it Friday in large format 2D and Saturday in 3D (out of timing compromise for family)- the 3D added nothing.

[Henry Gale]

Yeah, I've only seen all the DCEU in 2D in theatres but having watched scenes back later in 3D at home I've come to the conclusion that either they are generally not very good conversions OR the Snyder and Ayer just didn't give any of it a single thought. Or both.

The only shot I could've imagined having 3D in mind was [

Show Spoiler

when Ares yelled "LIIIIIES" and summoned those dirt daggers that shot towards the camera while he was comfortably centered.

]

[Sycophant]

I liked this better than any superhero movie I've seen since Superman Returns. The overwhelming sincerity of both the film's narrative and themes, as well as Gal Gadot's incredibly charismatic performance (and perhaps more specifically how Jenkins uses that performance) really worked for me. There's a lot of tired or kind of hackneyed stuff in the script/plotting that ends up working really well because of how much the film commits to it. Jenkins knows she's dealing with an icon and invests in her film all the power that suggests.

Ultimately, biggest complaint is the extremely tired slomo in the action sequences. And Danny Huston just never feels quite like he belongs in the movie (a lot of the scenes of villainy feel a bit perfunctory, as if the film just isn't all that interested in them, actually).

[Watashi]

Remember when Danny Huston was an early Match Cut/FDT fad?

Glad he's making a comeback.

[Watashi]

Also this movie rules.

The No Man's Land sequence kicks any MCU movie's ass.

[Winston*]

Remember when Danny Huston was an early Match Cut/FDT fad?

Glad he's making a comeback.

I miss Kurosawa Fan.

[Dukefrukem]

I miss Kurosawa Fan.

Where did he go?

[Spinal]

Also this movie rules.

The No Man's Land sequence kicks any MCU movie's ass.

Watching it, I felt certain that I was seeing something destined to become an iconic movie moment.

[Sycophant]

Where did he go?

Away from Match Cut.

I was thinking of KF when I was in the theater being kind of annoyed with Huston.

[transmogrifier]

Nah, this is just the same old boring generic superhero nonsense that only just squeaks by on Gadot's and Pine's central relationship, which is strong and affecting.

[transmogrifier]

Also, in a weird way, the sheer clunky, unambitious competency of it all highlights even more the absurdity of the lack of female directors in mainstream studio films; Jenkins just proved that women are just as capable as men at serving up big bland platitudes punctured by the odd rousing moment.