Movie Review - Jenkins Brings the DCEU Out of the Dark Ages With Wonder Woman

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of 5)

In front of every good man, there’s a great woman. This is the clear message behind the beautifully conceived and executed Wonder Woman: the latest entry in Warner’s sputtering DCEU. The adage applies equally to the story’s moral compass, and to the fine work of the film’s director, Patty Jenkins, and leading lady, Gal Gadot. Like messengers of the gods, Jenkins and Gadot breathe life, humor and real warmth into a franchise poised at the dark abyss of self-absorbed and self-indulgent machoness.

Wonder Woman begins on the secluded island of Themyscira, home of the Amazons. The young and willful Diana (played wonderfully by Lilly Aspell), wants more than anything to become a warrior, but her mother, Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), refuses to let her fight. Undeterred, Diana finds a willing teacher in her aunt Antiope (a lithe Robin Wright) and soon blossoms into a powerful woman and a supreme warrior (played by Gadot). The impenetrable island is unwittingly discovered by American airman, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), and soon boatloads of German soldiers are storming the beaches. The Amazons can no longer hide, and Diana is thrust into World War I.

The first act of the movie is stunningly imagined. The island of Themyscira is idyllic but never saccharine and the Amazons are both fierce and feminine. The chemistry between Gadot and Pine is electric right from the start, and Jenkins serves up a battle scene of restrained grace, a ballet of warriors both stunning and terrible to behold. This opening battle perfectly captures the spirit of the film, where less is indeed more when the audience is given the chance to invest.

Determined to end the war, Diana leaves the island with Trevor and sets sail for London. Gadot shines in the second act, as her character absorbs her new surroundings with intellectual curiosity both innocent and wise. It is a subtle and nuanced performance, and Chris Pine offers an award-worthy balance. Pine’s portrayal exemplifies the supporting role, serving out equal doses of romantic tension and comic relief. As the viewer’s entry point, Pine frames each scene with a kind of reverent affection for Gadot, never stealing focus but constantly moving the plot forward with charismatic energy. Diana and Trevor are equally determined to make a difference, and In the face of stonewalling bureaucracy, embark on a daring mission to penetrate enemy lines.

Diana’s emergence from the trenches and her dash across no-mans land to singlehandedly take on the Germans is the signature moment of the film’s action. It also best highlights the value of Jenkins’ cinematic restraint. The scene is stark, simple, and devoid of the chaotic bombardment of CGI enhanced mayhem that typifies the genre. Diana’s force of will and the justness of her cause win the day, and at that moment she truly is a wonder.

The film is not perfect, and the final act, as though drawn by the dark side, slips dangerously close to the grim nihilism that exemplifies the DC Universe since the time of Nolan. Thankfully, cooler heads, and Jenkins’ aesthetic sensibility prevail, and after a few minutes of cliché supervillainy, the movie returns to its character-driven roots, and the story ends as it begins, with a moment of introspection, as Diana reflects on her journey into the world of man and her ongoing mission to save the world.

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