WONDER WOMAN

Unlike its Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart, DC Film’s Extended Cinematic

Universe has not been quite successful in winning over cinephiles and critics. Its
official flagship; Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was panned by both critics
and cinephiles.

However, one saving grace about Dawn of Justice was the extended cameo of Gal
Gadot as Wonder Woman. It whetted everyone’s appetite for the Wonder
Woman stand-alone movie that was to come.

Expectedly, Wonder Woman hit cineplexes with a bang that resonated across the
movie world. It was the number one movie across the globe on its opening
weekend. With a production budget of $149million, its 141minutes running time
literarily cost approximately $1million per minute. That has got be a record of
sorts. But not to worry; it has proven to be quite adept at making money too. In
just 10 days after its release, it has made over $435million dollars worldwide.

As an origin story, Wonder Woman starts out with an aerial shot of the Louvre in
Paris set to the lightly raspy and aurally appealing voiceover by the titular
character, Diana Prince, played by Gal Gadot. An easter-eggish package received
from Bruce Wayne’s Wayne Enterprises triggers off a flashback to Diana’s early
years growing up in the Island of Themyscira, home of the Amazons.

Queen of the Amazons and Diana’s mother, Hippolyta (played by Connnie

Nielsen) forbids Diana from training to be a warrior. So, her aunt; Antiope (played
by Robin Wright), engages her in a surreptitious training regimen until her mother
finds out and reluctantly gives in.

The Amazons, a warrior race of women, live in a hidden island away from the
prying eyes of men. But as fate will have it, during World War I; a fighter plane
breaks through the protective barrier hiding the island and crashes into the
waters of Themyscira.
Diana plunges into the water to rescue the unconscious pilot, Steve Trevor
(played by Chris Pine). But he is not the only one who has broken through the
barrier. A troop of German soldiers make landfall on the beach in Themyscira, and
what ensues is a choreographed slow-mo battle scene that was as impressive as it
was underwhelming.

Captured after the battle, Steve is made to confess his identity and mission under
the influence of the Lasso of truth. Diana is convinced that his presence on the
island is a sign that Ares, the God of War, is responsible for the war, and takes it
upon herself to see that he is vanquished.

Aboard a boat enroute London, Diana and Steve engage in a humorous and
romantic repartee that continues an earlier such exchange on Themyscira. He
expresses initial discomfort with her invitation to lie down next to her, and she
lets him know she is not unaware of the intricacies of biology. The scene was
slightly entertaining thanks mostly to Pine’s efforts.

An unintended moment of hilarity did ensue though in the movie theatre during
the scene where Diana informs Steve that she was moulded from clay by her
mother while her father, Zeus, breathed life into her. At this revelation, a snigger
of derision burst out from movie goers who most likely believe the first man was
created from dust, and the first woman was created from a piece of his rib. The
irony…it burns!

Arriving in London, the whole culture shock shtick was as predictable as it was
unimaginative. Diana going googly-eyed and reaching out to a child in its mother’s
arms on the street in London was as contrived as it was unnecessary. And that
whole Pretty Woman-inspired wardrobe makeover scene was predictable
campiness.

The part that really was more of a letdown for me was the battle scenes. Diana
coming under a barrage of artillery fire which she waded off using her arm
bracelets was mildly impressive at first but progressively became rather
cartoonish.
Yes, in movies you have to suspend belief but there are only so many times you
can swallow the idea of a heroine taking down the bad guys under heavy artillery
and still manage to emerge from it with nary a scar on her body and with her hair
still in shape and her lipstick still enticingly unsmudged.

Nowhere was this implausible absurdity more obvious than in the scene where
Diana bounces off her shield to take out a sniper on the bell tower of a church,
and she emerges from the black soot rubble looking like she was about to go do a
photo shoot for Vogue magazine.

In terms of storyline and script, Wonder Woman was more cheesy and cringe-
worthy than impressive. And what’s with movies these days being obsessed with
Gods and supernatural beings who want to wipe out humanity and establish their
supernatural reign over the earth? Echoes of this run the gamut from last year’s
X-Men: Apocalypse to this year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and now Wonder
Woman.

In terms of acting, Chris Pine should take kudos for managing to wrangle out
some decent acting from a script chock full of overly cheesy lines. It is to his acting
credit that he did not cringe whilst delivering some of his lines.

Gal Gadot did not really need to act to make an impression in this movie. Her
looks totally owned the Wonder Woman character. Her slightly raspy voice with a
heady hint of smoky sexiness coupled with a figure that made it look like she was
literally poured into the form fitting Wonder Woman costume made her an
instant hit in this movie.

DC Films’ inability to convincingly establish its Extended Cinematic Universe’s

imprimatur on the cinematic landscape despite four releases in its franchise only
goes to show the fantastic job Marvel Studios has done with its Marvel Cinematic
Universe. As I watched Wonder Woman, all I could think of was what Marvel
Studios would have accomplished if they had produced it.

Don’t get me wrong, Wonder Woman is a good movie (actually; okay would be
more appropriate) but good is not the adjective DC Films should be achieving four
movies into its DC Extended Cinematic Universe, especially given the phenomenal
success Marvel Studios has achieved and continues to achieve with its Marvel
Cinematic Universe.

Wonder Woman has proven itself a wonder at the box office. But it is certainly no
wonder when critically reviewed. It did prove another remarkable thing though;
Gal Gadot is an extremely sexy woman.