Amazon Prime: The Triumph of Wonder Woman

“What I do is not up to you.” Make no mistake, mere mortals, Wonder Woman has arrived, and she’s awesome!

The character has had a long, bumpy road through development over the years, and while there have been some close starts, nobody seemed able to figure out just how to bring this revered comic book icon to the screen. Despite their profitability, fans have had a pretty contentious relationship with the previous DC Universe films, with many vilifying Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) made her first appearance, easily the best part of the picture. 

Maybe the Gods were just waiting for the right moment, because director Patty Jenkins (Monster) has delivered a triumphantly successful Wonder Woman movie, that’s not only the best of the DC bunch, but easily the equal of Captain America and Iron Man, one of the most satisfying action films in ages, with moments of pulp satisfaction that rival Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s simply fantastic.

Jenkins came close to directing a Wonder Woman film once before back in 2005, but had to exit due to an unexpected pregnancy. She hadn’t made a feature since Monster, working in TV on shows as diverse as Arrested Development to The Killing pilot. The script (Allan Heinberg of Grey’s Anatomy) springboards off the comic work of George Pérez, who relaunched the story in 1987 with deeper ties to Greek mythology. 

Wonder Woman delivers a classic, audience-pleasing origin story of young Amazon Princess Diana, on the hidden island of Themyscira, a land cut off from the modern world, where the children of Zeus know nothing of firearms and train in ferocious combat. It’s like Rivendell, and the Amazons are the Elves, imbued with supernatural grace and strength. Diana is the daughter of protective Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), who wants to shield her from a life of combat. An insane standout here is Robin Wright as General Antiope, who personifies fierceness and kicks ass like you can’t imagine. She’s an incredible movie character and Wright takes the potentially zany fantasy antics deadly serious, with the most intense stare you’ve ever seen. The combat scenes are unhinged, with delirious slow motion choreography that makes Guy Ritchie look like he’s sleepwalking.





When a World War One pilot (it’s set in 1918) crashes off the island coast, Themyscira gets its first taste of the modern world, of modern weapons and of men. As American spy Steve Trevor, Chris Pine is terrific and his chemistry with Gadot is high-voltage. She’s never seen a man before, and he’s never seen anyone like her. As great as she was in BvS, Gadot is a revelation here. She seems ethereal and curious about everything she sees, and makes the Diana a character you immediately root for. Injustice is inherently appalling to her: “I will fight, for those who cannot fight for themselves.” 

As circumstances force her to leave the protection of the island for the very heart of the war in Europe, she can’t believe the suffering and violence she sees. She’s a protector, and feels compelled to right the countless wrongs she sees around her. Her relationship with Steve Trevor is practically a role reversal of Superman and Lois Lane, with Pine the plucky mortal who’s increasingly unsure of how to rein-in this superhuman being. Unable to contain herself, the scene where Wonder Woman climbs up out of the trenches and heads into the No Man’s Land of a battlefield in Belgium had my audience cheering and out of their seats. It’s the scene to beat this summer, that’s for sure.

Jenkins has cast the film beautifully, with Lucy Davis, David Thewlis, Elena Anaya and Danny Huston all turning in marvelous work. Pine has his own team of howlin’ commandos, with Saïd Taghmaoui stealing every scene he’s in. The characters are a delight, and there’s an amazingly captivating recreation of World War I London that’s truly remarkable. At its heart, Wonder Woman is a story about the nature of war, and our willingness to go along with it, and a skillfully told story of empowerment – not just of female liberation, but of breaking free from that part of us that reflexively hates. 

It’s potentially broody, dark stuff, with the threat of poison gas looming very large. But Jenkins and Heinberg never forget to let us have fun, and that old fashioned joy and cinematic craftsmanship, along with a star-making performance by Gadot, make Wonder Woman the most enjoyable cure to superhero fatigue you’re going to find anywhere. A must-see in the theater and very highly recommended.