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In recent years, Marvel’s Avengers have dominated the superhero genre, while DC’s heroes have fallen flat time and time again. But I’m happy to announce that, while Batman, Superman, and the Suicide Squad weren’t successful in their attempts, a woman—Wonder Woman, to be exact—has finally ended DC’s slump.
Wonder Woman steps back in time to tell the story of how the Amazon princess found her way to the world of men. As a child, she was taught the legends of her people—how they were sent to stop the fighting brought about by Ares, the god of war. So when Captain Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes his plane in their land and brings stories of a great war, Diana (Gal Gadot) is convinced that Ares is to blame—so she travels with Steve to the front lines of the battle to face Ares and bring peace to the world.
After sticking with dark and serious superhero movies for far too long, DC has finally taken a page out of Marvel’s playbook—because Wonder Woman is actually a fun DC movie. It may be big and imposing and action-packed—and it follows the characters right into the depths of war—but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Instead, it’s dramatic where appropriate and playful in between, with plenty of lighthearted moments and a few comical supporting characters, too.
The story, too, is far simpler than most recent superhero movies have been—Marvel’s adventures included. Instead of attempting to cram a bunch of characters and storylines together into one tangled mess, it takes its time—though sometimes a little too much time—simply telling the story of a woman on a quest to bring peace in a time of war. It still has its share of missteps along the way, but at least it isn’t impossible to follow.
And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that Gadot’s Diana is a remarkable hero. Strong and fearless yet compassionate and sometimes even a little naive, she refuses to accept things the way they are, choosing instead to march into battle to save the poor, the innocent, and the helpless. And her mix of power and passion make her the kind of character that viewers will happily follow into one battle after another.
Wonder Woman marks an important shift for DC—a likable character in a simple (if overlong) adventure that’s just plain fun to watch. It blends Thor’s godly grandeur with the fervor of Captain America, while giving it the heart of a woman and an easy-going sense of humor. One can only hope that this entertaining style will continue in more of DC’s upcoming releases.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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