"Wonder Woman" Redeems DC

Going into “Wonder Woman,” I was hesitant. I had already watched the crash and burn of “Batman Vs. Superman” and “Suicide Squad,” so despite the glowing reviews, I decided not to get my hopes up. However, sitting through all 2 hours and 21 minutes of the film, I realized that DC had finally gotten their act together.

From the opening of the movie, the audience could feel a different tone than the typical superhero movie that most of us could use a break from. The beginning of the movie takes the time to develop Diana’s, otherwise known as Wonder Woman’s, character, which DC has been known to skim over in the past. Gal Gadot’s portrayal of Wonder Woman in this film is nearly flawless. Gadot really wowed me with her performance in this film and I am happy to say that I had misjudged her. Gadot has always been a talented actress, but her films left a bit to be desired. Her work in the Fast and Furious franchise was decent, but she was given very little room to do any real acting. So, there was a bit of backlash when it was announced that Gadot would be playing Wonder Woman, and by giving a fantastic performance, she showed all the doubters that they were wrong.

Speaking of fantastic performances, Chris Pine delivered one as well. Pine thoroughly entertains us throughout the whole movie as a funny and charming U.S Army Air Force pilot named Steve Trevor. I believe what really makes this film work is the chemistry between the two leads, Gadot and Pine. These two work together fantastically and you root for them so much because of it. If it had not been for the wonderful portrayal of these characters by Pine and Gadot, this film would not have been so strong. They play off of each other really well and you can really believe the connection between the two.

Now, I did really enjoy this movie, but it is not without its flaws and cliches. My biggest issue was, without getting into spoilers, the ending battle. The final battle between Wonder Woman and the antagonist is pretty well worn territory. It was a typical superhero fight scene that went on for a bit too long. The reveal of the villain was also a bit over the top, which did not bother me too much, but I can definitely see it bothering some.

Another problem I had was the runtime, which was a little too long. I was never really bored during it, but there were a few times that the movie felt like it was dragging on. It seems like nowadays superhero movies have to run about two and a half hours, which in most cases, is too long.

“Wonder Woman” also had a lot of competition over the summer, including movies like “Spiderman: Homecoming” and “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2.” While DC has lost movie battles to Marvel in the past, “Wonder Woman” definitely holds it’s own against its rival films. Guardians 2, however, had stronger emotional elements that really hit hard, and I think that I would prefer Guardians 2. While it may not be the very best superhero movie to come out this year (“Logan” is the one that far surpasses others in my opinion), “Wonder Woman” is a great movie that definitely has a place as one of the best superhero movies of the decade.

Overall, this is a very fun and well crafted film that is sure to entertain just about anyone who watches it, despite some minor flaws. I would definitely recommend it as an action film to watch, especially if you are a fan of superhero movies. With another rewatch, I may even consider it to be one of the top 10 films of the year.