I’m taking some much-needed comp time this fine Monday morning, sitting on my ass and rewatching Wonder Woman.
It really is amazing just how much this movie gets “right” about storytelling and making a superhero story feel meaningful and multi-dimensional. Literally everything that Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Justice League got wrong, this gets right.
It zeroes in on a singular character who’s part of a greater theme and story, and allows you to really get to know her while moving quickly from scene to scene, providing just enough dialogue and exposition to not feel rushed, and just enough action and fun — and downright beautiful design — to not be boring.
It has a lot in common conceptually with Batman Begins, I think. Just as there was that moment, an hour or so into Begins where Bruce Wayne brings the hurt down on that group of gangsters in his “I’m Batman” moment, Diana has this sequence right here:
^ That’s iconic.
If this is the only good thing to come from this era of DC movies, I think that’ll be enough. All signs seem to be pointing to a hard “yes” on that anyway. Maybe it will keep up the pace for a second installment, but even if it doesn’t, this movie is pretty goddamn good.
EXCEPT:
• How all the other Amazons speak in a weird accent so Gal Gadot’s hard middle eastern accent doesn’t stand out. Robin Wright, bless her, is really bad at this, and her lines stand out and feel grating and weird.
• How the General Ludendorff and “Dr. Poison” scenes feel like they’re from a different, much stupider movie... They play like Boris and Natasha scenes and ultimately pimple this otherwise pretty darn seamless movie.
Good stuff. Jenkins should have been given a Best Director nod for this. Just as important as “Get Out,” I’d say. Maybe.