Wonder Woman (Or England is

Elizabeth Derstine
Jun 2, 2017
2 min read

I have supported Superhero movies since the first Xmen (I was 9). I have seen them all from the great (Guardians of the Galaxy) to the not so great (sorry Andrew Garfield's Spiderman) but this was the first time I have ever seen a woman take center stage. And it was glorious.

The movie has three distinct parts, the beginnings of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) on her home Island Themyscira, her introduction into the world of humans, and the superhero plot. The first two sections make the movie stand apart from the rest of its genre and the last is just bad ass because it is the saving-the-world plot but with a woman.

The audience is introduced to Diana (Wonder Woman) as a child on the oasis of Themyscira where all the Amazons are like her; strong, confident, and female. On Themyscira, there apparently isn't much to do other than train for battle. Diana excels at the acrobatic and insanely cool mock battles, but it isn't until she and the other Amazons are pitted against humans that it's clear how truly remarkable they are.

Act two kicks into gear when British spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes off the coast of Themyscira. Pine and Gadot provoke laughter as they struggle with raw nativity to understand each others culture. The chemistry between the two is obvious and director Patty Jenkins allows these lighter moments to linger. Steven's character, while by no means the damsel in distress, fills the same role Mary Jane, Louis Lane, and Pepper do in their movies. He grounds the superhero and gives her humanity. It is the same role, but it plays very differently when it is a man in the passenger seat. Steve accepts Diana's life-saving willingly and graciously but is also confident in his own abilities to protect and defend. Even after being consistently bested in battle by Diana it takes a while for him to accept that he is no longer in charge. In a scene where Diana is running of into battle Steven insists "I can't let you do this," and Diana responds sharply " What I do is not up to you." This flipping of the stereotype is long over due.

The film takes place during World War II. It's a movie about a realistic villain! No aliens are involved! ... Though there are some gods... it was still refreshing. The battlefield setting serves the action well and leads to some of the most engaging fight sequences in any recent superhero movie. The camera gives the actors space during the fight sequences, which allows the audience to see what is going on and appreciate the choreography. Where many action movies hide the motion in quick cuts and closeups Wonder Woman lets it breathe. While I don't condone violence, watching Diana take down rooms full of men is bad ass (and mildly cathartic.)

Wonder Woman is a big movie. It is big and confident and owns both. Patty Jenkins, tells a story that is both old and new. She delivers a movie both ripe with action, humor, character, and emotion. And oh my golly when that theme song starts to play...