Rate Wonder Woman (2017)

I just finished Wonder Woman, and I'd like to record some thoughts on it if no one minds; I know that I've been a bit out of the loop with these discussions because I haven't seen a new superhero flick in a long time, so--here goes!

(This isn't exactly a review, which implies a level of cohesion--more a series of loosely-organized pensées.)

*With apologies to DC-Fan, this film is not going to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination--nor, I think, does it deserve one. It's very good, but it's not the greatest thing since sliced bread.

*The exposition is clunky, very clunky. The sequences on Themisycira (I'm probably spelling that wrong--sic?) are filmed and gone through so quickly that I had a lot of trouble acclimating to the world--and I already knew a little bit about Wonder Woman's origin from the comic books! I certainly had trouble figuring out who was who, something not helped by the fact that the costume designer and director decided to dress Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen up in nearly-identical costumes. The entire beginning is far too fast--as is the end. By the end, we've spent a long time with these lovable characters--and then the movie cuts back to the present day and ends. Huh? What happens to them? What's their story? Do we ever find out? It annoyed me a great deal.

*The climax was disappointing; Ares was not particularly memorable (though I thought the twist was very clever, and well set-up), colorless and given to stating villain clichés, and we got another tiresome modern explosion to blow 'er up real good! ( to anyone who gets the reference.) It was not boring, thank God, but it was disappointing, especially because...

*Despite these criticisms, I really, really liked this movie. Maybe even "loved," though I'm not exactly sure. What I do know is that this movie made me smile, and laugh, and care about these people. I just had a great time watching it, in the same way that I got a big smile on my face when I watched Superman, Captain America, or The Rocketeer (all three of which will pop up later). These are deeply human films that care about people and believe in the goodness of man, and our ability to aspire to be better. They see the superhero as (to use a phrase I've employed often here) representative of the better angels of our nature, which is the very essence of the concept, in my opinion.

*Its best asset is Gal Gadot, a true beauty who shines in every scene she's in (which is nearly all of them). She's remarkable, both in her beauty and grace and in her acting, the latter of which depends upon her lovely eyes to show emotion. She's just super--or, perhaps, wonderful--and effortlessly charming. I didn't think there were actresses like Miss Gadot any more--her attractiveness and acting-style are marvellously traditional--and--gee--I'm just bowled over by her. Perfect for the role, bringing warmth and kindness.

*Its second best asset is Chris Pine, who makes Steve Trevor a combination of Billy Campbell's Cliff Secord and Chris Evans's Steve Rogers. Pine gets the best laugh lines, and I always did laugh. He is an incredibly appealing hero, and his self-sacrifice at the end furnishes in many ways a more effective, and certainly more moving, climax than the one we're actually given. Indeed, Pine is actually the mover and shaker of the film, and in many ways the true protagonist... (And for that, I know, feminist critics will have my head. Let 'em at it!)

*The middle of the picture is marvellous. Rare is that the middle is the best part, but here it is: amusing, intriguing, laughs in the right places, filled with genuine wit and clever plotting, with just enough pathos to avoid the dual (and duelling) extremes of flippancy and navel-gazing. Writer and director knew what the viewer expected and subverted it, e.g., that hilarious discussion Steve and Diana have about sex. Which leads me into the next point...

*This is a movie made for grown-ups. Now, I know that's a fraught term around these parts, so let me preemptively state that I think Marvel actually has a better track record here (Spider Man, Spider Man 2, Iron Man, Captain America) and that Man of Steel (the only "DCEU" film I've seen other than WW, now) thinks itself more adult than it genuinely is. My point is, though, that, like the aforementioned films, Wonder Woman assumes that its audience is intelligent and sincere. It has genuine emotion and feeling, but it never feels pandering or didactic; we know these characters well.

*Perhaps that is connected to the fact that the middle is not, in fact, much of a superhero film--more a screwball comedy crossed with a war picture crossed with a con film. And it works. It works, and that is much to Miss Jenkins's credit.

*This is a movie for people who love movies. I detected references to and themes and imagery from (wait a sec) Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Last Crusade, Superman, The Rocketeer, It Happened One Night, Captain America: The First Avenger, Charade, Bulldog Drummond, Band of Brothers, and others that I'm sure I missed. Much of the ending--on a tarmac, with a plane in the background--is borrowed from Casablanca, but the imagery is homage rather than imitation (the film is very similar, in fact, to last year's amazing Allied). This is a movie-movie, made by and for grown-ups. Despite my criticisms, it's a wonderful little film.