First, let me say I am not an esteem movie reviewer. I'm just a Wonder Woman fan with a blog. I have a best friend who LOVES Wonder Woman, who invited me to a free screening that he saw on Facebook. Oh and several folks I know asked how I like it.
With that said, here are the my non-spoiler feelings about Wonder Woman - The Rise of a Warrior(WoW). With a nod to one of my favorite movie reviewers, Andre, the Black Nerd, I going to give you the Good, the Bad, & the Diva of this movie.
The Good
WoW is a great movie. I usually favor more Marvel movies but DC has a Great contender with WoW. Patti Jenkins has set the bar high. She directed this movie well. She did a great job painting the picture of a naive, young woman to an aware & inspired warrior. If you like her little screen time in Batman v Superman, Gal Gadot will raise your expectations as Diana Prince a*k*a Wonder Woman.
Remember when the Holiday ~vs~ Hudson Dreamgirls debate. I feel you won't forget Lynda Carter but you will put Gadot right beside her in a "Who is the Best Wonder Woman & Diana Prince" discussion. If you read the ending credits, you will see the honor. Gadot expresses the speed, agility, & strength with such ease. You will actually believe Gadot is transforming from innocent to inspiring. Chris Pine made forget he was Chris Pine.
I don't dislike him but this is the first character he wasn't "the real good looking guy playing a character". He was Steve Trevor. He was a great sounding board for Diana. He's not brutish turned softer but instead shows genuine patience with Diana. Actually, you will enjoy seeing Steve learn a new definition of the term, hero. There is also a smaller character I want to highlight. DC, can we get a short film about Sameer? And please cast Saïd Taghmaoui to play him. When he told his personal story to Diana to help her understand a point, I became intrigued.
The fight scenes are good. No one scene is the same. Only one is a stereotypical battle scene. It happens on the island of Themyscira. When the film gets to Europe the fight scenes aren't as staged. The superhero-style action scenes come into play perfectly. Also, WoW isn't campy in her fighting. She's not knocking out hundreds of men in a giant swoop. Matter of fact the whole team plays an intricate part in "winning" the war.
The Bad
The bad is bad. Europe is really warred dark & Themyscira’s shores are non-war bright. Fighting on Themyscira’s shores is just as cheesy as it is on the trailer. Detailed care was put into Diana's fight scene but no one else on the island. Poor Queen Hippolyta looks like she is back kicking the horse she is jumping off of to fight.
The story development for the bad guy is iffy. We know they're after a bad guy. He's all through the movie but the bad guy's motivation is ham-fisted in at the end. And then there is the Race problem. I hate that I'm woke enough to see it. On Themyscira, the WoC has very few lines. The strongest warrior has dark skin. She's just standing there unphased with the meanest of looks. Yes, the Senator is a WoC also but the strongest warrior standing there like Godzilla being thumped bothered me. In Europe, it is worse. I only counted one blackface with the soldiers. If you count more let me know in the comments. My great-grandfather was in WWI (time period for the film). I didn't know he was the only black soldier then.
The worse part for me is Diana's innocence. My best friend thought it gave the movie texture. For me, Diana Prince is a naive know-it-all in the Worse kind of way. We know she only knows life on Themyscira. It is hammered in hard. But all her hands-on transitions to learning about the outside world are so obvious. Every time she finds something out I wanted to yell, FINALLY!!! I wish her coming-of-age flowed smoother.
The Diva
I want the WoW/Diana Prince undercover suit. When she chose it, I was proud. It's feminine without being frilly. It meant WoW came to fight.
Themyscira looked very modern. It didn't look like an old boring ancient city. They wore goddess style dresses & battle gear but they had color and they flowed. The battle gear wasn't just stiff corsets & skirts. They looked doable & fashionable.
Etta Candy is Plus Size!!! Not "curvyish" but a true dress size 18-20. When I saw her come on the screen, it was so refreshing. Over the years Etta was being shown smaller & smaller. This movie gets Etta right.
Ok so if you made it to the end of this, you have an opportunity to win a prize.
- If you are a male reader, you can win beard oil from the trusted brand.
- If are a female reader, you can win an official Red Dress pin.
First to answer correctly wins.
Answer in the comments After you see the movie:
What is the underlying lesson lurking in Wonder Wonder?
Hint: It is parental.
Good Luck!!!
Go See Wonder Wonder!!! In theaters June 2nd!!! Let teach Warner Bros & DC, a Woman Can Kick Box Office Butt!!! See you there. Fourth row up, on the end. LoL
As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms
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