Let me state the things that I liked first:
1. Although the film uses tropes and conventions that come with the territory of superhero films, it still manages to make them feel fresh, funny and enjoyable especially because much of the film involves Diana becoming accustomed and familiar with the world of human beings which is highly different to her world which belongs to Amazonian Gods. The fish out of water element of the narrative helps in downplaying the standards tropes and freshening them up.
2. The film has a very refreshing humanistic soul. Just like the protagonist, the film exudes an innocent sense of optimism and belief that is genuinely moving.
3. One has to admire what it stands for and what it will do in terms of inspiring countless young girls(and boys) and stand as an example to show that a female led big budget superhero film won't always be an 'Elektra' or a 'Catwoman'.
4. The DC cinematic universe, as is clear by now, will continue to deal with stuff like gods, myths, legends, etc. But thankfully unlike 'Batman v Superman' where there was a constant attempt to make a silly, convoluted fight between two gorillas wearing circus costumes seem Biblical, profound and 'important' with Lex Luthor constantly spouting pretentious, pseudo-intellectual gibberish revolving around theology, 'Wonder Woman' at least decides to have fun with this stuff by subverting these elements for the most part.
5. Director Patty Jenkins clearly has an eye for visuals that have a flair to them. There are so many shots and sequences in the film that are rich with energy and personality. She makes use of Gal Gadot's physicality to give us a superhero who genuinely looks distinctive and enigmatic. The No Man's Land sequence is a great example of bravura filmmaking.
6. Gal Gadot isn't giving the deepest, most complicated performance ever, but Jenkins plays to Gadot's strengths and managed to make her look as good as possible and the very aspect of the Amazonians being somewhat literal organisms ends up making Gal Gadot's stiffness in many scenes along with her somewhat one dimensional line delivery seem understandable and maybe even warranted. Chris Pine is really good and his chemistry with Gal Gadot is one of the strongest things in the film.
Now let's talk about the things that I didn't like:
1. The CGI isn't very good or convincing in many scenes. There are extended sequences where the green screens become easily discernible from a visual standpoint.
2. Patty Jenkins unfortunately resorts to the Zack Snyder school of slow motion abuse constantly during the action scenes. I have always felt that overusing slow motion during combat sequences only lessens the impact and appeal of these scenes.
3. The reveal when it comes to the real villain can be seen coming from a distance. It just lacks the impact and surprise that it aspires to achieve.
4. The majority of the final act disappointingly reverts back to a live-action video game spectacle just like 'Man of Steel' did in its final act. This prolonged badly choreographed CGI fest which the film ends with somewhat betrays all the good work that preceded it.
'Wonder Woman' is flawed, but it's still a good, inspirational and enjoyable film with a good heart. I like the fact that it did unexpectedly well at the box-office because of everything that it stands for. It's not the greatest film you'll ever see, but compared to the previous outings in the DCEU like the disappointing 'Man of Steel', the pretentious and bloated 'Batman v Superman' and the laughable mess 'Suicide Squad', 'Wonder Woman' feels like a much needed breath of fresh air.
1. Although the film uses tropes and conventions that come with the territory of superhero films, it still manages to make them feel fresh, funny and enjoyable especially because much of the film involves Diana becoming accustomed and familiar with the world of human beings which is highly different to her world which belongs to Amazonian Gods. The fish out of water element of the narrative helps in downplaying the standards tropes and freshening them up.
2. The film has a very refreshing humanistic soul. Just like the protagonist, the film exudes an innocent sense of optimism and belief that is genuinely moving.
3. One has to admire what it stands for and what it will do in terms of inspiring countless young girls(and boys) and stand as an example to show that a female led big budget superhero film won't always be an 'Elektra' or a 'Catwoman'.
4. The DC cinematic universe, as is clear by now, will continue to deal with stuff like gods, myths, legends, etc. But thankfully unlike 'Batman v Superman' where there was a constant attempt to make a silly, convoluted fight between two gorillas wearing circus costumes seem Biblical, profound and 'important' with Lex Luthor constantly spouting pretentious, pseudo-intellectual gibberish revolving around theology, 'Wonder Woman' at least decides to have fun with this stuff by subverting these elements for the most part.
5. Director Patty Jenkins clearly has an eye for visuals that have a flair to them. There are so many shots and sequences in the film that are rich with energy and personality. She makes use of Gal Gadot's physicality to give us a superhero who genuinely looks distinctive and enigmatic. The No Man's Land sequence is a great example of bravura filmmaking.
6. Gal Gadot isn't giving the deepest, most complicated performance ever, but Jenkins plays to Gadot's strengths and managed to make her look as good as possible and the very aspect of the Amazonians being somewhat literal organisms ends up making Gal Gadot's stiffness in many scenes along with her somewhat one dimensional line delivery seem understandable and maybe even warranted. Chris Pine is really good and his chemistry with Gal Gadot is one of the strongest things in the film.
Now let's talk about the things that I didn't like:
1. The CGI isn't very good or convincing in many scenes. There are extended sequences where the green screens become easily discernible from a visual standpoint.
2. Patty Jenkins unfortunately resorts to the Zack Snyder school of slow motion abuse constantly during the action scenes. I have always felt that overusing slow motion during combat sequences only lessens the impact and appeal of these scenes.
3. The reveal when it comes to the real villain can be seen coming from a distance. It just lacks the impact and surprise that it aspires to achieve.
4. The majority of the final act disappointingly reverts back to a live-action video game spectacle just like 'Man of Steel' did in its final act. This prolonged badly choreographed CGI fest which the film ends with somewhat betrays all the good work that preceded it.
'Wonder Woman' is flawed, but it's still a good, inspirational and enjoyable film with a good heart. I like the fact that it did unexpectedly well at the box-office because of everything that it stands for. It's not the greatest film you'll ever see, but compared to the previous outings in the DCEU like the disappointing 'Man of Steel', the pretentious and bloated 'Batman v Superman' and the laughable mess 'Suicide Squad', 'Wonder Woman' feels like a much needed breath of fresh air.