WONDER WOMAN
We’re helpless as the Amazon princess encircles us with the golden lasso of truth.
released OUT NOW! 2017 | 12a | Blu-ray (3d, 4K, standard)/ dVd/download Director Patty Jenkins Cast Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, robin Wright, danny Huston, david Thewlis
Remember when everyone thought female-led superhero movies were doomed to failure? Or when the idea of hiring a woman to direct a comic-book adaptation was met with sceptical teeth-sucking? Alright, maybe those sexist attitudes aren’t entirely a thing of the past. But Wonder Woman’s massive success ought to provide more than enough ammunition to shoot them down: its US box office saw it take a flying leap over Deadpool and Spider-Man to become the highestgrossing superhero origin movie ever; worldwide, it has grossed over £600 million.
Financial success wouldn’t mean a lot if the film wasn’t much cop, of course. Happily, it’s great. Right from its early sun-drenched scenes set on the paradise island of Themyscira, it’s clear that this is a different kind of superhero movie than we’ve come to expect from the DCEU: think colour, joy and uncomplicated heroism.
Diana (Gal Gadot) is an Amazon, an elite warrior trained to fight injustice – but without much opportunity to do so. So when American spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and a platoon of German soldiers wash up on a Themysciran beach, clueing her in to the horrors of World War I, Diana suits up. Convinced the war is the handiwork of Greek god Ares, she’s soon dragging Steve (and his ragtag band of surprisingly nuanced sidekicks) into the trenches. There’s no hesitation, angst, or deeply repressed trauma she has to overcome. Diana becomes a hero because she can, because she wants to, and because she can’t stand to let anyone suffer if it’s in her power to stop it.
Gadot’s portrayal is one of those instantly iconic superhero performances; she makes it impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. Her Diana is smart, capable and kickass, but also compassionate and playful. She’s the kind of person you’d want fighting by your side, and to hang out with after the battle was over, too. Gadot’s particularly adept at making the film’s fish-out-ofwater comedy work: Diana’s naivety highlights the kinds of absurdities that seem normal until we see them through her eyes.
On the battlefield, too, Wonder Woman is a triumph. Through jaw-dropping fight choreography and some judiciously applied slow-mo, director Patty Jenkins makes you feel every blow. Maybe there’s a little too much Zack Snyder-ish CG scenery-smashing in the final act, but there’s never a moment when Diana’s reactions aren’t the most important thing on the screen. More than the war and mythology, this movie is about Wonder Woman’s journey from innocence to experience, and it’s a proper tearjerker.
Gal Gadot’s Diana is smart, capable and kickass but also playful
Though the character’s been around since the ’40s, it’s taken until now for her to get her own movie. It’s high time she got a lot more – can’t someone persuade Warner Bros to sack off all those Joker movies they’ve been talking about and get to work on half a dozen Wondy films instead?
Extras Not a single commentary to be found here, but both the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the movie come with around two hours’ worth of slickly edited behind-thescenes featurettes.
“Crafting The Wonder” celebrates the work of the film’s cinematographers and production designers; “Warriors Of Wonder Woman” showcases the athletes and stunt women who played the Amazons; “The Trinity” explores the relationship between DC’s Big Three, while “The Wonder Behind The Camera” follows a group of young would-be filmmakers visiting the set.
You also get five Director’s Vision features, which give Jenkins space to talk through some of the decisions she made, and “Finding The Wonder Woman Within”, a poetry-driven meditation on Wondy’s core values. Five extended scenes, one alternate scene and an endearing blooper reel are the bow on the top.
Blu-ray viewers also get a new epilogue. “Etta’s Mission” sees Steve’s former secretary (Lucy Davis) bringing the boys back together for another adventure. It’s kind of fun to see Etta take charge, but there’s not much more to the scene. Unless DC is implying that we’re going to get an Etta Candy spin-off movie? That could be interesting…