Wonder Woman Thoughts

AS ALWAYS, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IF YOU READ ON, DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

IMDB Summary:  Before she was Wonder Woman she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full powers and true destiny.

There’s color in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU)

• Something that I thought would never exist in this universe is brighter colors.  It was on the island of Themyscira the whole time.  To see color in a DC film universe feels rare.  Batman v Superman and Man of Steel were so drab to watch.  The landscape of the Themyscira was beautiful and a pleasure to look at.  The look and feel of a lost hidden Greek Mythology city was great.  Giving a sense of a hidden paradise.  Of course, when we got out of Themyscira, the drabness came back, but it made sense to me as World War 1 was brutal and harsh war.  Even then, it still felt like the color stood out more in this movie.  If anything in the DC Universe, I feel that Batman should only have dark and dreary coloring and this movie and Superman should have had more color palette that should symbolize hope.  As examples I feel to my point.  One of my reasons that Zac Synder wasn’t a good fit for this universe.  A lot of his movies use drab coloring and can be hit or miss.  (300 and Sucker Punch for example) I always wondered if this is a style for DC comics, anyone who reads this and knows please comment.  I’m no comic book expert, I just either watch the movie or play video games based off of comic books.

The Wonder Woman Outfit

• I liked it a lot.  It did captured an Amazon feel to me while giving a stand out comic book design of the character.  The one piece metallic red, blue and gold was great, thought I find that odd to make her stand out while the other amazons fought in a brown one piece leather looking tunics.  I think Gal Gadot was still a bit to small for my wonder woman image, but she was able to pull it off.  It looked great.  The Lasso of Truth or The Magic Lasso of Aphrodite really was a stand out of her weapons to not only use as a weapon but for some interrogations in the film.  With a rather funny one with Steve Trevor.  I didn’t mind the sword and shield as it added to a design of a weapon that an Amazon may use in battle.

Diana and Steve

• Diana and Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) played into a cliche of the male and female protagonist falling in love and having conflicts with each other, but it was ok.  There were some scenes that I felt went on too long with Steve and Diana.  The best example was when the left for London on a boat.  They talked what seemed to go on forever and sleeping and sleeping with each other.  Then about sex and it just went on and on.  When it came to the characters themselves Diana (Gal Gadot) just seemed to have a Black and White view of only going after one true enemy Ares.  By doing so that will stop all of the fighting and nothing else mattered.  Even if this means that goes into the front line and fighting everyone that stands in her way.  Steve seemed to have a more diplomatic role as a spy trying to explain to Diana the gray area of war and not to rush into danger.  It was interesting, I feel it’s usually a Man who rushes into danger and the woman takes caution.  Chris Pine was great and he Steve Trevor didn’t come off too strong but still could fight and tries to do right.  Even if it meant just spy connections to go around his superiors.  Doing what he can while trying to stop a war from destroying everyone.  By the way, anyone else feel the motorcycle he stole and rode into on the German airport at the end reminded them on Star Trek Beyond when Chris Pine did a similar scene for that movie?

The other Characters

• The other characters in the movie that helped Steve and Diana get to the front lines, didn’t seem to help with the story and even weren’t that memorable.  There was Sammer (Said Taghmaoui) the actor and master of disguise, Charlie (Ewen Bremer) The PTSD sharpshooter, and Chief (Eugene Brave Rock) the smuggler who was trading with both feuding sides and knew how to get people across the front lines.  Besides having one moment for all of them, they weren’t that necessary or important to the story.  The film could have been better if them as characters that passed by.  Same with the villains, thought they seemed to be more a nuisance than a threat.  I liked Dr. Poision (Elena Anaya) but felt she could have had a better role.  General Lundendorff (Danny Huston) was just a typical villain type that was nothing but a big fake out as Wonder woman thought that he was Ares.  I feel everyone should have seen coming that Patrick Morgan (David Therwlis) was Ares the whole time.  He had the best role of all of the side characters I thought.  Showing futility of man that only seem to know fighting, being manipulated, and killing each other.

The fighting/action in the movie

• Whenever the action took place, the fighting was excellent.  Whoever did the fighting choreography did a great job.  My favorite fights were the amazons fight with the German Soldiers on the Themyscira beaches and Wonder Woman’s attack on No man’s land to save a village under German control.  When the German Soldiers got to the shores of Themyscira chasing after Steve, the amazons enter and stop the soldiers.  The Amazon fighting was almost like watching a dance, a kick ass dance.  Arrows flying off of bows to hit there enemies.  Shooting them in position that seem as ludicrous as turning a gun sideways for a kill shot, but making it look great.  When, Wonder woman finally taking on a German army while her theme (Rupert Gregson Willams – No Man’s Land) was playing was spectacular.   It shows her strength and determination to a cause.  She rushes into No Man’s Land and just just felt the hope and determination of Diana to stop and free the town from German Soliders.  I felt also the beginning does this well too.  Showing Diana growing up and learning to fight from her Aunt General Antiope (Robin Wright Penn).  It showed Diana’s toughness, but also her naiveness but inner devotion to never give up to defend others, but not knowing her true purpose.

Hope for the DCEU

• I said to everyone that I know that this was going to be a “make or break” movie for Justice League coming to theaters this fall.  I felt that it needed to be a hit both Critically and Financially.  I waited till Sunday to post this but as of June 4th, 2017 the film grossed $100.5 million in the US box office and is tracking at 93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.  It so far hit both criteria to me and I hope word of mouth is going to keep this one strong.  It gives me some hope for the Justice League Movie.