When an Amazonian princess finds herself facing the modern world’s greatest battle, she must use all her strength to overcome evil, and face up to who she is.
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Diana (Gal Gadot) is raised on a mystical island among a tribe of female warriors. Her mother is the queen, and is reluctant to let her daughter be trained in the fighting arts. Eventually, she relents—and Diana’s aunty (Robin Wright), who is known as the greatest female warrior of all, is tasked with training her.
As Diana grows in strength, so does her mother’s fears for her. Her power is growing rapidly, but with it, will come the interest of those looking to destroy her. When an American pilot (Chris Pine) crashes on to the island, Diana becomes aware of a great war taking place away from her homeland.
Convinced she must use her powers for good, she follows the soldier back to the frontline. It is there that she is confronted by the true horrors of human nature, but also made acutely aware of the way other cultures treat women. To become the wonder woman she is destined to be, Diana must learn the true extent of her powers, and how to shield herself from the flaws of human nature.
Wonder Woman has been one of the most anticipated origin stories for quite some time. Finally, we see a female warrior in all of her glory take centre stage—and for the most part, it’s done exceptionally well.
Unlike the disappointment of Batman vs Superman, Wonder Woman should be a crowd pleaser. It mixes powerful action sequences with whip smart humour, and an array of fun and interesting minor characters.
Due to its comic strip origins, there is a fascination with World War II and Nazism. The impact of the horror of the war on the creators of these comics was clearly significant. It has often been used as a plot point where super heroes emerge, and evil is given a clear face. As someone who is largely unfamiliar with the comic genre, it’s an interesting thread that seems to be common for both Marvel and DC; perhaps it reveals a lot about the need for heroes to save the day in the aftermath of such destruction.
Putting aside the ongoing frustrations with the seemingly scant attire of female superheroes, Wonder Woman is an exciting and welcome addition to the DC live action universe. She is strong and smart and capable—and also exceptionally beautiful, but it is the former qualities that are given the greatest focus.
Parents can rejoice—their children can now look up to the big screen and see a female superhero with qualities that all young girls and boys can aspire to. Here’s hoping we see many more stories like this one, so when it comes to seeing female heroes, we can wonder no more.
Director: Patty Jenkins
Stars: Gal Gadot, Robin Wright, Chris Pine, David Thewlis
Runtime: 2 hours 21 mins
Release Date: 1 June
Rating: M
Reviewer Rating: 4/5