The wildest Wonder of the world
A-super-powered supermodel breaks the hero mould in this thrilling, involving and funny action spectacular. Glamazon Israeli actress Gal Gadot is kick ass as the warrior princess. And she impresses in quieter scenes as her civilian alter ego, Diana Prince – an endearing mix of Julia Robert’s Pretty Woman and Christopher Reeves’ Clarke Kent.
Gadot benefits enormously by being paired with Chris Pine as ace spy and airman, Steve Trevor.
Best known as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, Pine’s gift for romantic comedy is astutely deployed in a hand-holding role to aid the less experienced actress.
Leaving her home of Paradise Island to fight on the Belgian front, Wonder Woman seeks to kill the legendary Aries. Diana holds the ancient Greek god of war responsible for the mass carnage and believes he’s taken the form of Danny Huston’s German general, Ludendorff.
There is hope and optimism as the old fashioned values of sacrifice, courage and duty are dressed up in state of art CGI.
A long way from the daft TV series starring Lynda Carter, this Wonder Woman is strong, smart and sexy. As one character says: “I’m both frightened and aroused”.
From Supergirl to Catwoman, female superhero films have been terrible. After 15 super successful films starring various masked heroes, Marvel has no plans to make one.
This is despite having the globally popular actress Scarlett Johansson playing a more significant character, the Black Widow, and even giving Ant-Man his own movie.
Meanwhile, lead by the anguished Henry Cavill as Superman, the DC comics film adaptations have been overly long, dark and dull.
Director Patty Jenkins blows all this away with a fabulous mix of epic fantasy, wartime romance and screwball comedy.
Easily the best DC superhero film since Christian Bale hung up his Batman cowl, this woman is a downright wonder.